FilAms Among The Remarkable And Famous, Part 73

Filipinos have been in the United States since the 16th century, yet many of their stories remain untold. For the past year, Positively Filipino has been running a series on notable Filipino Americans who have made their marks in this country. There are hundreds, or maybe even thousands more, that need to be added to this story, and we need your help. If you know of a Filipino American who deserves to be included in this line-up, please send us their names and any supporting documents you may have to pfpublisher@yahoo.com. For now, we are including only those who are currently active and visible in the media and the community, regardless of their religious, sexual or political orientation. Thank you.

Dr. Patricia Halagao, Co-Director of the Center for Philippine Studies

Dr. Patricia Halagao (Source: University of Hawaii in Manoa)

Dr. Patricia Halagao was born in Manila, Philippines, grew up in Stockton, California, and has lived in Hawaiʻi for more than 20 years. She is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Curriculum Studies at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, where she also serves as Program Director for the Multilingual Multicultural Professional Practice Graduate Certificate.

Her nearly 30-year career in public education centers on multicultural pedagogy and policy. As a Filipina American scholar and former elementary teacher, she is a strong advocate for K–12 Filipino education. She co-developed several Filipino American educational programs, including Pinoy Teach, the Smithsonian’s Filipino American Story iJeepney, and the Sistan Alhambra Filipino American Education Institute.

Dr. Halagao is co-founder of the UHM Tinalak Filipino Education Council, a Trustee of the Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS), and Co-Editor of the FANHS Journal, newly published by UH Press. She has received the UH Medal for Excellence in Teaching and the Filipina Women’s Network 100 Most Influential Filipina Women in the World Award.

Appointed to the Hawai‘i State Board of Education, she led the adoption of two landmark policies: the Seal of Biliteracy and the Multilingualism for Equitable Education policy. Her greatest joy, she says, is empowering youth to become architects of their own education. She currently advises the Filipino Curriculum Project, a student-led high school initiative that successfully advocated for the nation’s first statewide Filipino history and culture social studies course, now implemented in Hawaiʻi’s public and private schools.

Angelene Superable, Lawyer

Angelene Superable (Source: Georgetown Law)

Drawing on five years of executive-level communications and policy experience in New York City and state government, Angeline Superable focuses on how federal and state financial institutions adapt when technological innovation outpaces existing regulations. She is a Student Attorney with the Georgetown Appellate Litigation Clinic, a Law Fellow, Technology Law & Policy Scholar, and Research Assistant to Professor Eloise Pasachoff. She won the ABA First Amendment and Media Law Diversity Moot Court Competition this spring and will argue before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit in May.

Before law school, she served as Deputy Communications Director for New York Governor Kathy Hochul, managing communications for 11 statewide agencies and advising on issues such as COVID-19, reproductive rights, the opioid epidemic, mental health, and gun violence prevention. She previously worked as Communications Director for the Lieutenant Governor and as Deputy Press Secretary, Communications Advisor, and Special Assistant to the Mayor of New York City.

Superable also founded New York City’s first pan-Asian democratic club, served as the youngest board member of the Coro New York Leadership Center, and sat on the Board of Elders for Forefront Church, an LGBTQIA+ affirming congregation. She is a former Coro Fellow in Public Affairs and a UC Berkeley Political Science graduate.

Denise Dador, Broadcast Journalist

Denise Dador (Source: PRSA-LA)

Denise Dador is the Eyewitness News Health Specialist whose “Circle of Health” reports air weekdays on ABC7 Eyewitness News at 3 p.m., 4 p.m., and 5 p.m. Since joining ABC7 in 1998, her mission has been to help Southern Californians improve their lives through accessible medical information and expert insight. Her reporting was especially vital during the COVID-19 pandemic, helping viewers navigate rapid changes in public health guidance.

Dador volunteers with organizations supporting medical research and patient care, and she represents KABC in outreach with Asian Pacific Islander and Filipino American community organizations.

A San Francisco native, she attended Long Island University in Brooklyn and graduated from Mills College with a degree in communication. She previously anchored weekend news and hosted a talk show at WXYZ-TV in Detroit, and served as the main 10 p.m. anchor at KMPH in Fresno.

Maria Pizzaro Harper, Mother of Dylan Harper

Maria Pizarro Harper (Source: X)

Maria Pizzaro Harper is the mother of Dylan Harper, the No. 2 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft who joined the San Antonio Spurs. She is married to five-time NBA champion Ron Harper Sr.

Born in Bataan, Philippines, she immigrated to the U.S. at age seven and was raised in Paterson, New Jersey. Her father, Manuel Pizarro, represented the Philippines in jai alai at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City. Maria earned a Division I basketball scholarship to the University of New Orleans, where she played from 1993 to 1996.

She began coaching in Chicago, later becoming girls’ varsity head coach at DePaul Catholic High School and then assistant coach for the boys’ basketball team at Don Bosco Prep in New Jersey. Her Instagram bio lists her as a Coach/Trainer at Stack Basketball NJ/NY.

In an interview with Amazn HQ, she shared this message to her sons about her Filipino upbringing: “A sense of loyalty, hard work, camaraderie, and just overall being a good human being to others… I try to emulate the generosity I saw in my parents and pass it down to you.”

