By Malaika Queano Corky Lee has been with Kinding Sindaw since the very beginning, when it was only our family that made up the dancers and the musicians of the dance troupe. My mother Potri Ranka Manis founded Kinding Sindaw, the New York-based Philippine dance/martial arts troupe, in 1992. My father Nonilon Queano was the […]
By Zia Kalong Suyomano is a virtual platform focused on cultural learning experiences touching on local languages, indigenous tribal cultures and medicine, mythology, traditional martial arts, food and beyond. Suyomano is made up of two unique Tagalog words: “Suyo” which means gentle affection and “mano” which is a gesture of respect. “We believe that bringing forth the […]
By Wendell Gaa Philippine folklore and mythology have captivated me for a long time. It was in my pre-teen years when I learned about mythical creatures, such as the blood-sucking aswang, our version of the vampire, and the monstrous tikbalang, considered to be the Filipino equivalent to the half-man half-bull minotaur of Greek mythology. These […]
Labor organizers Larry Itliong and Philip Vera Cruz are honored in murals and history books as important leaders in the Filipino American community. There is one who is rarely mentioned. His name: Patrick Salaver. Salaver founded the first FilAm student organization, the Pilipino American Collegiate Endeavor, in 1967 to help students not only improve their […]
The community arts project called Tandaan Ang Ating Ugnayan has offered a “bouquet of healing and connection” to Elmhurst Hospital workers, visitors, and community, through a street art installation surrounding the hospital. With this installation, the project — founded by artist Cecilia Lim – sought to give a “sense of ‘pakikipagkapwa’ (interconnectedness)” to workers who have […]
By Rasmin Diaz A second batch of TOFA100 outstanding Filipinos in the fields of media, business and entrepreneurship, education and research, fashion, culinary and public service was announced last week by The Outstanding Filipinos in America (TOFA) Awards. “Entertainment and public service are among TOFA’s bigger categories because Filipino excellence truly shines through in these fields,” […]
Daily Malong, an ecommerce store promoting the indigenous malong, is on a two-pronged mission: To empower weavers and artisans and to extend an appreciation of indigenous crafts to the Filipino communities across North America. The site encourages the use of this versatile tubular clothing – can be used as skirt, scarf or wraparound dress — […]
Will the Filipino American community get its honorary street sign Little Manila Avenue by October 2020? Organizers are hoping that would happen. The street sign will be placed at the corner of Roosevelt Avenue and 70th Street in Woodside, Queens. “It would be particularly meaningful to be able to install this historic Little Manila Avenue […]
By Cristina DC Pastor It’s been called an “uprising,” this outcry involving a Washington D.C. wine bar and its name. It began when a local paper announced the opening of Barkada Wine Bar on July 29, pointing out that while it chose to name it after the Filipino word “barkada” — meaning the closeness of […]