Luis Francia honored with lifetime achievement award

The Metro New York Chapter of the Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS) will be presenting the third annual community awards to individuals, led by writer Luis Francia, who have demonstrated a commitment to community engagement and the preservation of FilAm history. The presentation will be held October 1st at the Philippine Center.

The “Contributions to Excellence” Award will be presented to Larry Tantay for his contributions to the Filipino American Human Services, Inc. (FAHSI), APICHA Community Health Center, and Kalusugan Coalition, Inc.

Two “Outstanding Artists” awards will be presented for their integration of Filipino American culture in their respective artistries. Liz Casasola is an actress and singer who has appeared on stage and film, who formed Broadway Barkada – a group of Filipino American artists who have performed on and off-Broadway. Air Tabigue is a comedian who has organized several Filipino American comedy nights and has also coordinated fundraisers to help the people of the Philippines.

The “Outstanding Youth Leadership Award” will be presented to Marc Densing, a student at Baruch College who is also the national chairperson of the Filipino Intercollegiate National Dialogue (FIND).

Finally, the second annual lifetime achievement award will be presented to Luis Francia, a Filipino American poet, journalist, and nonfiction writer who has lived in New York City for decades. He is the award-winning author of several books including “Eye of the Fish: A Personal Archipelago,” “Flippin’: Filipinos on America,” and “A History of the Philippines: From Indios Bravos to Filipinos.” He was an assistant editor/writer of The Village Voice from 1984-2006 and is a former Op-Ed columnist for the New York Daily News. He is a professor at New York University and Hunter College, and he lives in Queens with his wife, Midori.