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Muay Thai girl fights for orphan children in the Philippines
By Maya Rowencak My mom is Filipino, and my father is Ukrainian, but I grew up American. When I was little, I would say my favorite food was Thai — to my mom’s disappointment. I was thrilled to get to visit Thailand when I was 9 and have been naturally drawn to Thai culture. I […]
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Rolando Lavarro urges June 11 run-off vote: ‘Elections not yet over.’
By Cristina DC Pastor Jersey City Councilman-at-Large Rolando Lavarro is in number-crunching mode as he looks toward the June 11 run-off. With about 40,000 voters who cast their ballots in the May 14 municipal elections, the run-off is likely to see a one-third decline resulting in about 26,500 votes. He has to get 50 percent […]
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Michael Nierva seeks to ‘rejuvenate’ Phil-Am chamber’s membership, relevance
By Cristina DC Pastor Staten Island’s Michael Nierva was recently named VP of the Philippine American Chamber of Commerce (PACC). Mike is a managing director in J.P. Morgan’s Prime Brokerage unit. He is one of many Filipinos employed in the financial services sector, choosing to steer clear of the traditional sector jobs for Filipino Americans, […]
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Reacting to Gabrielle Molina’s suicide, Jersey teen takes comfort in being close to family, Filipino heritage
By Megan Villarin I find it really sad and sickening to see how far harassment can go. Just because Gabrielle Molina was different — whether religious, cultural or overall appearance, we don’t know — these people bullied her to the point where she could not bear to live anymore. This shows the power of technology. […]
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It’s more fun in the ‘gates of hell’
By Bessie Badilla Kababayan, I’m getting white hair and wrinkles by the minute as I read your articles, blogs, posts and comments on Facebook on how upset you are about Dan Brown’s latest book, “Inferno.” By this time, Mr. Brown is smiling because he is getting free publicity from tens of thousands of angry Filipinos […]
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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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You’re beautiful, Mariah Carey
By Elton Lugay Her Donatella Versace gown popped open. Her shoes did not match the silver gown. If you were a legendary diva like Mariah Carey, the public would expect a reaction close to a meltdown. That did not happen at the May 24 “Good Morning America” Summer Concert held at Central Park. “Oh sh_t” […]
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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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Thoughts on a millennial graduation from the oldest grad in the room
By Rene Pastor When Nate Silver, who was our commencement speaker, urged the millennials not to stop “being weird,” I felt oddly out of place, coming from Ray Romano’s league of Men of a Certain Age. It was the kind of raw, gusty and rainy day which made for a miserable go in New York […]