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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, […]
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Dual citizenship applicants will have a mass oath-taking on Oct. 8
“To me, the issue is not about choosing one country over another or having a piece of paper defining who I am. It is about (not) taking our opportunities for granted.” With that, Rachelle Ocampo, project director at NYU Langone Medical Center, took the plunge, applied for dual citizenship and is now the holder of […]
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‘I am Filipina’ (Let’s stop looking at magazines, let’s look at each other)
By Chris Aldana Sanders A quick glance at Filipino billboards or a few minutes in front of Filipino TV will tell you what Filipina women supposedly look like: We have pale, rosy-white complexions; we have luxurious, straight hair; we have pointed, narrow, noses. Seems a little out of touch with reality, doesn’t it? I can […]
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‘I miss Hector Logrono and now feel the burden of his absence’
By Consuelo Almonte The year was 2012. I just retired from the Pakistan Mission to the United Nations where I served for 43 years. My last position was Press Assistant to the Press Minister. At Loida Nicolas Lewis’s residence in November, I was invited to a dinner for Eric Lachica who was to speak about […]