地の茶りさ – {chino-cha-risa}

*_{Photo taken by Risa in Tagaytay facing the}*_{Taal volcano}*_{and lake located in the Philippines; 2018}*

Growing up in Japan, I visited the Philippines every other Christmas and several summers. When I first moved to America for college, I experienced culture shock. I had visited the United States often and studied American history, but I had never lived—or identified—as an American until 2009.

I am still learning what it means to be Filipino American. As a Filipino living in Japan, I was always treated like an outsider. This led me to become obsessed with my ancestors, the history of my parents, and the history of the Philippines. I learned about Dr. José Rizal and Filipino artists Guillermo Tolentino (sculptor) and Nicanor Abelardo (kundiman composer). Guillermo Tolentino is related to my father and Nicanor Abelardo was my grandfather’s cousin on my mother’s side. This is just a sliver of my story and one that I wanted to share today in recognition of the first known people of Asian descent to arrive in what is now the United States.

*_{Visiting the National Museum of Fine Arts in Metro Manila, Philippines where I found works by Guillermo Tolentino; 2019}*

A Brief History of Filipinos in the U.S.

On October 18th, 1587, Filipino sailors with the Spanish navy visited the shores of Morro Bay, California. Filipinos, then a colonial subject of Spain, were often forced to join the navy under terrible working conditions and low pay. In 1902, the U.S. conquered the Philippines and made it a colony. English became the official language, though many had already been pushed to learn Spanish as the primary language, and the economy became dependent on that of the United States. As a territory, Filipinos were U.S. nationals, meaning Filipinos could move to and work in the U.S., but they did not have the same rights as citizens. With the passage of the Immigration and National Act of 1965, the Philippines became the largest source of legal Asian immigration to the United States. This wave of immigration came from qualified Filipino nurses that came to the U.S. in search of a better life and to support their families from abroad. I have personally not met a Filipino American that didn’t know a nurse within their family lineage.

Filipino history has been intertwined with U.S. history, and this month, we celebrate the contributions and the influence of the Filipino community in the United States. The 2020 Census counted around 4.1 million people of Filipino descent living in the United States. Filipino Americans continue to face misperceptions of their racial and ethnic background, which may lead to less visibility in the Asian American community.

Here & Today

^{_{Risa at the Merchandise Mart} _{1871 space in Chicago, IL}}

I have been a web developer and designer at a private foundation’s IT department for 6.5 years and co-lead the Asian Affinity Network by creating an engaging and informative space for its members. In my spare time, I volunteer with the Technology Association of Grantmakers (TAG 2023 Conference Committee and DEI Working Group), serve as a Steering Committee member of the Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy (AAPIP) Chicago Chapter, and am an active Openlands TreeKeeper (#1713) focusing on communities in the South Side of Chicago. I graduated from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago in Visual Communications and Art & Technology. Born and raised in Tokyo and Yokohama, Japan, I feel disconnected to my home, but have a strong understanding of Japanese culture. My parents are from the Philippines, and through relatives who served in the navy and a grandfather who worked under the Department of Agriculture in California as a translator, I qualified for citizenship and was naturalized.

I travel globally and within the U.S., but now call Chicago home. I speak Japanese and Tagalog fluently and reside within the West Pilsen, North Lawndale, and Little Village boundaries. I am currently invested in improving my Spanish-speaking skills to help with language barriers, because through my volunteer work, I interact with and help inform residents about the benefits of trees.

10 Ways to Celebrate Filipino American History Month: https://artsandculture.google.com/story/10-ways-to-celebrate-filipino-american-history-month/4wXB6NUFZ2t0cQ?hl=en

There are more beyond this list of places to eat Filipino food in Chicago, but it’s a good start: https://www.theinfatuation.com/chicago/guides/best-filipino-restaurants-chicago

Falling Leaves

By Risa Tino

On April 23, 2022

In Roots

photo of a cherry blossom tree in autumn from my bedroom window in Setagaya-ku Noge

autumn leaves falling
spilling rain from cloudy skies
goodbye summer sets

map of Todoroki Valley (a human made forest trail)

Since I could never be Japanese, despite being born and raised in Tokyo, the urban forests that surrounded me throughout my childhood are my only truth that Japan is home. When my father passed, we had to move out of the house that we called our home. I realized that I would no longer return home, except as a foreigner, an outsider, or a visitor with a tourist visa. The alienation of my roots could only be preserved by the memory of my lived experience.

