As a Filipino, do you identify as an Asian American?  Do you feel more affinity towards Mexican Americans and other Latinos?  Do you believe Filipinos are Pacific Islanders?  Do Filipino Americans belong to a specific “race”? These are some questions Filipino Americans grapple with all the time.  Living in the United States, “Asian,” “Pacific Islander,”…

Although Las Vegas is more than just America’s playground, we could not do a Vegas show without talking about the gaming industry and the combat sport industry. Las Vegas is arguably the most popular gambling city in the world and the fight capital of the United States.  As kids, we may have gone to play…

Think Vegas is only about gambling, partying, and buffets?  Think again.  Las Vegas is also home to a fierce bunch of activists trying to make a difference in the Filipino American community. In this episode, the TFAL crew talks to long time political advocates, Gloria Caoile and Rozita Lee.  These fiery ladies have been organizing…

Viva Las Vegas!! On a weekend in April, the TFAL crew ventured to Sin City for a bit of R&R.  Well, not really.  TFAL went to Las Vegas to get a slice of Filipino American Life in the desert.  Perhaps the most hyper-capitalist, hyper-sexualized city in the United States, Las Vegas is also home to…

If you grew up in a Filipino household, it’s possible that you’ve had experiences with natural medicines or remedies —  from your parents use of the aloe vera plant on a burn to the use of tawas as underarm deodorant. For TFAL co-host Ryan, he would have never known the healing effects of ginger root had…

Naks naman, pre! Everyday, we hear a new term or phrase or acronym that we totes have to google. With the ever evolving ways of communicating, we can expect some of our words and phrases to be shortened and even more so, turn into widely-used slang. Slang has multiple uses.  It can be used for…

What happens when you are in high school physics class and a classmate says “Do you play an instrument” and your answer is yes?  Well for Merilou Salazar and Jesse Meehan, our guests on this episode of TFAL, they formed a three power chord knowing garage band called The Midol Poppers. After several iterations and…

A recently article circulated social media after the release of the movie, Black Panther, detailing the connection between some of the costumes worn by the “Dora Milaje” — the all-female personal guard of the ruler of the fictional African country of Wakanda.  Anthony Francisco, a Pinoy member of the film’s design team, apparently based the…

  Tens of thousands of Filipinos work as caregivers in the United States, and more are recruited to Western nations to feed, bathe, and serve the elderly.  It is a thankless, yet vital job that many Filipinos hold.  Yet, in this line of work, many caregivers are abused, with some working 24 hours around the…