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Kirby Asunto & Shirley Asunto: A relationship nurtured on traditional Filipino values
By Cristina DC Pastor At 18 years old, in-demand pop singer Kirby Asunto can very well make a decision to get an apartment, live on her own, and manage her flourishing career. As a matter of fact, the law says she can get married without her parents’ approval. Right now, Kirby is having none of […]
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FilAm mom’s birthday letter to her son in the Philippines: ‘Our distance I carry with a heavy heart’
By Laura Garcia, RN My dearest son, Images of you flashed through my mind as I reminisce the days and months I carried you. I could still remember your first kick inside my belly. I wasn’t even sure if it was a kick or a punch, it was that intense! I knew then you were […]
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Twin brothers indicted in duplicate hit-and-run charges
Two Long Island brothers may go down in New York State history as twins indicted in identical crimes. In October 2013, Benedict Bacayon, a technology professional from West Babylon, was arrested for “fleeing the scene” of a hit-and-run offense while he was driving his 2006 Mercedes Benz CL500. He is in his 30s. Just recently […]
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A grandfather’s letter to his 13-year-old ‘apo’
Former advertising executive Tony Joaquin of Sacramento, Calif., welcomes his grandson Julian Ismael Joaquin’s transition into adolescence. As he ushers him into this new phase leading into adulthood, Tony is also reminding him to always be respectful of women. A man has a choice, and Tony’s wish is for all young men to be “gentlemen” […]
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Dolly Fernandez: Growing up in a love-filled, mixed-race family in the anti-miscegenation era
By Cristina DC Pastor “It was a scandal, but it was also a happy marriage. They just had so much fun together.” Dolores ‘Dolly’ Fernandez, the daughter of a Filipino valet and a Norwegian hat check girl, traveled back in time and shared fond memories of her parents’ stirring romance amid anti-miscegenation laws which criminalized […]
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As Father’s Day nears, I remember Papa and how I learned the English language through him
By Ludy Astraquillo Ongkeko, Ph.D. Mother’s Day and Father’s Day are separated by only a month but as celebrations go, the two events seem worlds apart. When I first arrived on these shores in the very early sixties, I was struck by the fervent regard for Mother’s Day. Brunches were crowded. Ditto all other dining […]
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On May 10, let’s remember all mothers and all the people we call ‘mom’
By Ludy Astraquillo Ongkeko, Ph.D. Remembering mothers on their day is one act that belongs to the ages, as noted by numerous daughters and sons all over the world where Mother’s Day is faithfully observed. “Mom,” has not been confined to birth mothers alone. Every woman who has taken over mother roles, whether one is […]
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A nurse’s daughter
April 16 was a typical day for Guillermo Fabro. He was at work at New York-Presbyterian Hospital in Manhattan where he is a registered nurse at the Medical Intensive Care Unit. Toward noon, Guillermo stepped out for his lunch break and there he saw his daughter Chrissi, the chairperson of Anakbayan New York, about to […]
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Kristina Kalaw Joyas confronts the stereotypes about parenting and community organizing
By Cristina DC Pastor The first time I saw Kristina Kalaw Joyas was at a packed town hall meeting at the Philippine Center a year or so ago. She was wheeling her daughter on a stroller, navigating around the backpacks and handbags that have taken over the floor. “Can’t she find a sitter?” the woman […]