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Young FilAms imagine their future, and write about it
By Cecile Caguingin-Ochoa I was in an essay-writing contest but I did not write. When long-time officer of the Filipino American Press Club of Los Angeles (est. 1978), Inc. Evelyn Portugal threw in a suggestion to hold a writing contest among our children or grandchildren, everyone got excited. “This is the time for our own […]
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Carlos Bulosan poem to highlight Asian/Pacific Heritage Month in May
The White House announced that the theme for this year’s celebration of Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month in May, is: “I Want the Wide American Earth,” a poem by acclaimed Filipino American writer Carlos Bulosan. The poem was chosen by the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center to highlight the event. The White House […]
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Matthew Cheirs II: Growing up biracial
By Cristina DC Pastor Matthew Cheirs II was supposed to join the military, but a visit to the Bayanihan Center in Queens stopped him in his tracks. The son of a Filipina from Quezon City and an African American father, Matthew, 25, is now a full-fledged grassroots organizer. He is the chairperson of Anakbayan New […]
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Kevin Nadal shares in new book the ‘immense pain’ of being gay and bullied
By Dr. Kevin Nadal When I was 7 years old and struggling with my gay identity, I often wondered if I could ever be happy. Here I was — the only gay person I knew in my family and community. As a child of immigrants who grew up in a huge Filipino American and Catholic […]
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Why Ryan Songalia’s heart belongs in the Philippines
By Ryan Songalia Admittedly, I’d rather be writing this essay from the warm, tropical surroundings of Manila than the arctic environs of New York City in February. Since my first trip to “the Motherland” in December of 2010, my heart has been torn between my native New Jersey and the Philippines. As time has gone […]
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Corky Lee’s photos go on exhibit in Long Island
Self-taught photographer Corky Lee has been documenting the vibrant and fast-emerging Asian and Pacific American community for over 40 years. In “Asian Roots/American Soil,” the ubiquitous Corky – a second generation Chinese American — will exhibit photographs of the day-to-day lives of Asian Americans as well as historical moments in American history. The exhibition will […]
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Snap a winning Filipino smile
The “Smiles for the World: a Filipino Photo Essay Contest for Calidad Humana” is accepting submissions, announced Deputy Consul General Theresa Dizon-de Vega. The contest is open to all Filipino citizens regardless of age, place of residence and occupation. The February deadline has been extended to April 30, 2013. The contest is intended to showcase […]
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Joe Bataan: Playing catch-up with his Filipino roots
By Cristina DC Pastor He strode into the room trailed by his family, all the way down to his granddaughter. The venerable Joe Bataan, the much-touted King of Latin Soul, was impeccably dressed like he was going to church: gray linen suit over black turtle neck, a gold crucifix chain dangling from his neck. “I’m […]
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Universal Self returns from ‘mind-blowing’ trip to India
By Cristina DC Pastor In the morning of November 27th, Kilusan Bautista was en route to India to perform at the annual Sahabhaga theater festival. Several days later, reports of a New Delhi woman being gang-raped gripped the country, casting his travel into a communal reflection about the society’s values on gender, masculinity and respect […]