‘SAFER AT HOME’ RESIDENTS in Los Angeles County can still go to the grocery store, pick up takeout orders at restaurants or go on hikes with proper social distancing, but trips to the shopping mall or other nonessential retail businesses will be prohibited for the next 30 days. LA County officials and LA Mayor Eric…
EVENT cancellations, work from home, no dining in restaurants, doors shuttering — these are a few ramifications of the coronavirus pandemic that businesses across the country are facing. Here in Southern California, new guidelines have caused Filipino American business owners to change the way they operate or even, close temporarily. Following California Governor Gavin Newsom’s…
LOS ANGELES — An 83-year-old Filipina human trafficking victim reunited with three family members this week after 65 years apart. In an emotional reunion, Fedelina Lugasan — fondly known as “Nanay Fedelina” — was surprised by her older sister Eunila Cinco on Monday, March 9 after securing a visa to come to the United States….
As households across the country begin to receive invitations to participate in the 2020 Census, Filipino American organizations and leaders in Los Angeles County are holding a week of action to encourage community members to fill out the questionnaire. Between March 12-20, individuals will receive a letter in the mail with instructions on how to…
A Filipino American producer with nearly two decades in the entertainment industry announced the launch of a new multicultural public relations and marketing agency to uplift voices often missing and underrepresented in mainstream spaces. Jeremiah Abraham officially unveiled Tremendous Communications at the start of March with the mission of working with entertainment studios to promote…
WHEN Tif Marcelo first read “The Outsiders” by S.E. Hinton growing up, she knew she wanted to be a writer. “I told my dad and, of course, his reaction was not super excited because my parents were definitely more pragmatic and logical,” recalled Marcelo, who grew up in San Francisco after migrating from Quezon City,…
WHEN 19-year-old Angelo Salva Cruz mailed in his ballot for the California primary this week, his decision to vote for former Vice President Joe Biden was in part because he remembered learning the term ‘political polarization’ in a recent college class. “Instead of there being a spectrum, we’re seeing two extremes. Even though I agree…
Several Filipino Americans vying for seats on the federal, state and local levels will advance to the general election in November following the March 3rd primary. For Texas’ 23rd Congressional District, Filipina American Gina Ortiz Jones secured the Democratic nomination with 66% of the votes on Tuesday night, March 3. In November, she will face…
Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders clinches win by wide margin LAS VEGAS — When Filipino American Roberto Lugar arrived at Desert Oasis High School on Saturday morning, February 22 to participate in the Nevada Democratic caucuses for the first time, he was deciding between the two leading female candidates, Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Amy Klobuchar…
Democratic presidential hopeful Pete Buttigieg released an extensive plan on Wednesday, February 26 addressing issues facing Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) populations, from disaggregating data to restoring the Filipino World War II Veterans Parole Program. The plan, “Belonging, Opportunity, Empowerment: An Agenda for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders,” covers the education, economic, health and…
After several legal battles, the Trump administration’s changes to the public charge rule that could deny legal permanent residency status to certain immigrants if they are likely to require government assistance in the future took effect on Monday, February 24. The public charge rule, originally published by the Department of Homeland Security in August 2019,…
FOR Filipina American registered nurse Mary Magtanong-Sigua, one of the hardest choices her patients face is whether to pay for their medical care or groceries. A registered nurse since 2004 working in Vallejo, California, she’s a proponent of Medicare For All — a contentious issue within Democratic presidential primary — that pushes for a single-payer,…
LAS VEGAS — Filipino American voters in Clark County turned out during the early voting period leading up to Nevada’s caucuses on Saturday, February 22. For the first time, Nevada — the third state to vote in the 2020 Democratic primary — has Tagalog as a language option for caucus materials, which reflects Filipinos being…
WITH the 2020 Nevada presidential caucuses this week, Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez weighed in on the lessons from the Iowa Caucus and how outreach to the Filipino American community both in the state and nationally is a key strategy for the party. Asian Journal (AJ): We last spoke to you in 2018 during…
LAS VEGAS — Bearing in-language campaign signs and chanting “Let’s Go Joe,” some 300 supporters flocked to a campaign event on Tuesday, February 18 for former Vice President and 2020 presidential hopeful Joe Biden as he made another appeal to Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) voters in the city. Ahead of the Nevada caucuses…
With California’s March 3 presidential primary election less than two weeks away, voting begins in Los Angeles County this weekend at centers with new state-of-the-art machines. The system will be rolled out at about 1,000 centers across the county when primary voting starts on Saturday, February 22 for the next 11 days through 8 p.m….
