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New TFALEpisode 124 – A Feminist’s Journey Through Pregnancy with Angela Garbes (Social Distance Series)
TFAL is having a baby! Actually, just Gerlie and Joe are having a baby. The latest change in their lives prompted a discussion about pregnancy as Filipino Americans. In...
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New TFAL
Episode 123 – Culture Shock: How Filipino Americans deal with Americana (Social Distance Series)
Being raised in the United States, we as Filipino Americans have learned American cultural practices that we’ve grown accustomed to and even embraced – eating hotdogs in a bun,...
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New TFAL
Episode 122 – Hold the Line: Standing Up for Press Freedom with Maria Ressa (Social Distance Series)
Have you ever thought about how do you get your news? Obtaining news has quickly evolved over the years. Just in the TFAL crew’s lifetimes, the ways we have...
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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 122 – Hold the Line: Standing Up for Press Freedom with Maria Ressa (Social Distance Series)
Have you ever thought about how do you get your news? Obtaining news has quickly evolved over the years. Just in the TFAL crew’s lifetimes, the ways we have consumed news has transitioned from physical newspapers to local afternoon...
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Episode 121 – Urban Gardening and Restorative Justice with Richard Garcia of Alma Backyard Farms (Social Distance Series)
The late Asian American activist Grace Lee Boggs towards the end of her life began to devote her activism to the urban agricultural movement in Detroit. She believed that urban gardening provided nutritious food, beautifies neighborhoods, and creates and...
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Episode 120 – Fil Am Allyship in the Black Lives Matter Movement (Social Distance Series)
The murder of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and countless others at the hands of the police department has ignited outrage all around the world and once again, exposed the deep wounds of racism and inequality in the...
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Episode 119 – The Social Distance Series: Mental Health in times of Quarantine with Alyssa Lia Mancao
Early in the TFAL podcast journey we discussed therapy and mental health in Episode 2. As time has progressed the TFAL community has asked to continue the discussion around mental health. In this episode the TFAL crew has...
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Episode 118 – The Social Distance Series: Pilipino Graduations
Pilipino Graduation. P-Grad. Fil-Grad. Filipina/o/@/x Grad. Whatever the nomenclature, these ceremonies celebrate the educational accomplishments of Filipino Americans at many universities, colleges, and increasingly high schools. P-Grads are more intimate ceremonies where FilAm graduates personally thank their loved ones,...
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Episode 117 – The Social Distance Series: Hilaw Pa 4.0
TFAL is back with yet another edition of Hilaw Pa, the ultimate Filipino American brainstorm where the crew comes up with half-baked ideas related to our experiences. In this episode, we discuss Coronavirus-related ideas. Listen as we come up...
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recent articles
Enjoy all our latest written articles here!
TFAL Holiday 2019
This holiday season we’ve been highlighting Filipino American businesses on Instagram. Are you following This Filipino American Life on instagram? Head to @tfalpodcast and give us a follow. Looking for some Christmas present ideas? Why not support these folks? REPPIN PINS Reppin Pins is a Chicago based pin company. Use code TFALREPPIN for $3 off...
Sneak Preview Screening of ‘Quezon’s Game’ coming to LA on December 16
ABS-CBN International will be hosting a “special sneak peek” opening of Quezon’s Game in Los Angeles at the Downtown Independent Theater, December 16-22. In a time when the government of Israel is deporting Filipino workers and their families, Quezon’s Game couldn’t be a more appropriate movie to watch now. Quezon’s Game, directed by Jewish filmmaker Matthew...
“Joy is Here”: A Review of Hello, Love, Goodbye
Hello, Love, Goodbye is breaking box office records in the Philippines, and now it’s making waves throughout the diaspora. The film centers on Joy (Kathryn Bernardo), a domestic helper living and working in Hong Kong, and her determination to fulfill the responsibilities to her family in the Philippines. She then meets Ethan (Alden Richards), a...
TFAL at San Diego Comic Con 2019
TFAL is going to San Diego Comic Con this week, and to celebrate, we’ll have these exclusive #SDCC2019 Sticker Packs! So how do you get your hands on one of these? Just look for Elaine and Producer Mike! This is what they looked like the last time they went to SDCC in 2011. But where...
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...
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 >
Subscribe To TFAL
Listen to TFAL and access all former episodes on your favorite player. This Filipino American Life is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, Mixcloud, or where ever you get your podcasts.
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!
