-
Columbia journalism student Mariel Padilla wins a Pulitzer at 23
By Cristina DC Pastor “It feels unreal. I don’t think it’s really sunk in yet. I’m still processing it.” That’s Columbia journalism student Mariel Padilla describing how she felt on learning this week she won a Pulitzer Award. She is 23 years old. She was attending class on April 20 when a friend texted, asking […]
-
TOFA honorees are ‘heroes among us’
By Cristina DC Pastor Greatness and gratefulness came together one soggy Saturday in October when 16 individuals were honored The Outstanding Filipinos in America (TOFA) in celebration of Filipino American History Month. “A thriving community of Filipino Americans adds to the quality of life here in New York State and across our nation,” said Gov. […]
-
Pulitzer and Nobel prize winners among this year’s TOFA honorees
By Cristina DC Pastor A Pulitzer Prize winner and a Nobel Peace Prize recipient are among this year’s distinguished The Outstanding Filipinos in America (TOFA) honorees. Mariel Padilla (Youth category) contributed to The Cincinnati Enquirer’s Pulitzer-Prize winning project, “Seven Days of Heroin,” about the drug epidemic in the Midwest. Vivian Talambiras-Cruz (Community Service) was part […]
-
A visit with a Filipino detained by ICE
By Mariel Padilla In the waiting room, a handful of people wait for the security guard to call their names. An elderly man with a black hat and wooden cane taps his foot. A young woman rocks a baby. Melanie Dulfo enters the detention center, walks past the seated people and tells the security guard […]
-
With Trump set to meet Duterte, FilAms examine ‘war on drugs’
By Mariel Padilla Early this year a group of progressive Filipino Americans angry with the presidency of Donald Trump announced a campaign called “Unite Against Fascism.” But this past September they expanded the campaign to include the president of their homeland, Rodrigo Duterte. Many FilAms, like other immigrant groups, feel under siege by the policies […]
-
A producer, an actor, and a Rockette: FilAm representation in the entertainment industry
By Mariel Padilla Real life and fiction blur in the meta-theatre show: “KPOP,” which premiered on Sept. 5 at The A.R.T./ New York Theatres in Manhattan. In the show, five years in the making, a cast of Asian American performers simulate the workings of a fictional K-pop factory that is working to reach the fictional […]
-
Jossie Reyas: She cooked for royalty and socialites including a future U.S. president
By Mariel Padilla On a recent summer day, Jossie Reyas, 77, sat on a bench outside a small food pantry in Woodside, Queens waiting her turn to get cans of beans, fruit, soup and vegetables. Reyas, wearing frayed slippers and a faded floral blouse, was quiet and soft-spoken, but when asked about her life, she […]
-
In Woodside, live music thrives, makes Filipinos happy despite what’s happening in the world
By Mariel Padilla Eyes closed and microphone held to her lips, Joy Pascua belted out the last few words to the 1993 hit “Linger” during her sound check as the keyboardist, guitarist, drummer and bassist got in place behind her. Pascua, a middle-aged Filipina performer, sang alongside Arianne Aldecoa in Woodside, Queens, on a rainy […]
-
‘What do we do if ICE comes to our house?’ and other DACA questions FilAms ask
By Mariel Padilla Standing in a circle, holding hands and chanting, “it is our duty to fight for our freedom; we have nothing to lose but our chains,” a room full of Filipino activists ended a two-hour-long emergency DACA meeting on Friday, Sept. 8. Members of the National Alliance for Filipino Concerns (NAFCON), Anakbayan New […]