FOR many Filipinos globally, one way to proudly show their heritage is by wearing it on their sleeves, literally. This is the mission of Pinay designers like Lenora “Len” Luisa Cabili, who has been promoting Philippine culture through her international women’s clothing brand Filip+Inna. She was recently in San Francisco where her line was among…
It’s mid-morning on a recent Wednesday and the firefighters at Los Angeles County Fire Department Station 45 in Lakewood, California have returned to home base after conducting safety drills and inspections at the local mall. When they’re not responding to a 911 emergency, the nine-member fire team trains for possibilities beyond a fire, whether it’s…
With lung cancer as the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States, there is still a stigma around the disease that prevents patients, especially in the Asian American community, from receiving proper support. A report from the American Cancer Society in January said that the cancer death rate in the U.S. dropped 29%…
WITH the commercials, halftime show and the game itself, Super Bowl LIV this Sunday will provide much to watch and talk about. But not to miss are the suits the players will be wearing off the field as professional sports games have unexpectedly become sources of fashion inspiration. There’s one Filipina American designer behind most…
The United States Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration to proceed with enforcing changes to the public charge rule that could deny legal permanent residency status to certain immigrants if they are likely to require government assistance in the future. In a 5-4 vote on Monday, January 27, the conservative-leaning high court ruled in favor…
Community organizations in Los Angeles launched a collaborative campaign this week to encourage participation in the 2020 census as Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) risk being undercounted. Led by the Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council (A3PCON), the AAPI Census 2020 Collaborative consists of 21 organizations that serve 10 communities in over 20 languages,…
Democratic presidential hopeful Michael Bloomberg held campaign events in Los Angeles over the weekend, including a breakfast meeting with members of various Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities. In a roughly 40-minute appearance, the former New York mayor visited Paris Baguette in Koreatown on Saturday, January 18, where he addressed attendees and shared his…
FROM living and working in Milan and Los Angeles, Filipina American accessories designer Carol de Leon packed everything up in favor of Manila this past fall. A big question about her reverse migration that friends and industry colleagues have asked her is, ‘why?’ De Leon has worked as a shoe designer for brands in Italy…
The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) will now recognize October as Filipino Heritage and History Month, following a resolution passed by the district’s Board of Education this week. Sponsored by Filipina American Frances Suavillo, who is the student member on the board, the resolution declares “Filipino Heritage and History Month starting October of the…
THE city of Oxnard, California now has its first Filipino American police commander. Marc Amon, who has been with the Oxnard Police Department for the past 24 years, moved up the ranks on Saturday, January 11. He will be in charge of the East District of the city. He oversaw the department’s crime reduction unit…
LOS ANGELES — A Filipina American this week became the first woman of color to be promoted to the rank of full professor within the University of Southern California’s English department. Karen Tongson, who was been at the university’s Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences since 2005, announced the news on her Twitter account…
With the new year, most people see it as a fresh start and will make a list of resolutions, mainly centered on self-improvement. A common resolution revolves around being ‘healthier,’ whether that means a more active lifestyle, eating better or losing weight. In the weeks following, many tend to report that they have not stuck…
Following the last Democratic primary debate of 2019, South Bend, Indiana Mayor and presidential hopeful Pete Buttigieg made his way to Las Vegas for another town hall with members of the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. The conversation — moderated by Assemblywoman Rochelle Nguyen and One APIA Nevada board chair Evan Louie on…
LOS ANGELES — Climate change, U.S.-China relations, campaign donations, college affordability and of course, the impeachment of President Donald Trump which took place the day before, were among the topics tackled in the sixth Democratic primary debate on Thursday night, December 19. Hosted by PBS NewsHour/POLITICO at Loyola Marymount University, former Vice President Joe Biden,…
