June 19th is both Juneteenth and José Rizal’s birthday, two events that seem unrelated, but are part of the same history of slavery, colonialism, and the fight for liberation. From Texas to the Philippines, this isn’t just a coincidence. It’s a story of resistance that still matters today. 🎥 Join my channel! — https://youtube.com/kirbyaraullo/join 🔔 Subscribe — http://goo.gl/yDgQmK 🍿 Be my Patron — https://www.patreon.com/kirbynoodle 📚 Books, merch, etc. — https://www.kirbyaraullo.com/books Related Videos & Playlists: 🇵🇭 Philippine Revolutions & Independence: http://bit.ly/KalayaanPH 🌞 Precolonial & Early Philippine History https://bit.ly/EarlyPhilippines 🌏 Demystifying Southeast Asia: https://bit.ly/KnowSoutheastAsia 🔍 Featured Topics: 00:00 Jose Rizal Born on Juneteenth? The Truth Behind the Date 01:00 Rizal and Juneteenth: Are They Really Connected? 01:41 Colonialism in the 1800s: U.S. and Spanish Empires 03:13 Juneteenth and Rizal: Fighting Empire and Oppression 06:18 Why Juneteenth and Rizal Still Matter Today 09:12 Black Filipino Solidarity in History: The Real Story 12:32 From Juneteenth to Rizal: What This Means for Us 📺 About This Video: José Rizal Was Born on Juneteenth?! This historical video by Kirby Araullo explores the surprising connection between Juneteenth — the day Black Americans in Texas were finally informed of their freedom — and the birth of Filipino revolutionary José Rizal. While these two moments happened on opposite sides of the world, they are both rooted in the same global systems of slavery, colonialism, and resistance. From Spanish-occupied Philippines to post-slavery America, this video traces how empire shaped both histories, and how the fight for liberation echoed across oceans. A must-watch for anyone interested in Filipino history, Black history, anti-colonial struggles, and the stories we’re not taught in school. ☀️ About Kirby: Kirby Araullo is a distinguished Filipino American historian, culture bearer, and content creator based in California. He is a direct descendant of the indigenous Paramount Kings of Luzon—Lakandúlâ of Tondo and Rája Matandá of Maynílâ—as well as the anti-colonial Katipuneros and World War II Guerilyeras who fought for Philippine liberation. His rich heritage also includes Kapampángan, Tagálog, Indigenous Áytá, Pangasinan, and Spanish-Basque-Portuguese-Irish Mestizo roots. Kirby co-founded the Bulosan Center for Filipino Studies at the University of California, Davis, where he has authored works on Asian American, Philippine, and Southeast Asian histories. With education from UC Davis and Harvard University, Kirby teaches Filipino history and culture through indigenous scripts like Kulitan and Baybayin. His popular YouTube channel features educational content on historical narratives and cultural insights, attracting a global audience eager to explore Filipino and Southeast Asian histories, and the stories of revolutionaries and freedom fighters from the Philippines.

☀️ You’ve seen the sun on the Philippine flag, but did you know it may have roots long before the First Philippine Republic? In this video, I explore how ancient symbols, indigenous deities like Apung Sinukuan, and even Bonifacio’s alias connect to the revolutionary sun we see today. 🎥 Join my channel! — https://youtube.com/kirbyaraullo/join 🔔 Subscribe — http://goo.gl/yDgQmK 🍿 Be my Patron — https://www.patreon.com/kirbynoodle 📚 Books, merch, etc. — https://www.kirbyaraullo.com/books Related Videos & Playlists: 🇵🇭 Philippine Revolutions & Independence: http://bit.ly/KalayaanPH 🌞 Precolonial & Early Philippine History https://bit.ly/EarlyPhilippines 🌏 Demystifying Southeast Asia: https://bit.ly/KnowSoutheastAsia 🔍 Featured Topics: 00:00 The Forgotten Origins of the Filipino Sun 01:39 What History Books Say About the Flag 02:45 Bonifacio and the Sun God Sinukuan 04:39 Katipuneros and Kapampangan Mysticism 06:39 Precolonial Flags and Sun Emblems 07:50 Maupayang Pandi and Royal Color Symbolism 09:51 Sun Tattoos, Catholic Syncretism, and the Singsing 11:46 Shared Sun Symbols Across Southeast Asia 13:00 Luzones and the Royal Sun 14:57 The Many Katipunan Flags 16:17 The Sunflower Flag and Colonial Suppression 17:37 The Revolutionary Filipino Sun We Salute Today 📺 About This Video: This video uncovers the deeper meaning behind the sun on the Philippine flag — tracing its origins from revolutionary symbols used by Bonifacio and the Katipunan, to even older indigenous and Southeast Asian traditions. We explore how sun deities like Apung Sinukuan, sacred banners like the Panji and Maupayang Pandi, and motifs found in tattoos, textiles, and temples reflect a long history of sovereignty and resistance across the islands. ☀️ About Kirby: Kirby Araullo is a distinguished Filipino American historian, culture bearer, and content creator based in California. He is a direct descendant of the indigenous Paramount Kings of Luzon—Lakandúlâ of Tondo and Rája Matandá of Maynílâ—as well as the anti-colonial Katipuneros and World War II Guerilyeras who fought for Philippine liberation. His rich heritage also includes Kapampángan, Tagálog, Indigenous Áytá, Pangasinan, and Spanish-Basque-Portuguese-Irish Mestizo roots. Kirby co-founded the Bulosan Center for Filipino Studies at the University of California, Davis, where he has authored works on Asian American, Philippine, and Southeast Asian histories. With education from UC Davis and Harvard University, Kirby teaches Filipino history and culture through indigenous scripts like Kulitan and Baybayin. His popular YouTube channel features educational content on historical narratives and cultural insights, attracting a global audience eager to explore Filipino and Southeast Asian histories, and the stories of revolutionaries and freedom fighters from the Philippines.

