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New TFALEpisode 87 – Filipino Americans in the PBA: TFAL Talks to Former PBA Star Tony De La Cruz
It’s no secret that Filipinos are obsessed with basketball. Same goes for Filipino Americans. Ask many Filipino Americans and more likely than not, they LOVE basketball. TFAL even did...
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New TFAL
Episode 86 – Filipino Americans Doing Business in the Philippines: TFAL Talks to Roland Ros of Kumu and Carmel Laurino of Kalsada Coffee
As a Filipino American, have you ever considered moving to the Philippines? Whether you were born in the diaspora or moved from the Philippines as a small child, does...
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New TFAL
Episode 85 – Filipino Ethnic Enclaves: Do They Exist? Do We Need Them?
Despite efforts to create Filipino ethnic enclaves – Historic Filipinotown in LA, SoMa Pilipinas in San Francisco, Filipino Village in National City, Little Manila in Toronto, etc. – a...
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recent Episodes
This Filipino American Life is a podcast that explores the nuanced experiences of Filipinos in the United States, atbp. We release new episodes every other week. Enjoy all our latest episodes here!
Episode 85 – Filipino Ethnic Enclaves: Do They Exist? Do We Need Them?
Despite efforts to create Filipino ethnic enclaves – Historic Filipinotown in LA, SoMa Pilipinas in San Francisco, Filipino Village in National City, Little Manila in Toronto, etc. – a common narrative out there is that Filipinos do not have...
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Episode 84 – Filipino Canadian Businesses and Cultural Arts in Vancouver: TFAL Talks to WSDMCLUB Barber Shop, DISTRIKT MOVEMENT, and Kathara Pilipino Indigenous Arts Collective Society
Welcome back to Canada! We round out our travel shows with our last two interviews from Vancouver. In this episode we interview entrepreneurs Marvin Soriano of WSDM CLUB Barbershop and Jian Pablico of DISTRIKT MOVEMENT. They discuss opening...
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Episode 83 – Filipino Canadian Politics and Community Organizing in Vancouver: TFAL Talks to Mable Elmore, MLA, RJ Aquino, KAMP, and Tulayan
Welcome to Canada, eh? In addition to our trip to Seattle last month, the TFAL crew was able to take a trip to our neighbor to the north, Canada…Vancouver to be exact. In our next couple episodes, we...
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Episode 82 – Filipino Food Scene in Seattle: TFAL Talks to Hood Famous Café, Kamayan Farm, and Musang Seattle
What is the Filipino Food scene like in Seattle? In this TFAL episode, we’re back in Seattle to talk about Pacific Northwest Filipino food with some members of the Ilaw Collective, a coalition of Filipino food and beverage professionals...
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Episode 81 – Finding Filipino American Community in LA’s Little Tokyo: Conversations with Alison De La Cruz, Kennedy Kabasares, and Francis Cullado
In Los Angeles, Filipinos have a special relationship with the Little Tokyo neighborhood. In the 1920s and 1930s, Filipino immigrants formed a viable Little Manila district adjacent to the Japanese neighborhood. Little Tokyo was in many ways the heart...
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Episode 80 – Filipino American History, Politics, and Cultural Work in Seattle: TFAL Talks to Dr. Pio De Cano, Devin Cabanilla, and Sendai Era
Over the next few episodes, the TFAL crew brings you some voices from the Pacific Northwest. This past month, TFAL was on location in Seattle (and later Vancouver) to speak with some of the movers and shakers of the...
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recent articles
Enjoy all our latest written articles here!
EMPTY BY DESIGN
EMPTY BY DESIGN is Andrea Walter’s feature debut and will have its world premiere as the Closing Night film for the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival. Walter’s film evokes the loneliness of returning to a home you no longer recognize or a home that does not recognize you. EMPTY BY DESIGN Fri, May...
PARENTALS & #LIFE
PARENTALS highlights how parents and children take on the complexities of today’s world. This shorts program features MANILA IS FULL OF MEN NAMED BOY by Andrew Stephen Lee. In this film as Michael Jackson’s televised funeral plays throughout The Philippines despite terrorist attacks in the south, an estranged son purchases a child who can drink...
OMENG SATANASIA
What film has a satanic dance number, singing angels, perilous escapes, bawdy humour, and a rough and tumble fight scene? The visual mind trip of a film OMENG SATANASIA, starring the ‘King of Comedy’ Dolphy. OMENG SATANASIA combines the golden era Philippine Cinema of the ‘70s and ‘80s with the prolific entertainers comedic stylings. ABS-CBN...
JOURNEY TO IFUGAO
JOURNEY TO IFUGAO follows five Filipino artists and healers as they travel from Los Angeles to the Philippines on a spiritual quest for their identities and indigenous roots. Directed by Nicanor Evangelista, the cast and crew traverse to a village in Ifugao where they learn life lessons communing with nature and the essence of...
I Gotchu Fam, Always
I Gotchu Fam, Always is a shorts program where folks will see the likes of Tess Paras make her directorial debut in THE PATIENTS, the Academy award nominated short WEEKENDS by Trevor Jimenez, and you’ll see formal TFALpodcast guests Christine Balance and Geo Quibuyen make an appearance in Robert Karimi’s Lumpia Campesina. Get your...
NO DATA PLAN
NO DATA PLAN by Mike Revereza makes its west coast premiere at LAAPFF. Named as one of 2018’s “25 New Faces of Independent Film to Watch,” Revereza challenges formal tropes of filmmaking while amplifying the voices of the underrepresented. The unconventional travelogue chronicles Revereza’s life as he uses whatever is available (camera, phone, etc) to...
meet the Hosts & crew
We started the TFAL podcast in 2016 as friends who loved sharing perspectives on our personal Filipino American experiences. Get to know more about us and our other projects.
Joseph Bernardo
Joe is a 2nd generation Filipino American born in Los Angeles and raised in the San Fernando Valley. He currently works at a local university in LA and is involved with various organizations & campaigns that support...
More about Joseph >
Ryan Carpio
Ryan was born in Manila, Philippines and immigrated to the United States when he was 7 years old. He grew up in Los Angeles and currently works for the City of LA. He’s a Loyola High School and UC Berkeley alum. In his free time, he likes to sing, teach, play cards, and laugh.
More about Ryan >
Elaine Dolalas
Elaine is a Historic Filipinotown-based writer, podcaster, and independent curator. She curates Color Your Troubles Away, a monthly arts event that offers stress relief, healing, and meditation through coloring.
More about Elaine >
Michael Nailat
Michael, aka waxstyles, is definitely 100% Filipino American, although his facial hair tends to confuse folks for some reason. Born and raised in Oxnard, educated at UC Irvine and USC, it’s no wonder he ended up becoming a DJ...
More about Michael >
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Featured episodes
Here is a selection of our most popular TFAL episodes. Whether it features a special guest or topic close to our hearts, we know you’ll love these episodes. First time listeners start here!