There are 48 or more designated forest therapy trails in Japan. Shinrin-yoku (forest bathing), a term coined in Japan around 1982, is an accepted form of preventative medicine. It was inspired by the ancient Shinto and Buddhist practices of letting nature enter the body through all senses. It has been proven that spending time in green spaces have correlations with improved mood, stress and blood pressure reduction, increased energy, better sleep, increased concentration, and increases in the body’s immune cells. With escalating urbanization and use of technology, internationally we are investigating the potential health benefits of spending time in nature. There are several hospitals, shrines, and hospitality spaces with gardens on rooftops and simulated nature spaces that aid in healing from the strains of city life on its people.

Stage 5: Cherry blossoms in Jackson Park, Chicago IL (May 2022)

Jackson Park in Chicago, IL is home to an estimated 160 cherry blossom trees. They don’t all bloom each spring, but it’s quite a picturesque scene. You can track the development of these cherry blossoms based on updates posted on the Chicago Park District website. I managed to learn about this place during the COVID-19 pandemic when I was inspired to explore all the city’s finest parks and nearby trails. It’s not quite home, but it feels a lot like home if I just look up towards the sky.

Lolo Lola

By Risa Tino

On April 23, 2022

In Roots

In Tagalog (one of the many dialects of the Philippines), Lolo and Lola means grandfather and grandmother, respectively. These come from the Spanish abuelo (grandfather) and abuela (grandmother). Photographs are the closest representations of my origins and my most important connection to my ancestors.

My Lola Noning, Lolo Carding, Lola Sorcia, Lolo Nap (from left to right)

These pieces are the stories that make up the histories of my past. They make me feel like I belong somewhere. They symbolize the roots to my cultural origins in a way that makes most sense to me.

Urban Canopy Maps

By Risa Tino

On March 24, 2022

In Roots

Little Village neighborhood tree canopy captured via satellite by the Morton Arboretum.

When I first realized I was part of the northeast end of Little Village, I had always assumed my home was within the boundaries of West Pilsen, Marshall Square, South Douglass Park, or even West of Chinatown on Cermak. Recently, I feel like I’m somewhere in the invisible lines of where North Lawndale and Little Village meet. Note that this map is marked with McKinley which to me has always been the neighborhood park next to where I live, east of the Heart of Italy, towards Bridgeport, but not that far. According to this urban canopy map, courtesy of the Morton Arboretum, Little Village is defined within the boundaries shown above.

Old school Chicagoans will say Little Village is actually South Lawndale, which is a listed neighborhood under the City of Chicago Data Portal. I don’t hear people refer to the area as South Lawndale or see it on any city street sign. Over the course of the next 5 years (and hopefully more) the city is working towards a tree equity effort due to the lack of urban canopy in underserved communities. While the work sound easy, especially if money is in the budget, being able to communicate with and connect with the people that live in these neighborhoods is the biggest challenge of all.

Ever since my certification as a volunteer community TreeKeeper with Openlands, I’ve continued my tradition of early morning hikes at places like Morton Arboretum, walks through city green spaces, and adventures into neighboring forest trails. At my own pace, I am taking courses under Morton Arboretum’s Natural Conservation Areas Training (N-ACT) program and have become a member of the International Society of Arboriculture. It is my intent to bridge my skills in Data Science with efforts towards improving our urban canopy, advancing tree equity and quality of life.

TreeKeeper #1713

By Risa Tino

On January 8, 2022

In Do Good Deeds

I stopped writing on my blog and had been posting recipes for my past few entries. This was in an effort to connect with my family and close friends who live far from Chicago. The pandemic had successfully pushed me into social behaviors I never expected I would be engaging in. When I became a web developer, I found it challenging to switch from the mindset of completing finished products in graphic design work to an infinite programming process divvied by 2 week sprints. Being a web developer is an endless learning process and it can sometimes lack satisfaction, often dampening one’s confidence in their profession skillset. This is if you have the wrong attitude. This was always on my mind pre-pandemic, but changes to human behavior was not always a real challenge for me until now. I’m sure that it was challenging many times in the past, but this is a very new shift to the way we live. I remember when I binge watched Black Mirror or Mr. Robot and would laugh at the fantasy that I might fall into one or more of these dark stories someday.

