-
Florence Finch, the brave Filipina POW who fought the Japanese
By Marissa Bañez On November 7, 1947, Florence Finch, daughter of an American father and a Filipina mother, was awarded the Medal of Freedom by President Truman for saving the lives of countless World War II American prisoners of war of the Japanese in the Philippines: For meritorious service which had aided the United States […]
-
Dr. Angie Cruz, the reluctant Grand Marshal
By Cristina DC Pastor This year’s Grand Marshals for the 127th Philippine Independence Day parade on June 1 is the well-liked couple Dr. Emilio Quines and his wife of two years Dr. Angie Cruz. The pair were presented before a Grand Soiree on January 11 to kick off the celebration. The yearly gathering is said […]
-
Educator Deirdre Levy announces candidacy for mayor of NYC
By Cristina DC Pastor Deirdre Levy, a K-2 special education teacher, has announced her candidacy for mayor of New York City. This pits her possibly against former Governor Andrew Cuomo, who is reportedly mulling a decision to run, and re-electionist Eric Adams in the June 24 Democratic primary. Cuomo resigned in 2021 over sexual misconduct […]
-
Wells Fargo’s Jerome Flores: Embracing diversity at work and at home
By Cristina DC Pastor Jerome Flores started working at Wells Fargo Bank as a young teller. That was 18 years ago or shortly after the merger with Wachovia. It’s his “first real job.” Today, he is one of the Filipino Americans holding top positions in the country’s fourth largest bank. He is the Senior Diversity […]
-
How hyper-masculinity denied Babaylan women then, Kamala Harris now, their power
By Allen Gaborro There is more than one reason why Kamala Harris was defeated by Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election, the most prominent of all being the fact that the Democratic nominee was a woman. But it wasn’t simply because Harris was a woman per se that so many men reverted to their […]
-
‘St. Denis Medical’ and the Filipino Mafia in U.S. hospitals
By Cristina DC Pastor “St. Denis Medical” is the latest hospital series to hit primetime television. But instead of being a medical drama like “ER” or “Grey’s Anatomy,” SDM is a sitcom about a small-town Oregon hospital with Filipino nurses among the main characters and the so-called Filipino Mafia as their hospital Superpower. “It’s funny,” […]
-
Manila International Film Festival announces Hollywood screenings of 10 MMFF entries Jan 30 to Feb 2
The Manila International Film Festival (MIFF) will follow up its successful first Hollywood edition with screenings of 10 entries, including the winners of the recent 50th Metro Manila Film Festival. MIFF, which celebrates and supports Philippine cinema, will be held from January 30 to February 2, 2025, with screenings at the TCL Chinese Theatre in […]
-
Reina Filipina to present candidates for inaugural pageant at Times Square on Jan 19
The Reina Filipina North America organization is announcing the official candidates for its first-ever pageant, set to take place on January 19, 2025, at the Palladium Times Square in Manhattan. The ladies will compete for the title of Reina Filipina as well Miss New York Philippines, Miss New Jersey Philippines and Miss Connecticut Philippines. There […]
-
‘Wicked:’ A story about bullying and the color of one’s skin
By Wendell Gaa The year 2024 will surely go down as yet another banner year for cinema, and one of the best films to come out is undoubtedly “Wicked.” Even before its very release, it was surrounded by much hype and talk around how it is one of the best movies in the musical […]