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FilAms urged to join the Jersey City police force
Jersey City Mayor Steven M. Fulop and Council President Rolando Lavarro, Jr. are launching a Jersey City Minority Police Recruitment Drive on August 23rd in a bid to bring in bring in more officers into the police force who come from immigrant communities. “We have made a commitment to expanding and enhancing our Jersey City […]
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Steven Raga: ‘Young FilAms more politically aware than politically conscious’
By Maricar CP Hampton and Cristina DC Pastor Steven Raga, with his trademark aviator shades perched on his head, has seen it all with youth organizing. One of the founders of UniPro – or the Pilipino American Unity for Progress – the Queens-born activist was there for the birth of many youth organizations and witnessed […]
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Queens parents demand air-conditioned buses for special needs children
On Monday August 5, a dozen parents, grandparents, children and neighbors demanded the right to air conditioning for riders and workers on the school bus in hot weather. The target was the Ozone Park bus yard of companies known by several different names (eg. Little Richie, Lorinda, Little Linda) but apparently run by the same […]
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Parents rue that for some FilAm youth, education is no longer a priority
By Ludy Astraquillo Ongkeko, Ph.D. The aforementioned comment appeared heavy on the minds of some half-a-dozen Filipino American parents. No, they did not hesitate to inquire whether some from their ethnicity, parents like themselves, are going through similar experiences on how their daughters and sons are faring with respect to their outlook on education. One […]
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Mother fights City Hall for air-conditioned buses for special-needs children
By Cheryl Ocampo My daughter Zariah, like thousands of children with disabilities, attends the summer school program of District 75 in New York City Public Schools. Each year for the past five years since my daughter has been in grade school, I have filed numerous complaints with the New York City Department of Education, Office […]
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Enlisting overseas Filipinos in the fight against poverty
By Justin Garrido As a Filipino American, I moved back to the Philippines to pursue this venture with my former MBA classmate, who is Filipino Australian. Yes, I live in Manila now. I’m in the U.S. for a couple of months promoting our projects as well as building partnerships with like-minded groups with a heart […]
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Organization holds packed charity event for orphan Filipino children
On Tuesday, June 11th Maya’s Hope held a charity event and exclusive screening of Todd Kellstein’s documentary “Buffalo Girls,” depicting the lives of two 8-year-old professional Muay Thai fighters in Thailand. The event, organized by FilAm-Ukrainian Maya Rowencak, raised awareness about the struggles of children abroad. She founded Maya’s Hope, a non-profit organization that helps […]
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When women called the shots, first thing they did was junk Pilipino Time
By Maricar CP Hampton & Cristina DC Pastor “Having an all-women team has definitely changed the face of UniPro,” said Rachelle Ocampo, current president of the nonprofit Pilipino American Unity for Progress. “We look especially cute in pictures.” Ocampo was kidding, of course, but she was also setting the tone for what the current leadership […]
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Muay Thai girl fights for orphan children in the Philippines
By Maya Rowencak My mom is Filipino, and my father is Ukrainian, but I grew up American. When I was little, I would say my favorite food was Thai — to my mom’s disappointment. I was thrilled to get to visit Thailand when I was 9 and have been naturally drawn to Thai culture. I […]