Rondalla. Kulintang. Bamboo poles. Gangsas. Sway balance. DANCE! We all are quite familiar with Philippine folk dances such as Pandanggo sa Ilaw, Vinta, Carinosa, Banga, and of course, Tinikling. Whether we learned them through P.E. classes back in the Philippines, church festivals in the U.S., on college campuses at a PCN, or even on viral…
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When and where does Filipino American history begin? Is it on October 18, 1587 in Morro Bay, California? According to our guest in this TFAL episode, this date and time only reinforces a settler colonialist narrative. Writer and public historian, Adrian De Leon, argues that “Filipino America” actually began in the 1760s in the Philippines. …
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Many of us have grown up seeing women in our lives rock the duster around the house. The piece of apparel is synonymous with traditionally women’s work. But what if the duster could be updated? What would that look like? In this episode the TFAL Crew, sans food appreciator Ryan Carpio, have an intimate…
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Have you spoken to your parent(s) about estate planning? What will happen to their financial assets when they will pass away? Have you witnessed your family feud over family inheritance or ancestral land? Have you thought of what legacies you’d like to pass on when you eventually transition to the other side? In this TFAL…
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The South of Market, or SoMa neighborhood in San Francisco is a historical place for Filipino Americans for a century. Throughout its history, many Filipinos have called SoMa home with its affordable apartments, neighborhood amenities, and proximity to jobs in downtown San Francisco. Community advocates have been established cultural institutions and social services for its…
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Have you ever been in constant pain and could not figure out why? Have you ever felt a knot in your back and felt like you could never break it? What happens when family trauma transcends generations and physically manifests itself in your body? In this episode of TFAL join Elaine and Producer Mike as…
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How do you pronounce your name? How do you pronounce your last name? Do you Anglicize it? Do you pronounce it differently when talking to other Filipinos or when speaking Tagalog? Do you correct people who pronounce it differently? How would you pronounce the name “Roxas”? In this mini-episode, Ryan, Elaine, and Joe discuss the…
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This past month an overzealous group of fans found their way to Lea Salonga’s dressing room after a performance of Here Lies Love. The interaction was then uploaded to the internet for the world to see. SORRY, NOT SORRY. Christopher Carpila, who drew backlash for uploading the viral Lea Salonga dressing-room video, remained firm…
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Where do Filipino Americans hang out? Where is the place where they are allowed to tambay (Tagalog slang for loitering from the English “stand by”)? Where are can one find Filipino immigrants and Filipino Americans alike in public places? According to some sociology scholars, the third place in modern capitalist society refers to spaces that…
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Most Filipino Americans today live in the suburbs – Daly City, National City, Carson, Jersey City, Skokie, Oxon Hill, and on and on. When you think of the Filipino American community since the 1970s, we are by and large a suburban community. There are reasons for this, of course, many of which we focus on…
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