This is taken from the ultimate source of all knowledge in the universe, Wikipedia: (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asian_American#Demographics)
The 2006 U.S. census recorded 14.6 million people who reported themselves as having either full or partial Asianheritage, 4.9% of the U.S. population. The largest ethnic subgroups are Chinese (3.6 million), Filipinos (2.9 million),Asian Indians (2.7 million), Vietnamese (1.6 million), Koreans (1.5 million), and Japanese (1.2 million). Other sizable groups are Cambodians/Khmers (206,000), Pakistanis (204,000), Laotians (198,000), Hmong (186,000), and Thais(150,000).[25]
As you see, Filipinos are the second largest Asian-American ethnic group in the United States, yet our cuisine remains one of the most obscure. There are only about 150,000 Thais, but when I think of food trends and popularity in the U.S., Thai is near the top of that list. I love Thai food just as I love Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese (and whatever "eses" I'm leaving out), as well as Indian and Korean, etc. etc. It's not that any of these are better or more worthy of attention, but Filipino cuisine lacks true ambassadors and lacks a common marketing scheme, after all this is the land of unabashed and shameless capitalism. The Chinese and Japanese, great businessmen as they are, were able to adapt their cuisines for the American pallette. (You think that Philadelphia Roll you're ordering can be considered sushi? Wanna bet on who eats more egg rolls, the U.S. or China? Yeah, I know they outnumber us 100 to 1. You wanna give me those odds?) Indians and Koreans have been less yielding of their authenticity, but who can in their right mind deny some spicy curry (as long as its on the plate and not infused into the fibers of your clothing,) and what American doesn't like a good barbecue, even if it is Korean? Somewhere in the middle, between adaptation and authenticity, lies the path for Filipino cuisine in America.
I think many Americans have tried Filipino food either in the form of lumpia or pancit. We may have been at a potluck with a Filipino in attendence, and 9 times out of 10, he or she is in charge of making sure everyone gets their fill of fried spring rolls and noodles. It's a start. A grassroots campaign might work. But not when some fat, bald dude on The Travel Channel decides to show off for amusement the infamous delicacy of "aborted duck egg", a.k.a balut. Or how about when balut is featured on Fear Factor as the "how-the-fuck-can-you-eat-that" item of the day? If you don't know what I refer to, youtube (v.) "balut" and let me know what you think. I'm not bitter towards any of the bad press. After all, there are bizarre foods all over the world per Mr. Zimmern. But if our marketing campaign consists of sporadic doses of egg rolls, noodles, and mass media featuring victims triple-dog-dared into eating aborted duck eggs (as free as that press may be), we're doomed. And so I will take it face the challenge, hopefully to be taken up by my fellow Filipino-Americans, to be the conduit of change as to how our food is celebrated in this amalgamated society called America. If we're lucky, soon you will see how and why I care for this cause, whether its by showcasing various traditional dishes in my kitchen, taking you to establishments stateside, but also hopefully soon across the Pacific to the Motherland.
Soon I will divorce these two passions of mine--championing my own heritage and exploring food as a whole by way of this quintessential American city of Chicago--but only as two channels on the same television. Flip back and forth as you please, but just don't break the set.
