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Banker Brendan Flores is NaFFAA’s first millennial chairman
By Cristina DC Pastor The National Federation of Filipino American Associations is on the cusp of a generational shift. At least in terms of leadership. The umbrella organization recently elected Brendan Flores, a banker from Jacksonville, Florida, as its first millennial national chairman. At 31, his age is nearly half those of many of NaFFAA’s […]
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FALA-NY Pres. Connie Montoya: ‘FilAm lawyers talented, bold, with healthy egos’
By Cristina DC Pastor “You’re a woman, you’re not white, you’ll get into debt.” Concepcion ‘Connie’ Montoya heard her father’s words, listened to his arguments, and in the end went the other way: She flung herself obstinately into law school. Today, she is a partner at a national law firm Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP, and […]
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Green cards by waiver for thousands who are ‘out-of-status’
By Atty. Rio Guerrero A landmark change has been achieved in U.S. immigration law for thousands of “TNT” Filipinos and other foreign nationals. Recent expansion of the Stateside Provisional Unlawful Presence Waiver Program – known as the I-601A Waiver Program – is finally a reality. For years, we have represented clients who are “out-of-status” and […]
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‘The Pleasure of Being Served:’ The undocumented immigrant’s dilemma
By Cristina DC Pastor Time and again, one hears the archetypal narrative about the undocumented immigrant who is torn between principle and pragmatism. Michael Manese’s “The Pleasure of Being Served” is one such story. The 15-minute short film tells how undocumented housemaid Rosa must choose between continuing to work for her rakish boss and leaving. […]
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FilAms among Carnegie Corporation’s inspiring immigrants
At least 6 Filipinos made the esteemed Carnegie Corporation of New York’s The Pride of America, immigrants who have made “notable contributions to the progress of our society.” They are Executive Chef of the White House Cristeta Comerford, photographer Cheryl Diaz Meyer, Seton Hall University President A. Gabriel Esteban, fashion designer Josie Natori, CEO of […]
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How far would you go to get a U.S. visa? A raucous look at our coming-to-America stories
By Lenn Almadin Thornhill The shock seemed to unfold in slow motion. We watched as actor Sid Lucero unclipped the lapel microphone, tossed it on the green table in Bryant Park, and walked out, leaving reporters of the Filipino American Press Club in New York City looking at each other. Until someone said, “Call JP!” […]
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Senator says family reunification long overdue, offers to assist veterans’ kin apply for parole
New York Senator Charles Schumer announced on June 9 that the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will allow certain Filipino World War II veteran family members who are beneficiaries of approved family-based immigrant visa petitions an opportunity to seek a discretionary grant of parole, on a case-by-case basis. According […]
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Tech company ordered to pay its Filipino engineers more than $160K in back wages, overtime
A federal court in San Francisco has entered a consent judgment that orders a Silicon Valley electronics manufacturer to pay more than $80,000 in minimum wage and overtime back pay and an equal, additional amount in damages to its workers after the U.S. Department of Labor discovered violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). […]
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$76K judgment for trafficked physical therapist; 3 staffing agencies charged with coercion, fraud
Three staffing companies were hit with a $76,000 judgment in a lawsuit which claimed that they violated the Trafficking Victims Protection Act and the Fair Labor Standards Act by luring a Filipino man to the United States with false promises of a highly paid full-time job, according to the website Pechman Law Group PLLC. The […]