Patching my new Openlands volunteer TreeKeeper vest

I am in one of these episodes now, and I’ve changed. I started to take care of my mental health in the start of 2020 and three months later, my company ran a test run for a “work-from-home” scenario just in case we would need it. That was actually my first day at my current job where I worked from home and I’m still working from home almost two years later. We know more about the pandemic, we have vaccines and treatments. We know there is a possibility this will taper off or introduce new variants. We know that there is always a chance for a bigger unknown, too. I’ve cried once almost every month, but it is ok to feel sad or homesick. The news, politics, climate change, war, inequities, big tech and all the things running my digital feed do affect me. This includes the relentless bombarding of ads, bots, identity theft anxiety and algorithms that all work together to make me feel small again. It’s important to remember to take a media diet. It’s also important to pat yourself on the back because it’s only human to feel stressed. It’s just as important to remember that there is still good in this world.

In the Spring of 2021, I became an Openlands TreeKeeper with hopes to sustain and support my personal growth.

The sun never sets in kitty heaven. (Milo 10-15-2006 to 10-09-2021)

Farewell Honey Locust

By Risa Tino

On December 13, 2021

In Roots

You don’t miss it until it’s gone.

Honey locust (*Gleditsia triacanthos*) on the left. Catalpa (*Catalpa speciosa*) on the right.

Today our honey locust tree in our front yard came down. It had been struggling, but I didn’t know much about trees until I took a TreeKeeper course with a non-profit organization called Openlands early this year.

Founded in 1963, Openlands protects the natural and open spaces of northeastern Illinois and the surrounding region to ensure cleaner air and water, protect natural habitats and wildlife, and help balance and enrich our lives.

As soon as I recognized it’s deteriorating health and poor positioning with electric wires, I put in 311 requests, consulted the Morton Arboretum plant clinic, called ComEd, but unfortunately despite having multiple records of tree trimming and/or removal requests, I did not get the help I needed until it was too late. We were incredibly fortunate for no casualties from the falling tree. It was probably around 72-78 years old based on the number of rings visible within it’s core trunk.

This tree came with the house when it was last purchased around 2006. It made the house feel like a home. It offered shade, security, and it had nice fall colors, too. Unfortunately, not all trees are good for our urban canopy and while it is native to Chicago, it’s never good to plant rows of honey locust trees on a parkway or in one place. Diversity is very important between tree species and planting trees in the right place is also key for its longevity. While initially this tree never showed 2-3″ spikes in the years we’ve known our tree, concerning thorns emerged during the past year or so ago. There was also signs or ‘flowers of decay’ also known as fungi growth. Healthy honey locust trees are planted in the city without the thorns, but when stressed due to disease, it can resurface its native thorns. The southside and especially underserved neighborhoods tend to have the most honey locust populations, but they are easily one of the top ten tree species in all of Chicago.

Paw Paw

By Risa Tino

On October 17, 2021

In Education, Roots

What can you do with a paw-paw (Asimina triloba)? Paw Paw ice cream, shakes, baked goods, puddings, salad, and even in liquors, this fruit resembles a subtly sweet banana. The paw paw was traditionally mashed and made into cakes or dried as preserves. You can make jams, smoothies, quick breads, and pastries. The green pawpaw is an excellent substitute for squash or cherimoya.

A newly planted Paw Paw (*Asimina triloba*) located within community garden
Jardín Malinalli (28th & Ridgeway) in Little Village, Chicago

It is a bit tricky in terms of availability and when you pick its fruit is key. A lot of fruit from paw paws sadly get discarded especially in the city. Fully ripe paw paws last only a few days at room temperature, but may be kept for a week in the refrigerator. If fruit is refrigerated before it is fully ripe, it can be kept for up to three weeks, and can then be allowed to finish ripening at room temperature. I have not made anything from a paw paw yet, but a quick google search will lead you results to many recipes to experiment with. When I find one that I want to share, I will publish it soon.

Earth

By Risa Tino

On September 4, 2021

In Roots

地球 (Chikyū)

Q: Where are you from?
me: Chikyū!

