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New York moving to issue driver’s licenses to undocumented immigrants
“Yeah, I’m in favor,” said Roberto F., who once upon a time overstayed his visa, and is now the holder of a diplomatic visa. A car allowed him the mobility to look for jobs and find the one that matches his education and skills. His current employer helped process his G-visa. He just returned […]
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FilAms urge Duterte to ‘lift a finger,’ help immigrants facing deportation
By Cristina DC Pastor Gnawing fear over Donald Trump’s threat of massive deportations has thrown the immigrant community into panic as Filipinos criticize President Rodrigo Duterte’s apparent insensitivity toward those in danger of being removed from the U.S. Duterte has urged undocumented Filipino immigrants to “better be on the right track” or “get out” because […]
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Michael Purugganan on collecting PHL flags: ‘Think of the young people who fought for our independence’
Video and photos by Anuz Thapa By Cristina DC Pastor It was a walk-back to the past, my visit with NYU Dean for Science Michael Purugganan one Saturday morning at his Washington Square West apartment. Michael is an avid collector of Philippine artifacts. It is his collection of early Philippine flags, I came to see. […]
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On Lunar New Year, a trip to Chinatown for bags of cheers and Malaysian beef jerky
By Cristina DC Pastor And tell me what street, compares with Mott Street in July? Sweet pushcarts gently gliding by — ‘Manhattan’ by Lorenz Hart and Richard Rodgers It does not take Chinese New Year for us to be prompted to visit Chinatown, but it is always a good time to make that special trek […]
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‘Lion:’ When the human spirit never gives up
By Wendell Gaa In the film drama “Lion,” the predicament of homeless street children in India is given focus, but sadly their struggles could be said the same for thousands of orphans globally, including the Philippines. While tragedy does have a place in “Lion,” ultimately, it is a story about hope, love and the unrelenting […]
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‘PHL-U.S. relationship is 2-way street; we can’t always be the nice guy’ — Chuasoto (Part 2)
By Cristina DC Pastor The FilAm (TF): Is Marciano Paynor no longer in the running for the Ambassador position? Patrick Chuasoto (PC): I’m not sure. TF: Is President Duterte coming to the U.S. for a state visit? PC: Put it this way, in my almost 19 years in the foreign service, anything can happen. At […]
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PHL Embassy Minister Patrick Chuasoto: Waiting for the Ambassador (Part 1)
UPDATE: For more than a year now, the government of Rodrigo Duterte has not named an ambassador to the United States. Minister Patrick Chuasoto has assumed the position of Chargé d’Affaires. Finally, on July 27, 2017 Malacanang announced the nomination of Jose Manuel ‘Babe’ Romualdez as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the U.S. When he […]
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‘Nasty’ Filipinas join Jan 21 Women’s March: ‘It felt like Edsa’
By Cristina DC Pastor Thousands of Filipina Americans struck back in spades and joined millions of women in the U.S. and around the world in calling on the new government to respect issues of gender equality, women’s choice, and immigration. “It is important to me to be there because I love my daughters, admire my […]
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FILAMSPEAK: What are your wishes, hopes, and fears for the country under Donald Trump?
On the eve of Donald Trump’s inauguration, some FilAms are expressing on social media how they are preparing to carry out their acts of resistance, as well as their plans for the women’s march the day after. Others are sharing their hopes and wishes for the country to move forward with little or no upheaval […]