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New TFALEpisode 132 – Bumoto Kami: Filipino American Electoral Politics (Social Distance Series)
Election season in the US has come and not quite gone, and regardless of who you voted for (and how you feel about the results), a noteworthy aspect of...
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New TFAL
Episode 131 – Who Ordered Tax? TFAL Talks Pinoy Humor (Social Distance Series)
Filipino humor. You know what it is. Super corny one-liners your mom or dad, aunt and uncle might have said. It may be a play on words. May include...
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New TFAL
Episode 130 – Dance Dance Revelations: Filipinos and Hip Hop Dance with J. Lorenzo Perillo (Social Distance Series)
Dance off! Dance crews and line dancers, dance fanatics, and dance contest watchers – gather around for another episode of TFAL as we discuss hip hop dancing and Filipinos’...
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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 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 this episode, the TFAL crew delves into what we know...
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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, trick or treating, camping, Superbowl parties, calling in sick after...
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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...
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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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recent articles
Enjoy all our latest written articles here!
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...
Counterflow: Currents in New Filipina/o Music
Check out this visual mixtape curated by former TFALpodcast guest Joel Quizon! Counterflow is an experience that features shorts from Philippine artists redefining and reworking the contemporary Filipina/o music landscape. Counterflow: Currents in New Filipina/o Music Sat, May 4, 9PM Downtown Independent 251 S Main Street Los Angeles, CA 90012 BUY TICKETS HERE:...
EERIE
EERIE is set at Saint Lucia Academy for Girls, which is plagued by the ghost of a student who died under mysterious and tragic circumstances. The NEOMANILA & BIRDSHOT director returns to the screen with his play on Filipino mythology that uses supernatural characters that Filipinos may find familiar (mumus, aswangs, and dwendes oh my!)....
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!
