thisfilipinoamericanlife

Episode 7.5 – Happy Pilipinx New Year!

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…

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Bonus Episode – Celebrating Filipino American History Month at FPAC & the LA Greek Theater

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…

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Episode 7 – Xmas Special…Ang Pasko Ay Sumapit!

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…

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Episode 6.5 – Gambling

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…

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Episode 6 – Post-Election Special

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…

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TFAL Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving! It’s time for Thanksgiving. The special time of year where your family tells you you’ve gained weight, but then tries to feed you more food. The time of year when you look at the turkey and wish it was lechon. Some of us do not have to wish it was lechon because there…

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Episode 5.5 – On Filipino Accents

Is mimicking Filipino accents an offensive act?  Do Fil Ams make fun of immigrants because they attempt to be American?  Is it OK when non-Filipinos imitate the accent?  When is it “all in good fun”? We understand the propensity of mimicking Filipino accents by many Filipino Americans stems largely from their class and cultural privilege…

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Bonus Episode – Elections Special

  Election Day in the United States is coming up on November 8 (November 28, if you’re voting for Trump)!  Listen to this special bonus episode where we discuss the upcoming presidential election, Trump’s appeal to some Filipino Americans, stories from our GOTV efforts, and an extended conversation about current Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte.  Even…

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Episode 5 – Back to School: Filipinos in Higher Education

Back to School: Filipinos & Higher Education. A conversation about Pilipino Studies w/Ivy Dulay Daulo & Kevin Casasola. On this episode we share our personal college experiences and the role of Pilipino Studies and Asian American Studies has played in our lives. Special thanks to Ivy Dulay Daulo for sharing about her experiences as an…

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The “Sawing Kit” Follow Up

Thank you for everyone’s response to Episode 4.5 The Bakit List. The comments on Ryan’s “Sawing Kit” story have been hilarious.  TFAL listener and friend RoseAnne messaged me after we posted “The Bakit List” with this hilarious story. She heard her two adorable daughters yelling “I want cookies! I want cookies!” RoseAnne’s dad opened the…

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