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On Memorial Day, missing my dad and reflecting on what service to country means
By Leslie Ferrer Espinosa I should have brought more tissues. I sat down and watched the presentation of colors, and that was a moment to take in. Two giant flags, one of the United States and one of the Philippines, stand aloft at the American Military Cemetery in Fort Bonifacio in Makati. I can’t describe […]
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Grace Poe and the social stigma of Philippine adoptions
By Cristina DC Pastor Along with assuming the role of legislator, newly-minted Senator Grace Poe appears to have one other abiding obligation: to change Filipinos’ attitude towards adopted children. At least that’s what I’d like to see. Grace is the adopted daughter of screen royalty Fernando Poe Jr. and Susan Roces. This novice politician won […]
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How Mama reinvented herself in America (Part 2)
By Randy Gener Eventually times got harder. It became more difficult to find work in the Philippines. Cleo had no choice but to disappear for longer periods of time. One reason she felt compelled to come to America was that in the late 1970s, she had conducted a long search for her U.S. father via […]
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A song for my mother (Part 1)
By Randy Gener It was 5 o’clock in the afternoon. Sitting in my studio, my mom, Cleo, asked me to hold out my palm. Suddenly interested in my lifeline, she wanted to tell me something good about my future. “You will have a long life,” Mama said, “but you have to be careful about money. […]
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Jose Antonio Vargas attempts to define relationship with his mother
Here’s a teaser of Jose’s film “Documented.” By Cristina DC Pastor “I haven’t seen my mom in 20 years. I don’t know how to talk about that. It’s too painful to talk about her.” In a free-wheeling discussion with Filipino journalists in April, Jose Antonio Vargas spoke about the woman who gave him up so […]
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‘A mother will hold a child’s hands for a while but the heart forever’
By Lumen Castaneda What is a mother? The dictionary describes a mother as a woman who has borne a child or the origin or source of something like a mother plant. Mother means selfless devotion, limitless sacrifices and love that passes understanding. “A woman who has compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience is a mother. […]
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My mom: Realizing the American Dream at 82
By Suzanne Lansangan-Sabangan The front door of my condominium opened at 10 a.m. with my mother poking her head in and telling me she was ready. The swearing-in was to begin at 1:30 p.m. That was not new to me as she always made sure she was one or two hours early for any appointment, […]
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‘Going our own ways:’ A family made whole again by divorce
By Elena Velez It all took place in downtown Jersey City at St. Mary’s Church. That’s where Maria Almadin and Edwin Velez met. The two were madly in love for a while. Two years later, on December 17, 1994, the couple became one and showed their love for one another. In 1996, they had their […]
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Love is their color
By Cristina DC Pastor Once upon a time, there was a law that criminalized marriage between a Filipino and an American. The Anti-miscegenation law applied mostly – although not exclusively — to Filipino men and white women, its objective being the preservation of racial purity. That law has since been declared unconstitutional and repealed in […]