Filipinos came to Vallejo as early as 1912, and some families here can count five generations back to their roots in the Philippines. Many came to Mare Island Naval Shipyard, where Filipinos found steady, well-paying jobs that spared them from menial work and stoop labor in the fields of California. With each major conflict of the 20th century, and finally with the relaxation of immigration quotas in 1965, waves of Filipino newcomers arrived on these shores. They advanced in their work at the shipyards, settled down, and started families, buying homes and establishing successful businesses. Now this active, politically empowered Filipino community numbers in the tens of thousands, yet traditional histories ignore its contribution to Vallejo's heritage.

“Absolutely extraordinary...A landmark in the contemporary literature of the diaspora.” —Jia Tolentino, author of Trick Mirror “If Concepcion were only about Samaha’s mother, it would already be wholly worthwhile. But she was one of eight children in the Concepcion family, whose ancestry Samaha traces in this. . . powerful book.” –The New York Times A journalist's powerful and incisive account reframes how we comprehend the immigrant experience Nearing the age at which his mother had migrated to the US, part of the wave of non-Europeans who arrived after immigration quotas were relaxed in 1965, Albert Samaha began to question the ironclad belief in a better future that had inspired her family to uproot themselves from their birthplace. As she, her brother Spanky—a rising pop star back in Manila, now working as a luggage handler at San Francisco airport—and others of their generation struggled with setbacks amid mounting instability that seemed to keep prosperity ever out of reach, he wondered whether their decision to abandon a middle-class existence in the Philippines had been worth the cost. Tracing his family’s history through the region’s unique geopolitical roots in Spanish colonialism, American intervention, and Japanese occupation, Samaha fits their arc into the wider story of global migration as determined by chess moves among superpowers. Ambitious, intimate, and incisive, Concepcion explores what it might mean to reckon with the unjust legacy of imperialism, to live with contradiction and hope, to fight for the unrealized ideals of an inherited homeland.

Tens of thousands of Filipinos who have lived, worked, and raised families for over five generations in this unique city stake their rightful claim to more than a century of shared history in San Francisco. The photographs herein attest to the early arrivals, who came as merchant mariners, businesspeople, scholars, and musicians, as well as agricultural and domestic workers. But their story has often been ignored, told incompletely by others, and edited too selectively by many. The Filipino American experience both epitomizes and defies the traditional immigrant storyline, and these pictures honestly and respectfully document the fruits of their labors, the products of their perseverance, and, at times, their resistance to social exclusion and economic suppression.

"To truly appreciate and understand Filipino dishes, you have to understand the evolution of the spices, the nuances of the flavor profiles, the land from which these dishes were birthed. That's what this book provides. This is not just a book of recipes; this is a book about our story." --Pati Navalta Poblete, Editor-in-Chief, San Francisco Magazine No cuisine and appliance are better suited for one another than Filipino food and the Instant Pot. From classic dinner staples like the traditionally sour Sinigang na Baboy (pork tamarind soup) to sweet treats like Putong Puti (steamed rice cake), the rich flavors of Filipino food are typically unlocked through a long braise or boil, a delicate steam, or some other treatment by moist heat. Fortunately, this is exactly what the Instant Pot does best. The Filipino Instant Pot Cookbook is written by six home cooks who set out to explore their Filipino heritage and intimate family histories, one dish at a time. The result is a collection of over 75 heartfelt Filipino recipes, all carefully translated for preparation in today’s most essential piece of kitchenware, the Instant Pot. Just as Filipino food is now a mainstay in the consciousness of foodies from around the world, The Filipino Instant Pot Cookbook is an absolute must-have for every modern home cook. It is written with humor and heart, and lined with beautifully styled photography that will trigger a warm sense of nostalgia. Praised by the Culinary Director of the Filipino Food Movement, the President Emeritus of the Filipino American National Historical Society, and chefs from around the world, The Filipino Instant Pot Cookbook will help any home cook step into a kitchen and create great Filipino food for any setting, without breaking the bank… or the clock. Whether you’re cooking for a raucous affair featuring the tableside chatter of an entire extended family or a simple, quiet comfort-meal under your favorite blanket on the couch, The Filipino Instant Pot Cookbook will have you covered.