The Philippine Flag Was Once Illegal? 🇵🇭 For 12 years, Filipinos could be jailed just for owning the flag. This video unpacks the forgotten history of the Philippine flag — why it was banned, how it became a revolutionary symbol, and what its colors, stars, and sun really meant to the people who fought under it. 🎥 Join my channel! — https://youtube.com/kirbyaraullo/join 🔔 Subscribe — http://goo.gl/yDgQmK 🍿 Be my Patron — https://www.patreon.com/kirbynoodle 📚 Books, merch, etc. — https://www.kirbyaraullo.com/books Related Videos & Playlists: 🇵🇭 Philippine Revolutions & Independence: http://bit.ly/KalayaanPH 🌞 Precolonial & Early Philippine History https://bit.ly/EarlyPhilippines 🌏 Demystifying Southeast Asia: https://bit.ly/KnowSoutheastAsia 🔍 Featured Topics: 00:00 Why Was the Philippine Flag Banned? 01:27 The Hidden History of the Philippine Flag 02:57 When Waving the Philippine Flag Was Illegal 04:58 How the Philippine Flag Was Created in Exile 05:49 The Meaning Behind the Symbols, 3 Stars, and the Sun 08:03 Why the Philippine Flag Flips in Times of War 10:05 The Meaning Behind the Colors of the Philippine Flag 12:17 The ‘Evolution’ & Other Revolutionary Flags of the Philippines 14:15 The People’s Flag 15:24 The Precolonial Origins of the Sun and the Flag 📺 About This Video: This episode explores the hidden story of the Philippine flag — from its birth in exile to its banning under colonial law. This vide looks into why the flag was once illegal, the forgotten revolutionary flags that flew alongside it, and the deeper Indigenous and cultural roots behind its symbols. It’s a story of resistance, identity, and a flag that still carries the weight of a nation’s fight for freedom. ☀️ About Kirby: Kirby Araullo is a distinguished Filipino American historian, culture bearer, and content creator based in California. He is a direct descendant of the indigenous Paramount Kings of Luzon—Lakandúlâ of Tondo and Rája Matandá of Maynílâ—as well as the anti-colonial Katipuneros and World War II Guerilyeras who fought for Philippine liberation. His rich heritage also includes Kapampángan, Tagálog, Indigenous Áytá, Pangasinan, and Spanish-Basque-Portuguese-Irish Mestizo roots. Kirby co-founded the Bulosan Center for Filipino Studies at the University of California, Davis, where he has authored works on Asian American, Philippine, and Southeast Asian histories. With education from UC Davis and Harvard University, Kirby teaches Filipino history and culture through indigenous scripts like Kulitan and Baybayin. His popular YouTube channel features educational content on historical narratives and cultural insights, attracting a global audience eager to explore Filipino and Southeast Asian histories, and the stories of revolutionaries and freedom fighters from the Philippines.

🇵🇭 Asian? Pacific Islander? 🏝️ Why Filipinos still don’t fit the box! 🎥 FULL VIDEO 👉🏼 https://youtu.be/afz2PbTxfjA 👈🏼 breaking down the messy history of identity, politics, and why it still matters.