Apparently, cities are back. People are moving back into the inner core of cities. Coffee shops, bars, and artisanal eateries are thriving in certain neighborhoods. Millennials are ditching their cars for public transportation. Politicians are touting the brand new economy of “hipster-dom” that is reviving cities nationwide. But what do these changes mean for families…

In this short bonus episode, TFAL presents a retelling of the short story, “The Filipino and the Drunkard.”  Written in 1935 by William Saroyan, this short story tells the tale of a young Filipino who is aboard a ferry boat in 1930s San Francisco.  While waiting to go across the Bay to visit his brother,…

Most of us have read “My Family’s Slave” on the Atlantic, written by the late Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Alex Tizon.  The article saddened us, angered us, and confused us.  What’s to make of the story of Eudocia Pulido, aka Lola, who toiled her whole life against her will and without pay for a family that wasn’t…

  If you’ve been listening to the show you’ll know that we love food at This Filipino American Life.  We love talking about it in our personal life, with strangers, and on the podcast.  TFAL resident reality checker Gerlie and graphic designer Vince join us for a bit as we share our favorite Filipino restaurants….

Photo credit: Ted Visaya Design “You want palo??” If you grew up in a Filipino household, you probably know what the word palo means. Palo, a Tagalog word that means spank, which derived from the Spanish word palo or stick (those colonizers yo!), is a form of punishment used to discipline misbehaving children. To a kid, hearing that…

As Filipino Americans, we all know or know of someone in our lives who is undocumented.  That one uncle who left his family in the Philippines.  That one auntie who’s always “fixing her papers.”  That one friend who doesn’t leave the house very often.  According to various statistical computations, Filipinos who are undocumented in the…

On this mini episode we talk TV! What were your favorite TV shows growing up? As 80s babies we rehash our love of Saturday morning cartoons, Saved By The Bell, and A-Team. Do you remember Ernie Reyes Jr on Sidekicks? Or are you a fan of TJ Perkins on WWE? What would a Filipino American…

Are you a nurse?  Do you know someone or are you related to someone in the nursing field? (Hahaha…of course you do!).  Ever wonder why there are so many Filipino nurses in the United States? The statistics are astonishing.  According to Aaron Terrazas and Jeanne Batalova from the Migrant Policy Institute, nearly one of every…

Is there a use for Filipino American holiday?  Is there a way to accommodate bigger and bigger family parties?  Is there a better way to transport stuff to loved ones in the Philippines?  Why, yes, of course!!! The TFAL crew answers all these questions and more in their second installment of Hilaw Pa where we…