Lisandro “Leloy” Claudio, Academic

Lisandro Claudio (Source: UC Berkeley)

Lisandro “Leloy” Claudio is a Filipino academic, author, and political commentator. He is an assistant professor of Southeast Asian Studies at the University of California, Berkeley, recognized for his scholarship on Philippine history, politics, and society.

Claudio graduated magna cum laude and valedictorian from Ateneo de Manila University in 2007 with a BA in Communication, and earned his PhD in Asian History from the University of Melbourne in 2011.

In 2013, Claudio and writer Miguel Syjuco publicly accused Senator Tito Sotto of plagiarizing Robert F. Kennedy’s 1966 speech and challenged him to debate the RH Bill—an invitation Sotto declined.

Deja Foxx, Political Organizer

Deja Foxx, a Filipina American political organizer, ran in the 2025 special election for Arizona’s 7th congressional district. Born and raised in Tucson, she grew up in Section 8 housing and relied on food stamps. At 15, she left home due to her mother’s struggles with mental illness and substance abuse, staying with friends while working at a gas station to help support her family.

In high school, she successfully advocated for reforms to the sex education curriculum. She later became a founding member of El Rio Community Health Center’s Reproductive Health Access Project, which provides reproductive health care to Tucson youth. In 2018, she won a Community Innovation Award from the Society for Science for a study on factors affecting C-section rates.

Foxx attended Columbia University on a full scholarship, graduating in 2023 with honors—the first in her family to earn a college degree.

Jayson Atienza, Designer

Jayson Atienza (Source: jaysonatienza.com)

Jayson Atienza is an award-winning visual artist and creative director who divides his time between Asia, New York City, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas. He is Co-Founder and Artistic Creative Director of Studio Atienza, a multidisciplinary consultancy specializing in design, visual art, and fashion.

Born in Batangas and raised in Jersey City, he began drawing at age five, often collaborating with his father, who was deaf and mute. Visual language became his earliest form of communication—a foundation he carries into global collaborations today.

His projects include artwork for the Jordan Flagship Store in Beijing; a four-part installation for Nike’s Kicks Lounge in Shanghai; a mural for WeWork; design collaborations with Lululemon and Ray-Ban; a handbag line with The DOT in Hong Kong; and a mural honoring advertising legend David Ogilvy at Ogilvy Shanghai.

Career highlights include winning the Cannes Lion Young Creative Competition, creating a music video for John Lennon’s 20th Anniversary Retrospective at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and receiving the Art Directors Club Young Guns Award.

Meredith Curry Nuñez, Social Justice Advocate

Meredith Curry Nuñez (Source: East Side Education Foundation)

Meredith Curry Nuñez is a longtime social justice advocate working at the intersection of operations, college access, and workforce development. She has served in California’s nonprofit sector since 2000 and is an alumna of all three of the state’s public higher education systems.

Since 2020, she has been Executive Director of the Northern California College Promise Coalition (NCCPC), partnering with statewide organizations to improve college access, success, and career outcomes for multiply marginalized underserved (MMU) students.

Previously, she was the founding Director of Operations for the California College Guidance Initiative (CCGI), which manages CaliforniaColleges.edu and supports the state’s Cradle to Career Data System. A first-generation college graduate, she serves on the C2C Community Engagement Advisory Board and is Board Chair of LEAD Filipino. She was named a 2023 East Side Hall of Famer and a 2021 Silicon Valley Business Journal 40 Under 40 honoree.

Alexis Monsanto, Artist

Alexis Monsanto (Source: Golden Globes)

Alexis Monsanto is an artist, designer, and mentor to emerging fashion talent. He serves on the Advisory Board of Fullerton Community College and lectures at California State University, Dominguez Hills, and Santa Monica College.

His 2023 Spring–Summer collection debuted at both New York Fashion Week and Los Angeles Fashion Week, showcasing French-inspired elegance with nods to Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, and Sabrina. His designs are known for their timeless silhouettes, old Hollywood glamour, and sustainable craftsmanship.

Monsanto draws deeply from his childhood in Misamis Occidental, Philippines—an environment rich in color and Spanish-inflected heritage. After discovering fashion during a family trip to Manila at age 15, he pursued design at Otis School of Art following a pre-med degree. He worked in several Los Angeles manufacturing houses before opening his Melrose Avenue atelier 14 years ago.

Raymart Billote, Educator

Raymart Billote (Source: Hawaii Business Magazine)

Raymart Billote graduated from the University of Hawaiʻi at West Oʻahu with a degree in Secondary Education (Social Studies). Beginning in the 2025–2026 school year, he will teach social studies at Waipahu High School, where he previously worked as a paraprofessional educator and substitute teacher. He is committed to building strong, lasting relationships with students—especially those from underserved communities—and helping them see their potential beyond the classroom.

Billote also served as lead student assistant for the TIDES Program at UH Mānoa, supporting Filipino and Pacific Islander students transitioning to college. He is a board member of the Filipino Curriculum Project, a student-led effort to increase Filipino representation through curriculum design and advocacy.

Fluent in Filipino and Pangasinan, he believes that language, culture, and identity are powerful tools in education. He recently received the Raising Immigrant Voices Award for amplifying immigrant narratives that foster empathy, understanding, and connection across communities.

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