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On Global Filipinos: Nicole Ponseca: ‘I Am a Filipino’
By Loida Nicolas Lewis When Nicole Ponseca was growing up in San Diego, California, her father was very adamant in telling her, “You are a Filipino”. Her father, a Cavite native, wanted her to never forget that Cavite was one of the first provinces to revolt against the Spaniards’ 350 years of colonial subjugation. In […]
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Against the backdrop of the NYC skyline, PHL Independence Day marches on
By Cristina DC Pastor The parade weaved the crowd together, one organization after another: The nurses with the Knights of Rizal with the indigenous dancers with the provincial floats with the teachers with the pageant beauties in their flashy tiaras and so on, their magnificent colors blending into the lingering line of marchers. It was […]
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How privileged Filipinos can help 3 in 10 PHL children survive
By Faith Sycaoyao Despite the outward appearance of ease and glamor for some Filipinos in the global diaspora, a stark crisis continues to unfold as millions of children in the Philippines still face a reality we cannot afford to ignore. In Manila’s bustling streets and polluted waterways, poverty tightens its grip on many lives. Children […]
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Joseph Francia: ‘Television is alive and well’
By Cristina DC Pastor Joseph Francia looks back on his career and glimpses a television executive whose more than three decades’ work in broadcast media was shaped by significant events and crises. In 1990, he was a young project manager for ABS-CBN Foundation who rushed to the scene of the earthquake in Baguio to lead […]
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Queer, trans young Asian Americans need caregiving too
By Sunita Sohrabji AAPI young adults who are queer or trans often find themselves alone: estranged from traditional families and friends who are not supportive or don’t understand their identity. “We don’t often think of caregiving as something that we need for ourselves. We think caregiving is individual, in a home, or there’s someone that’s […]
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WW II Veteran Bert Pumento celebrates 100th birthday
The Filipino Veterans Recognition & Education Project (FilVetREP) wishes Bert Pumento a happy 100th birthday! The veteran centenarian celebrated his special day on July 12 with his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren at a tourist resort in Lipa, Batangas province. He has been living with one of his children in San Francisco. Pumento served with […]
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GoFundMe and the Filipino crowdfunding culture
By Cristina DC Pastor When my husband suffered a stroke in the early morning of June 29, the idea of fundraising never crossed my mind. I was in a state of nonchalance, thinking that since he had insurance, everything would be taken care of by his provider. Until the social worker in the hospital informed […]
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Lumen Castaneda: Founder of UNIFFIED was ‘forced’ to be a teacher
By Cristina DC Pastor Paraluman Castaneda – Tita Lumen to many in the Filipino American community – is one year shy of 90. When she looks at people around her, she mutters to herself with a chuckle, “Seems to me I’m the oldest.” Reflecting on nearly nine decades of her life, she looked back on […]
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‘Granny Prostitutes:’ Sex workers and the stigma of aging
By Cristina DC Pastor “Granny Prostitutes” – titled “Lola Magdalena” in the Philippines – is the story of five maturing sex workers who live together in an old ‘bahay sa tisa,’ inherited by Bela (played Liza Lorena) from her deceased paramour. The semi-retired prostitutes also include Dalena (played by Gloria Diaz), Luningning (Pia Moran), Corazon […]