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What I’ve learned from staying home and living in dread of a pandemic
When my parents needed to teach me a lesson, it usually began with, “Nung panahon ng Hapon…” as they recounted what were unspeakable hardships during the three years Japan had occupied the Philippines. They hid in bunkers, divided a piece of fish among 10 siblings, and feared neighbors with paper bags over their heads. Some […]
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The best masks: Comfort over style
With health authorities continuing to urge face-covering in public to curb the spread of COVID-19, we’ve become familiar with the minor irritants of wearing masks: chafed ears, foggy glasses, snapped straps. The arrival of summer takes the potential discomfort up a notch, trapping sweat and heat under our facial sheaths. Keeping your face covered when […]
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My beautiful biracial ‘apos’
By Laura Garcia, DNP, RN It fascinates me, sometimes, when my daughter Teza styles my granddaughter Layla’s thick, frizzy hair. Teza lovingly applies an assortment of oil and hair creams to the hair, brushes it in long strokes, and gathers it into a ponytail. Most often, though, she just let Layla’s hair hang loose and drop into […]
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Laura Garcia, DNP, RN: The nurse as a political organizer
By Maricar CP Hampton & Cristina DC Pastor For almost 23 years, the National Federation of Filipino American Associations-New York has been mobilizing the community to get people to vote, increase Filipinos’ political representation, and fight discrimination. Laura Garcia, DNP, RN, who is serving her second term as State Chairperson, has added another important concern: […]
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Msgr. Boy Sosing, 67: Good friend, beloved uncle, great priest mentor
By Boyet Loverita November 14, 2004, it was a sad day for our family. It was the funeral of our beloved mother at St. Michael Parish Church in Laoang, Northern Samar. The funeral mass was officiated by my two clergy cousins, Fr. Poten Dulay and Fr. Jonathan Loverita. It’s a Filipino tradition that after the […]
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What is it about Filipino nurses and courage?
By Cristina DC Pastor In 2012, when Hurricane Sandy hit the New York area with devastating fury, the world came to know of the heroism of Menchu de Luna Sanchez. Menchu was the quick-thinking Filipina nurse from NYU Langone Medical Center who saved 20 infants when the city lost power and was plunged into darkness. […]
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At ‘drive-by parties,’ cars honk Happy Birthday
By Cristina DC Pastor Once upon a time, children reveled in the passage of each birthday celebrated with friends and relatives over grilled hotdogs and parlor games. COVID-19 has changed all that. Two families shared with The FilAm how they organized their daughters’ ‘drive-by parties’ where guests stayed in their cars honking their greetings and […]
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When ‘staying home’ redefines the meaning of real estate
By Cristina DC Pastor “Stay home.” The cautionary phrase seems to have flipped real estate on its head in New York City where property is one of the hottest selling commodities aside from Broadway. People are selling homes and fleeing homes; they are renting instead of buying homes. Real estate has been “significantly shaken” by […]
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On Global Filipinos: How Gem Scorp, RN beat the virus with faith, hope, and herbal medicine
By Loida Nicolas Lewis Gem Scorp, a Registered Nurse at one of the hospitals in Queens, tested positive for the coronavirus in the early days of the outbreak in New York City. At the time, Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) were scarce leaving many hospital workers vulnerable to infection. He has since recovered and is back […]