By Tricia J. Capistrano “You can only have one Filipino friend,” I responded to my Irish American bestie, Nancy, when she asked if she could invite Gigi–a Texas native and Filipino American mom who she met at her son’s high school–when we were making plans to watch the musical “Here Lies Love.” Nancy, Gretchen (Irish […]
One night Elizabeth Ann Besa-Quirino received a phone call from a stranger that changed her life. “You don’t know me, but your mother saved my life,” the caller said. That late-night conversation with an American World War II veteran and POW revealed to Elizabeth Ann Besa Quirino the untold stories of her mother’s remarkable wartime […]
By Cristina DC Pastor The FilAm (TF): How exactly are you related to Jose Rizal? Anton Azurin (AA): I am a sixth generation Rizal, although I am not directly related to Jose Rizal, as he died without any children. Instead, I am descended from his lone brother Paciano, who served as a general in the […]
By Cristina DC Pastor To interview Jose Rizal’s descendants, I went through Paciano Rizal’s branch of the family because the unmarried Jose had no children of his own. Paciano and Jose are the two boys of 11 children of Francisco and Teodora of Calamba and Biñan, Laguna. I met Paciano’s great great grandson Paolo Antonio […]
By Lindy Rosales On June 16, the Philippine flag was raised over Bowling Green park in New York City in commemoration of the 125th Philippine Independence Day. It was a well-attended event with Mayor Eric Adams telling Filipino Americans: “I see you. I recognize you, I respect you, I need you.” It was a fiery […]
By Detective Angelica De Leon Velez I stand here today because of my parents. Most Filipino households take pride in their children. My parents worked two jobs each to provide an amazing life for my sister and I. I can honestly say that I was my parents’ pride and joy up until the age of […]
By Allen Gaborro To even begin trying to understand Gina Apostol’s perplexing, historical, and political spectrum of a novel about the Philippines during its pre-turn of the century revolutionary era, “The Revolution According to Raymundo Mata,” a reader has to get out from under the tried and true empirical norms of the classical literary universe […]
By Wendell Gaa When my parents and I first visited Istanbul in 2014, my father, the late Ambassador Willy C. Gaa, had considered this amazing city one of his personal favorite destinations of all time. It was not hard to understand why, for this cosmopolitan Turkish urban center has been a hub for many great […]
In commemoration of the Day of Valor (Araw ng Kagitingan), decorated World War II U.S. Navy veteran Arthur Grabiner was honored at the Philippine Consulate for his service, sacrifice and valor in liberating the Filipino people from the Japanese military. The April 5 recognition ceremony was led by Consul General Senen Mangalile at Sentro Rizal of […]