-
Dance troupe dazzles on Madison Avenue
By Cristina DC Pastor When St. Adalbert Church in Queens was looking for a Filipino dance group to perform at a religious event, word got around fast. Helen Kwong-LaBarbera of Long Island responded quickly and gathered Filipino families who shared her excitement. Thus, was born Island Gems Philippine Cultural Group which became known for their […]
-
The mark of longevity: Fiesta In America celebrates 25th year
By Len Manansala In the fraught world of festival organizing, no other indoor Filipino event on the U.S. East Coast has demonstrated similar constancy more than Fiesta In America. Founded in 1996 in New York City and mounted every year except during the 2020-2021 pandemic, Fiesta In America lays claim to being the most enduring […]
-
‘I like to serve, and sometimes give a little bit more’
By Marivir R. Montebon After a grueling day at school, Dr. Laura Garcia, a nurse educator, recharged herself through a short nap and had the energy to answer my interview questions in the wee hours of the night. She is a woman of accomplishments and of many titles in community organizations in the Big Apple. […]
-
Little Manila Avenue: ‘A spot to call our own’
By Lindy Rosales As I walked along Roosevelt Avenue on June 5, I could hear OPM music playing. I saw a big white tent on 70th Street, right next to the Philippine National Bank. Traffic was blocked off on 70th Street and event security personnel were directing foot traffic. “This is a historic moment in […]
-
COVID did not stop the FilAms’ largest parade
By Lindy Rosales Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer came early at 11:18 a.m. for the parade that was to start at 12 noon. He came to shake hands with Filipino American leaders…and to apologize. “I’m sorry I can’t come march with you today, it’s my 50th college reunion. But I did want to come here […]
-
Queens Memory’s Tagalog podcast features the FilAm community
Queens Memory – a community archiving program supported by Queens Public Library and the Queens College Library – will release the next bilingual episode of its latest podcast, “Our Major Minor Voices”in English and Tagalog versions on Monday, May 16. “Seeing Signs” (English)/”Tanáw” (Tagalog), produced by Rosalind Tordesillas, covers the history and challenges of the Filipino […]
-
AAPI museum bill passes House unanimously, heads to Senate
The House of Representatives passed on April 27 a bill seeking to create a national museum dedicated to preserving the history, culture, and accomplishments of Asian Pacific Americans. The bipartisan legislation, sponsored by U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-NY) and passed unanimously by voice vote, is now with the U.S. Senate. Entitled the “Commission to Study […]
-
On Global Filipinos: Born with no arms, Jessica Cox embraces life to the fullest
By Loida Nicolas Lewis Meeting Jessica Cox over breakfast was a heartwarming, inspiring event. With her feet, she autographed her bestselling book “Disarm Your Limits: The Flight Formula to Lift You to Success and Propel You to the Next Horizon,” and then gave it to me. She was born without arms and thus began her […]
-
500 mangrove seedlings planted in NYC-supported project
In a dispatch from New York City and Bolinao, Pangasinan, Frenz4hope has announced that it planted 500 mangrove seedlings in the province of Pangasinan on April 7. The planting activity — in partnership with the Provincial Agriculture Field Office through the Office of the Provincial Agriculture (OPAg) – was to support the environmental protection and […]