-
ON GLOBAL FILIPINOS Sofronio Vasquez III: From the slums to the bright lights of Broadway
By Loida Nicolas Lewis A thunderous applause greeted Sofronio Vasquez III when he appeared at the historic Town Hall on Saturday, July 19, 2025 for his first-ever solo concert in the Great White Way. On December 10, 2024, he won the world-renowned NBC’s The Voice becoming the first Filipino — and first Asian — male vocalist to […]
-
Grace Brucal brings Filipino heritage to NYFW runway
By Catherine Espejo Participating in New York Fashion Week (NYFW)—one of the world’s most prestigious fashion events—was more than just a career milestone for Grace Brucal. It was a celebration of culture, craftsmanship, and community. Brucal grew up in Matacon, Polangui, Albay, a small town in the Philippines that deeply influenced her love for fashion. […]
-
When good people become labor traffickers
By Allen Gaborro Professor Rhacel Salazar Parreñas is well-versed in the field of global migrant domestic workers and the many challenges and adversities they face. She is an award-winning writer and scholar on the subject. In her 2025 publication, “The Trafficker Next Door: How Household Employers Exploit Domestic Workers,” Parreñas presents a cogent, in-depth, and […]
-
Lea Salonga: 1st Pinay on the Hollywood Walk of Fame — ‘Still quite stunned about it’
By Cristina DC Pastor In a career spanning decades and continents, Tony Award-winning performer Lea Salonga has made a home in the hearts of Filipino theatergoers in the Philippines and around the world. Two Filipina Americans describe what Lea meant to them growing up. “Since I was a little girl,” reminisced artist Ann Constantino Beck, […]
-
The affluent FilAm community
The FilAm Editorial Not too long ago, I had a conversation with a Wells Fargo executive who asked me a simple yet loaded question: “What is the Filipino community like?” With a touch of pride and candor, I replied, “The Filipino community is an affluent community.” I thought of the fundraising galas held in posh […]
-
Gen Z mental health crisis requires cultural understanding
By Sunita Sohrabji As youth suicide rates climb and depression deepens across the United States, mental health experts are pushing for action that centers both evidence-based treatment and cultural belonging. At a July 25 news briefing hosted by American Community Media, speakers noted that effective care remains out of reach for too many. “We’re in […]
-
Philippine Ballet Theatre’s Sarimanok flies to the U.S.
By Marivir R. Montebon Mark your calendar this October 2025 as we celebrate Philippine History Month in the United States. The multi-awarded Philippine Ballet Theatre brings to New York and other cities the Sarimanok, a ballet performance of the mythical colorful bird of Mindanao and a symbol of good fortune. The Sarimanok, directed by Ron […]
-
Calendar from August
–Ongoing till September 1 Common Picnic: Halo-Halo Edition by artist Risa Puno Waterfront Plaza at Brookfield Place 230 Vesey Street NYC –Ongoing till September 9 Back to Our Roots: Summer Chefs Series September 2 – Pork Picadillo September 9 – Spaghetti with Prawns and Aligue Join on Zoom Contact: pafcomnj@gmail.com –Ongoing till October 5 Golden […]
-
Gregoria de Jesus: Madonna of the Revolution
By Joel David The biggest still-to-be-resolved controversy about the Philippines’s anticolonial revolution, the first in Asia, centers on the status of Andres Bonifacio, founder of its liberation army, the Katipunan. Most adequately schooled natives would be aware that recognition of his stature as head of the country’s liberated territories was wrested by a faction that […]