When I was younger, I often got away with this answer, and it’s not related to a Pikachu. As a child, in the history of silly-answers-to-questions-you-will-get, I would confidently state “Earth” because it is true and a simple answer. As you get older, those answers are no longer sweet, cute, or accepted. The layers that make up our origins have so many facets and perspectives that encompass one’s cultural heritage, race and identity.

I remember when I first made friends in America I would on occasion be described as “exotic”, but I would quickly list commonalities with people they already knew. After time and discussion, it’s easy to convey that I’m not too much different than an immigrant in the US. It’s important to be aware of these misunderstandings in order to lessen the gap we create between our differences. It’s a not a big deal, but it’s also on me to speak up and not let it go to a pile of uncertainty.

I am a fan of charts, reports, and data visualization, but I’m still learning to communicate effectively with this medium, too. Here is a link to Nathan Yau’s If We All Left to “Go Back Where We Came From” and Reviving the Statistical Atlas of the United States with New Data. Yau manages to balance both truth-telling and storytelling in a way that I am still trying to understand and implement better. I also need to know how to separate my personal stories with facts. My biggest hurdle is that most data we work with is tied to a lot of details that is important to the storyteller. There are also too many raw data sources that need cleaning, validating, and better research.

So why is it so important to even share our stories? For myself, it’s so that I continue to grow outside my comfort zone. To be human, to live on earth, we are all faced with imperfections that need to be seen, acknowledged and shared so that we may be kind and respect each other. To discover what we are not and where we need to improve is part of who we all are. Rather than disregard the problems of our society, it’s important to realize that failure is part of life and is an art form we should all learn to not fear.

Pickled Magnolia Blossoms

By Risa Tino

On May 9, 2021

In Recipes

Alas, Magnolia blossom season is heading to a close, but if you happen to pick a few buds, you can pickle them! I just learned about this recipe on Kavey Eats How to Pickle Magnolia Blossoms and it is a great substitute for sushi ginger.

80-100 g freshly picked magnolia petals
150ml light vinegar (i.e. rice, cider or white wine vinegar)
25 g sugar
o.5 tsp salt

* if your blossoms are from small flowers, you don’t need to slice them

1. Measure the vinegar, sugar and salt (pickling liquid)
2. Heat the pickling liquid gently and stir until the sugar has dissolved. (heat on the stove or you can microwave in 30 sec increments)
3. Taste and adjust vinegar / sugar as needed
4. Carefully break the petals off the flower at their base
5. Discard everything but the petals
6. Drop sliced or whole petals into the pickling liquid, stirring to make sure they are fully submerged
7. Use all your flowers and steep in the pickling liquid
8. Transfer into a jar or glass container (please be careful, contents are hot)
9. Once jar is cool, refrigerate for a few hours

p.s. Pickled Magnolia blossoms are best served chilled.

Apritadang Manok

By Risa Tino

On January 9, 2021

In Recipes

Chicken Simmered in Tomatoes

This was a family staple at home. I often shadowed my dad in the kitchen. He never had a cookbook to follow so sometimes I would take notes and I definitely always asked questions. Less about why he was cooking, but more about the Philippines. This dish is perfect for those gloomy, cold Chicago days. This Filipino dish carries Spanish influences. Normally cooked with vegetable oil, but using avocado oil for better health.

1 tablespoons avocado oil
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
1 (6oz) tin of pureed tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped onions, *red or white or yellow or even shallots, too
1-1.5lbs chicken, cut into 8 pieces, *boneless skinless breasts or thighs are best, but wings or drumsticks work as well
1-2 bay leaves
1.5-2 tbsp ground black pepper
2 tsp sea salt, avoid table salt
1/2 cup water
2-3 medium-sized potatoes, *peeled and cut in cubes
3 (4oz) jars of tins pimentos

In a large saucepan, heat the avocado oil and sauté the garlic and onion. until onion is translucent. Add the chicken, pureed tomatoes, bay leaves, black pepper, salt and half cup of water. Simmer for 20 minutes over low heat uncovered.

Add the potatoes and pimentos. Cover and continue to cook until the potatoes are tender. Serve hot over rice, brown rice or cauliflower rice. Serves a table for two.