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Amnesty International USA’s Kalaya’an Mendoza: His activism began in the Bay Area
By Chris Catiis From the Stonewall Riots for gay rights in the 1960s to many recent scattered rallies denouncing police abuses, these demonstrations have a common thread. They evoke a communal call to action for basic human rights providing for equal treatment of every individual regardless of nationality, gender, race, religion or any other status. ...
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Obama’s nominee as HUD Deputy Secretary was one time Budget Director at San Francisco Mayor’s Office
President Obama’s nomination of Nani A. Coloretti since March 10, 2014 to Deputy Secretary at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is awaiting Senate confirmation. If confirmed, Coloretti would be the fourth female deputy secretary and one of the highest-ranking Filipino Americans serving in the administration, according to the organization Kaya: Filipino Americans ...
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Law of the Sea specialist is new ConGen to S.F.
The Filipino community in San Francisco has a new Consul General. His name is Henry S. Bensurto, Jr., a career diplomat and a member of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP). A statement from the Philippine Consulate says Bensurto and is one of the Philippines’ leading experts on maritime security and the West Philippine ...
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How one middle-class family made the wrenching decision to leave the Philippines
By Cristina DC Pastor “How Sweet the Mango, No? The Journey of a Hispanic Amerasian” By Matthias Mendezona BookSurge/CreateSpace Publishing May 2009 Much like Forrest Gump, Matthias Mendezona found himself playing cameo roles through various episodes in his country’s history. Like the Tom Hanks character, Mendezona emerged from a series of debacles in his life ...
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Reps. Speier, Honda propose additional aid for Typhoon Haiyan victims
Congresswoman Jackie Speier (D-San Francisco/San Mateo/Redwood City) and Congressman Mike Honda (D-San Jose/Fremont) introduced a joint resolution on November 13 urging Congress to continue to provide assistance to the victims of Super Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda in the Philippines. “The historical and cultural links between the Philippines and the United States run deeper than any flood waters,” ...
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Jason Tengco’s journey from the Bay Area to the Beltway
By Maricar CP Hampton There was a time Jason Tengco was embarrassed to be called Filipino. He grew up in the Bay Area, an all-American boy who wore only Abercrombie & Fitch fitted shirts and colored contacts and used bleaching soaps to whiten an already fair complexion. “I was born and raised in the suburbs ...
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Lawyer worked undercover to rescue Filipina sex trafficking victims
By Ryan Gajudo Macasero It was a warm August day of 2011 when the phone rang at the Washington D.C. office of the International Justice Mission. Lawyer Sean Litton, 46, was still at the office reviewing case files. The call was from the Philippine ...
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Leland Yee Announces Run for Secretary of State
Leland Yee Announces Run for Secretary of State Author of online voter registration law declares candidacy for state’s chief elections officer SAN FRANCISCO – Inspired by his latest law to allow Californians to register to vote online, today Senator Leland Yee used the internet to launch his run for Secretary of State. This morning, ...