By Cynthia De Castro
APRIL 18, 2008
Asianjournal.com
Pulitzer Mania for a Pinoy
LOS ANGELES —“No one really wins simplistic.’ A very good lesson. Leslie
anything alone.” was one of the top managers at the
Such is Filipino American Jose Chronicle. She was an inspiration to me.
Antonio Vargas’ humble assessment for Her work ethic, her discipline, her skill
a momentous achievement like winning was undeniable.”
in the 2008 Annual Pulitzer Prize. A few months into the job, Jose
At 27, Vargas became the youngest started writing for the Chronicle and
and only the fifth Filipino to win a Pulitzer. landed summer internships at the
The highly revered award-giving body Philadelphia Daily News in 2001 and at
honored Vargas together with other the Washington Post in 2003. After he
writers of The Washington Post for their got back from The Post, the Chronicle
exceptional, multi-faceted coverage of offered Jose a full-time reporting job on
the deadly shooting rampage at Virginia the city desk which he accepted. A few
Tech. months later, however, The Post offered
He has since been deluged with him a job months before his college
interviews about what he calls the graduation.
Pulitzer mania. “But, to be frank, what’s “I couldn’t turn it down,” he said. “So,
more important than the Pulitzer is two days after my graduation, I moved
the chance to say thanks to relatives to Washington, DC to work for the
and friends who’ve been incredibly Washington Post.”
supportive,” he told the Asian Journal. That was in 2004. Since then, Jose has
A journalist for the past 10 years, written a number articles for the Post
Jose, who was born in the Philippines including a couple of features about
in February 1981, started writing stories Filipinos, the culture of video games, a
during his junior years in high school. yearlong series on AIDS in Washington,
He grew up in Zambales and Pasig, and and the award-winning Virginia Tech
attended elementary in Pasig Catholic massacre. Vargas is now covering the
College. His mother, Emily, was a single political campaign, running up to the
mom who raised him with the help of November presidential elections.
his maternal grandparents. Aida and all my Lolas—Lola Leoning, “I specialize in the marriage of the
In an email sent to the Asian Journal, Lola Rosie and Lola Florie—attended my Internet and politics, how all the
Vargas relates his path to the Pulitzer: college graduation,” Jose said. candidates are campaigning online.
“My grandparents, Leonila and Ted, Jose started his journalism career at Barack Obama has raised a tremendous
moved to the States and took me with 17, while he was a high school junior. He amount of money on the Internet,” he
them when I was young. We moved to was first an intern and then became a said.
Mountain View, California in 1993 and paid staffer for the Mountain View Voice, Despite his success in the US, Vargas
Lolo, Lola and my Uncle Rolan, my mom’s a local weekly paper, covering city hall remains proud to be Filipino.
younger brother, raised me. We come meetings, school board meetings, light “I stay in touch with Filipino culture.
from modest means; my Lola was a food features. After graduating in high school Whenever I visit Lola Leoning in
server, my Lolo was a security guard. in 2000, he landed as a copy boy at the Mountain View, which is about once
“Here in the States, I found a second San Francisco Chronicle, sorting mail, every two months, the only thing on TV
family at Mountain View High School, delivering faxes and answering the is TFC and Wowowee,” he said.
where the principal, Pat Hyland, and the phones. “I love my Lola’s kare-kare which is
superintendent, Rich Fischer, acted as if “A Filipino-American named Leslie my favorite Filipino dish and I can’t get
they were my surrogate parents. With Guevarra, whom I consider one of my enough of Auntie Aida’s ube whenever
their help, and because of the generosity mentors, hired me,” he continued. “Back she makes them. I speak with my mom in
of a venture capitalist, I landed a full then, in 2000, she was terribly impressed the Philippines often. I still watch Korina
scholarship for college. I attended San with my writing. I particularly recall her Sanchez, try to keep up with Filipino
Francisco State University and studied saying, in that deep, low, intimidating news and have many Filipino friends,
Political Science and Black Studies, voice of hers, that my writing was all of whom I’ve known since I was in
graduating in 2004. One of my proudest ‘simplistic.’ middle school. I still speak Tagalog and
moments was when Uncle Rolan, Auntie “Leslie advised: ‘Be simple. Don’t be some Zambal,” he added. (AJ)
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