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Dolly Fernandez: Growing up in a mixed-race family in anti-miscegenation era
By Cristina DC Pastor “It was a scandal, but it was also a happy marriage. They just had so much fun together.” Dolores ‘Dolly’ Fernandez, the daughter of a Filipino valet and a Norwegian hat check girl, traveled back in time and shared fond memories of her parents’ stirring romance amid anti-miscegenation laws which criminalized […]
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Skin whiteners and the Filipina’s pursuit of beauty (or is it superiority?)
By Ludy Astraquillo Ongkeko, Ph.D. Not having received information about more recent phenomena being observed and known in the homeland, invariably, I had thought that ‘whitening’ meant one’s pearls, or simply, one’s teeth. Dental care on these shores still alludes to whitening in the use of dental aids for health enhancement. I was more than […]
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Being both Filipino and American is a blessing, a curse…and a privilege
By Sarah Santos I sometimes have moments where life as I know it gets snatched out from under me so fast I can’t figure out what to do next. Over our summer fellowship, as the world grew before our eyes, my cohort and I experienced these moments a lot. With every deep-dive discussion, every thought-provoking […]
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TOFA-NY at 5: ‘Proud to be Filipino wherever we may be’
By Cristina DC Pastor “Let us teach our people again to be proud that they are Filipinos.” Words first voiced by diplomat and statesman Carlos P. Romulo in the 1960s and rearticulated by Consul General Mario de Leon Jr. during The Outstanding Filipino Americans in New York awards night at Carnegie Hall on October 31. […]
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For TCK Generation, ‘Where is home’ is a dreaded, ambiguous question
By Maribelle Biscocho-Omar Identity is a concept that sounds simple enough, usually defined by name, ethnicity, hometown, or sexuality. When it comes to cultural identity, a certain ambiguity emerges. One is never just from his or her birth country. A strong sense of belonging, especially for the youth, becomes just as important. There is a […]
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In celebrating FAHM, young FilAms discuss leadership within, beyond the community
On the celebration of Filipino-American History Month, New England students gathered in New Haven, Connecticut to share their thoughts on the transfer of leadership from elder community leaders to the younger generation. The event called ‘Leadership and Mentoring Seminar (LMS): Empowerment for the Emerging Generation’ was held at Yale University’s Lisnly-Chittenden Hall on October 3. […]
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Confessions of a ‘proxy voter’ at a PIDCI election
By Cristina DC Pastor How I ended up casting a ballot at the October 3 PIDCI election is a story with all the charm of a bad reality TV show. Coming from MAKILALA taping in East Harlem, I, together with Victor Palmos and Laura Garcia, arrived at the Philippine Center close to the end of […]
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‘Ang Pamilya ay Pamilya’ campaign supports Filipino families with LGBT children
Filipino mom Carol Mannion, who has a gay son, has a message for the community: ‘Ang Pamilya ay Pamilya’ translated as Family is Still Family. In this public service video produced by the National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance (NQAPIA), Mannion shares her story about her son and how she has always been proud of […]
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Bed-ridden speculations on national character: Filipinos as caregivers of the world
By Marian Pastor Roces I did not presume that you all would be interested, as a matter of course, in the emergency surgery I needed 11 days ago; after which I was confined to a pleasant enough room at Capitol Med in QC. Back home yesterday. Still have the sutures, the discomfort in the belly, […]