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‘Very happy and proud,’ says grandpa of Nutcracker’s Charlotte Nebres
By Cristina DC Pastor Charlotte Nebres, the 11-year-old ballerina who plays the young heroine Marie in “The Nutcracker,” comes from a Filipino family in Bacnotan, La Union, whose elders were priests, educators, and doctors. Charlotte is the middle daughter of U.S.-born Joe Nebres, whose family is from the Philippines, and Danielle Nebres who is from […]
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Charlotte Nebres and the FilAm ballet dancers who came before her
By Cristina DC Pastor In the ballet world, they say ‘being black’ is a big thing, a cause for celebration. When Misty Copeland became the first female black principal dancer for a major company like the American Ballet Theatre, it was a joyous, historic moment. In ballet where white dancers — “lily white,” according to […]
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Denise Kara: Big voice, big dreams
By Cristina DC Pastor Denise Kara Almario, like Shirley Temple before her decades ago, started singing when she was 2 years old. When her family realized she had this nascent singing talent coming out of her voice, Kara’s parents did what Shirley Temple’s parents had done: They encouraged her to continue singing and enrolled her […]
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When stubborn elders resist safety concerns
By Sarah Eden Wallace My mother and I were chatting after I’d stopped by for tea (and to check on her — she still lives on her own at age 93). Then she made an announcement: “Did you know that June died?” My jaw dropped. Not because my mother’s close friend had died. Because two […]
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Camille de la Cruz, a rising star in Jersey
Camille de la Cruz loves to perform even when she was kid. It started in summer theater and ballet performances. At age 9, Camille de la Cruz was admitted to the Rockit Academy program in Red Bank, New Jersey. At Rockit, she was able to sing with legends the likes of Eddie Brigatti, Ricky Byrd, […]
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Move over, adobo! Animal activism is now our favorite dish
By Dash Nye If you’ve shopped at H&M recently, you may have noticed that things are a little less…hairy than they used to be. That’s because the company said goodbye to mohair after PETA Asia showed executives the disturbing findings from its eyewitness investigation into the cruel industry. H&M immediately stopped sourcing the fiber after […]
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Albany hospital violates anti-trafficking law in hiring of Filipino RNs: union
The New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) filed a lawsuit on October 15 against Albany Medical Center (AMC) alleging violations of the human trafficking law in the hiring of Filipino nurses. The federal complaint cites the Philippine Recruitment Program that AMC began in 2002. In the last 17 years, AMC has recruited almost 600 nurses […]
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‘Talambuhay’ exhibit celebrates Linggo ng Samahan
From September 28th to October 5, an art exhibit and discussion exploring issues, such as immigration and displacement, were presented in celebration of Linggo Ng Samahan (Week of Community). The activities were organized by Anakbayan New York (ABNY) and the National Alliance for Filipino Concerns (NAFCON) and held at the Living Artist Gallery Space in […]
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The shining example of Greta Thunberg
By Ludy Astraquillo Ongkeko, Ph.D. As a 15-year-old, Greta Thunberg was this awkward, eccentric girl known to protest all by herself before the steps of the Swedish Parliament calling attention to her government’s lack of action on climate change. What a difference a year makes! Today, Greta Thunberg leads a global army of teenage environmental […]