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Flores de Mayo & Santacruzan: classic Maytime festivals that inspire nostalgia
By Ludy Astraquillo Ongkeko, Ph.D. The month of May has just joined the 2013 scene. Yet, what seeks their place via the vehicle of nostalgia are two festivities central to homespun memories: the Flores de Mayo (flowers of May), and the Santacruzan (Holy Cross), another time-nurtured event. The Flores de Mayo is a showcase of […]
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New York counts the votes; final tally in 13 hours
By Cristina DC Pastor Not a lot of people in this voting location as election inspectors opened ballot boxes and inspected ballots for possible tampering. Just a couple of curious women dressed in office suits and three journalists. No campaign fliers littered the floors, and no argumentative poll watchers were present. Definitely no partisan jousting. […]
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Jose Antonio Vargas attempts to define relationship with his mother
Here’s a teaser of Jose’s film “Documented.” By Cristina DC Pastor “I haven’t seen my mom in 20 years. I don’t know how to talk about that. It’s too painful to talk about her.” In a free-wheeling discussion with Filipino journalists in April, Jose Antonio Vargas spoke about the woman who gave him up so […]
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‘A mother will hold a child’s hands for a while but the heart forever’
By Lumen Castaneda What is a mother? The dictionary describes a mother as a woman who has borne a child or the origin or source of something like a mother plant. Mother means selfless devotion, limitless sacrifices and love that passes understanding. “A woman who has compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience is a mother. […]
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Bukidnon tribal ‘datu’ promotes Talaandig music from NYC to S.F.
“I couldn’t imagine myself taking train ride(s) to Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queens. When I was small I took a carabao ride to the mountains of Mt. Kitanglad.” With that post, Bukidnon tribal leader and musician Waway Saway invited Filipino Americans to watch his May 4th performance at the Lincoln Center. “Definitely, we will have good […]
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Philippine cultural center receives $1.5M state grant from Hawaii
Hawaii has released a state capital improvement grant to help construct the nonprofit Kauai Philippine Cultural Center (KPCC) in the capital city of Honolulu. The grant was released on May 6 a week into the Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month of May. Gov. Neil Abercrombie presented a $1.5 million check to Kauai Mayor Bernard P. Carvalho, […]
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Grace Villamil’s intimate mementos of her travels to the Philippines in ‘Pasalubong’
By Amanda Schmitt “Pasalubong” is an intimate photo book by Grace Villamil, including images and drawings created during her first experiences in the Philippines. The book is both a reflection and a meditation on her personal relationship with the country. Pasalubong is a Tagalog word (the national language of the Philippines) for the gift you […]
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Mideo Cruz talks post-‘Poleteismo’ and the concept of visual trauma
By Cristina DC Pastor Mideo Cruz’s hair was tussled, his face sleepy as he shuffled around a Manhattan apartment in his flip flops while his wife prepared food for a small party of eight they were hosting that night. He slumped on a chair, his posture wrinkling his shirt but not the bold words printed […]
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Why must currency determine our beauty contest winners?
By Ludy Astraquillo Ongkeko, Ph.D. Chances are, by now, the readership of TheFilAm has lent some attention or some may have become more than conversant about pageants: beauty and popularity contests, if you will. In some cases, that all-too-familiar yardstick called the trek of currency might possibly have rendered its job. But, if in the […]