By Lindy Rosales As a long-time New York City resident, I have never seen early voting like this before: Long lines stretching several blocks, with people waiting patiently in the cold weather for their turn at the poll booth. It’s been reported that Mayor Bill de Blasio waited almost four hours before he could cast […]
A comedy series, “Trying Hard,” created by and starring newcomer Maki Bonifacio, debuted on October 11 – which is National Coming Out Day in the U.S. — on YouTube. “Trying Hard” follows the intimate story of Maki, a gay professional from the Philippines, as he navigates the Nashville, TN dating scene while trying to overcome […]
‘Yellow Rose’ After doing the festival route last year — including the huge XXII Guanajuato International Film Festival (GIFF) in Mexico where it was part of the Spotlight on the 100 Years of Philippine Cinema –”Yellow Rose,” the immigration drama with an unforgettable soundtrack, came to the big screens on October 9. The film won in […]
By Carmelyn Malalis, Chairperson & Commissioner, NYC Commission on Human Rights My name is Carmelyn Malalis, and I am the Chair and Commissioner of the NYC Commission on Human Rights. I am a mother, a wife, and a daughter. I am a proud Filipina. And I want you to fill out the census. The census […]
Feet in 2 Worlds, a project that trains and supports immigrant journalists, announces the launch of “A Better Life?”, the latest season of their award-winning podcast. Premiering August 20th, “A Better Life?” www.abetterlifepodcast.com explores how the coronavirus pandemic and America’s failed response to COVID-19 has reshaped immigrants’ lives and their relationship to the United States. […]
By Loida Nicolas Lewis Last June 24, Cynthia Barker was sworn in as mayor of Hertsmere Borough during the council’s annual meeting. She became the first Philippine-born mayor of a borough in the United Kingdom. The handover was done virtually instead of formally in a ceremony where the outgoing Mayor Councillor Rabbi Alan Plancey would […]
Solicitor General Noel Francisco has stepped down from the Department of Justice on July 3. The first Asian American to be confirmed by the Senate as solicitor general said representing the United States before the Supreme Court is “one of the greatest jobs in the law.” “It has been the honor of my professional career […]
The Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) announced modifications on July 6 to temporary exemptions for nonimmigrant students taking online classes due to the pandemic for the fall 2020 semester. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security plans to publish the procedures and responsibilities in the Federal Register as a Temporary Final Rule. Temporary exemptions for […]
By Paulo K Tiról Against the backdrop of the #BlackLivesMatter upheavals over the past days, I’ve thought a lot about my relationship with anti-Black oppression — specifically, as a Filipino immigrant who came to the United States as an adult. I spent the first 34 years of my life in Manila, where American history is […]