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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 […]
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Prepaid card provider dedicates a whole month to the Filipino community
Nobel, a leading online retailer of prepaid calling cards, has declared Filipino Month between May 24th and June 24th, 2013. In an attempt to thank all the Filipinos who have chosen Nobelcom as their international calling provider, the company has launched a one-month campaign right before the celebration of Manila Day, on June 24th. “The […]
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How Mama reinvented herself in America (Part 2)
By Randy Gener Eventually times got harder. It became more difficult to find work in the Philippines. Cleo had no choice but to disappear for longer periods of time. One reason she felt compelled to come to America was that in the late 1970s, she had conducted a long search for her U.S. father via […]
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A song for my mother (Part 1)
By Randy Gener It was 5 o’clock in the afternoon. Sitting in my studio, my mom, Cleo, asked me to hold out my palm. Suddenly interested in my lifeline, she wanted to tell me something good about my future. “You will have a long life,” Mama said, “but you have to be careful about money. […]
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‘I don’t want to feel unsafe again, don’t want to go back into the closet’ (Part 2)
By Kevin L. Nadal, Ph.D. On Thursday, May 16th, I attended a protest, in front of Madison Square Garden, right before a Knicks game. With the theme of “Queers Take Back the Night, ”over a hundred LGBTQ people and allies stood silently with signs as Knicks fans entered the arena. Some passers-by respectfully walked by, […]
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Anti-gay hate crimes on the rise: a call to the community (Part 1)
Kevin L. Nadal, Ph.D. I first moved to New York when I was 24 years old and I was accepted into a doctoral program in psychology at Columbia University. Some college friends from my undergraduate university in Southern California were already living in New York and invited me to move in with them in a […]