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‘The FilAm community accepted, loved and respected me regardless of who, what I am’
By Chelle Lhuillier The Center’s Gender Identity Project Organizing Committee, LGBT rights and equality advocates, friends, and allies, fellow speakers, ladies and gentlemen, good evening. A few weeks ago, I was reading an online news article and these struck my attention. ” Two years ago, I got jumped. Four months ago I got stabbed. Two […]
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Juliet Payabyab: No stranger to FilAms in distress
By Cristina DC Pastor Juliet Payabyab will never forget one elderly Filipina who was found slumped on a corner of Roosevelt Avenue in Queens. When reached by NYPD officers and EMS personnel, she refused medical assistance. Instead, the woman who passed out presumably from hunger went with her friend to a restaurant where she devoured […]
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TOFA-NY’s 4th year: Through thanks and tears, reflecting on what’s next for the Filipino American achiever
By Cristina DC Pastor And there was music and wonderful moments. Some tears too, and through it all a challenge to Filipino Americans: It’s time to “take the lead.” The fourth The Outstanding Filipino Americans in New York was an occasion to celebrate the achievements of Filipinos in the New York area during Filipino American […]
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‘I am only now starting to understand my own identity’
By Tiara Camille Teruel As a Filipina-American, I often question my own identity as much as I am questioned about my race. It starts with a stare, then a question-filled head tilt, until finally they ask: “What Asian are you?” “What is your first guess?” I reply. This is usually followed by a long inquiring […]
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The layered life of Chelle Lhuillier
By Cristina DC Pastor “I am a special girl.” “I am the best of both worlds.” These statements may seem friendly and non-threatening, but hard to articulate especially for a transgender woman looking to get to know a male stranger. LGBTQ advocate Chelle Lhuillier made this observation as she called on fellow transgender women to […]
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Where to find the 7.1% FilAms living in poverty? Not at a ballroom gala!
By Bella Santos Owens Recently, the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders released key facts and figures on Filipinos living within the U.S. With a total U.S. Filipino population of 2.66 million, the amount of Filipinos living in poverty comes to 7.1 percent. According to the United States Census Bureau, poverty in […]
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TOFA-NY 2014 honorees announced; Bobby Lopez says ‘tireless work ethic’ comes from being a FilAm
By Oliver Oliveros & Cristina DC Pastor A transgender activist, a chef who is part of a campaign to promote healthy lunches for public school children, and an educator for Teach for the Philippines lead this year’s awardees of The Outstanding Filipino Americans of New York (TOFA-NY), a celebration that rounds up the month-long celebration […]
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‘It is community’s responsibility to take care of its elderly,’ says ConGen Mario de Leon Jr.
By Cristina DC Pastor An elderly woman with a cane was outside the Philippine Center, her slightly bent back leaning against the brick wall. An autumn chill swept across the city, and she was right to wear a sweater over her red dress. I saw her at the corner of my eye as I was […]
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For all that they share, the Filipino-American and the Filipino are ‘worlds apart’
By Daniel Griffith Looking outside the plexiglass window was, almost, a mistake. Our visibility was limited by the dense, charcoal-colored clouds that obscured life down below. As we circled the city, lightning struck at three-second intervals, accompanied by booming reports echoing into the dusk. My heart beat with a mixture of emotions: one part anxiety, […]