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‘Pusong Pinoy’ immigration talk show begins 15th season
“Pusong Pinoy sa Amerika” (Into the Hearts of the Filipinos in America) premiered its 15th season on June 9, and the GMA Pinoy TV show unveiled more informative segments for its loyal viewers. This season’s theme “Truth, Resilience, and Family Unity: Filipinos’ Resolve to Attain Family Reunification Amidst Tightening Immigration Policies” is prompted by the […]
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Jun Policarpio: Portrait of a whistleblower
By Cristina DC Pastor Society is generally distrustful of whistleblowers. Maybe because some are seen as motivated by monetary rewards or as persons who are not team players. Gonzalo ‘Jun’ Policarpio Jr. writes in his book how circumstances in his life turned him into a “whistleblower and a boat rocker,” and how he is proud […]
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What is the T Visa, and why did Filipinos get the most number in 2017?
T Visa Human trafficking, also known as trafficking in persons, is a form of modern-day slavery in which traffickers use force, fraud, or coercion to compel individuals to provide labor or services, including commercial sex. Traffickers often take advantage of vulnerable individuals, including those lacking lawful immigration status. The T visa allows certain victims of […]
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Panic, anxiety over pending closure of USCIS office in Manila
By Cristina DC Pastor The decision of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to shutter its office in Manila on July 5 is causing ripples of panic among Filipinos who have pending applications to the U.S. Many are openly wondering whether their applications will be delayed indefinitely or whether they will need to follow […]
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Author shadows immigrant Filipino family from Manila to Texas
In a work that gives new meaning to immersion journalism, Jason DeParle, a two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist and veteran New York Times reporter, has spent a remarkable three decades following an extended family of Filipino immigrants, from the slums of Manila to the suburbs of Houston. Through their multigenerational saga, he tells in his latest […]
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Gay Filipino immigrant’s coming of age in ‘Homebound’
Eighteen-year-old Filipino immigrant Nico is in love with three things: New York, music, and his new friend, Jonathan. But nobody knows about that last part. So, when a drunk Jonathan spills a big secret on the night of senior prom, Nico considers telling his own—even if it means risking everything. It’s the night of senior […]
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The power of a count
By Rene Pastor In our American Republic, there are two ways an individual can wield power. The first is by voting, and you have to be a citizen to do that. The second is by being counted in a once-every-10-year census, and you don’t have to be a citizen to participate. Voting allows one to […]
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Taking control of my life (Part 2)
By Ana Bel Mayo Several factors were critical in my taking control of my life in Italy. Initially, I used sign language to communicate. Then, I started to learn Italian from television, cartoons, and magazine. I enrolled in Italian language classes. I also became a student at a European private academy and paid my tuition […]
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Five dollars in my pocket (Part 1)
By Ana Bel Mayo While I was in Iraq, an Iraqi woman read my future in my cup of coffee and told me that I would find my destiny in a country with many flowers. It was 1984. At the middle of the Iran-Iraq war that started in 1980. I worked at the Information Center […]