Nakakaon ka na ba?  Kumain na kayo?  Nangan kan?  Did you eat yet?

Ah yes…the question your parents/grandparents/family members ask you as you walk in the door.  Among Filipinos, it’s a more common way to say hello.

Food is perhaps the most innate thing that makes us human.  It keeps us alive.  It comforts us.  It identifies us.  It connects us.  And at times, it can even divide us.  Food is a window to our historical and contemporary lives like no other.

Filipino food is no exception. A large part of the Filipino American experience is the food we cook, serve, and eat.  Filipino food like kinilaw, chicken afritada, and Jollibee’s peach mango pie can tell us about our history – colonial or otherwise.  Our food also conveys the community’s struggles with health, cultural invisibility, and even mainstream desirability.

In this TFAL episode, we talk to Sarahlynn Pablo of Filipino Kitchen, a media based company which aims to support and promote the awareness of Filipino food here in the United States and throughout the diaspora.  We discuss a myriad of food-related topics: which Filipino dishes comfort us, which dishes we learned later in life, how Filipinos connect with their food heritage, what politics arise when advocates try to mainstream Filipino cuisine, and much more.

Although we barely scratch the surface of Filipino food in this episode, we hope you enjoy this scrumptious discussion.  Make sure to eat while listening or plan to eat afterwards because this episode will make you hungry!  Where’s my fork and spoon?  Fuck it…I’ll just use my hands!

Listen through the embedded player below, download directly HERE, or subscribe to us on iTunes here!

Finally, check out our friends’ websites here:

Filipino Kitchen – http://filipino.kitchen/

Sarahlynn Pablo’s WordPress – https://sarahlynnpablo.wordpress.com/

And check out this YouTube web series, Market to Master, to get a glimpse of different kinds of foods from all over the Philippines: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDisdSjO_Ro

Happy 2017 TFAL pans!

For some of us, 2016 left bad tastes in our collective mouths and 2017 couldn’t come any sooner.  Though the world is a bit more uncertain than ever, we can hope that the new year will bring more good than bad, more prosperity than scarcity, and more laughter than tears.

Along with a new year, comes new resolutions, new beginnings, and at times, new identities.  Among these is a new way of describing ourselves.  The term “Pilipinx” has emerged over the last few years as a new nomenclature for Filipino.  We’re not sure of its exact origins, but can we assume it came from progressive college students.

Recalling the old P/Filipino debates of yesteryear, we discuss “Pilipinx” in this episode – its intention, its promise, and its utility.  And of course, we discuss our unique Filipino American New Year’s traditions.  Start off the new year right and fill your ears with TFAL!

Listen through the embedded player below, download directly here, or subscribe to us on iTunes here!

Before we say goodbye to 2016, we’ve got one more episode of TFAL to share with all of you!  This past October the TFAL crew talked to some of the artists that were featured at the 25th Annual Festival of Philippine Arts & Culture (FPAC) and at the Filipino American History Month FAHM Celebration at the LA Greek Theater.  Many thanks to everyone we got to interview who shared their thoughts about FPAC, the FAHM showcase, and about Filipino American History Month overall. And a big shout out to the folks who came up to us and told us they were fans of the show, we were truly honored meet all of you!  Happy New Year, and look forward to even more TFAL in 2017!

Listen through the embedded player below, download directly here, or subscribe to us on iTunes here!

From FPAC

From FAHM Celebration

TFAL Co-Host Joe in his New Jack Swing gear receiving an Xmas gift from his late uncle, Archimedes Domingo (Tito Meddy), circa 1988.

Christmas is coming! (Ang Pasko Ay Sumapit!)  What are your unique Filipino American Christmas traditions?  Do you go to Simbang Gabi…at 7pm?  Do you make parols?  Do you visit the Philippines every Christmas?  Do you send your loved ones balikbayan boxes?  Do you eat Queso de Bola after midnight mass?  Do you watch NBA basketball all day with your family while eating lechon and candied ham?

Join the TFAL crew as they reminisce about old Christmas traditions they grew up with.  Find out how Elaine discovered the real truth about Santa Claus.  Find out which is Producer Mike’s favorite Xmas movie.  Find out what Shrek character Ryan dressed up as.  And find out what the heck is going on in the picture above.

Listen through the embedded player below, download directly here, or subscribe to us on iTunes here!

TFAL Co-Host Elaine at Harrah’s in New Orleans.

May the odds be forever in your favor!

Maybe you find a slot machine’s bright colors and sounds entertaining, or perhaps you cherish the time you spend with friends on your way to a casino in a free air conditioned bus, or maybe even more simply, it could be the thrill of the possibility of having more money than you started with. However you cut it, a lot of Filipino Americans like to gamble in casinos, at home, or in an underground cockfighting ring.  For many Filipinos throughout the U.S., gambling is easily accessible. Over 60 Indian casinos are available to people who have itchy palms for those in California like us. And if that’s not enough, Nevada is just a few hours away.

Is it really in the Filipino culture to gamble?  Is gambling a form of entertainment?  Is there more to gambling than trying to get rich? Are Filipinos just trying to cash in their good karma?

Listen to our stories about mahjong marathon sessions; find out which TFAL member is the Pusoy Dos Champion; or  listen as we vocalize a slot machine’s sound of fake coins dropping into a bucket (yeah, we did that). Take a chance and download our podcast. If you listen, you might just win something!

Listen through the embedded player below, download directly here, or subscribe to us on iTunes here!

November 8th was arguably one of the most bizarre, most talked about, most Twittered, Facebooked, criticized, fact checked, US presidential elections in history. The results of the election continues to be questioned as Democrats and perhaps some Republicans alike try to make sense of what happened. President-elect Donald Trump’s win (I just threw up a little bit in my mouth just typing that), has elicited fear and confusion; and, some have argued, this election has provided an avenue for hatred, misogyny, sexism, racism, and lack of experience, to somehow be okay.

Is this a huge wake-up call? What happens now?

This week, This Filipino American Life talks about their thoughts about the presidential election, why it’s important to vote, what we think about the Filipino American voting trends, and what we’re doing to move forward from the election.

Sigh.

Here we go.

Listen through the embedded player below, download directly here, or subscribe to us on iTunes here!