Covering the week’s most noteworthy news stories impacting the lives of the Filipino-American community in the State of California.
IN additional to the top of the ticket presidential race and local offices, California voters cast their votes for a dozen propositions during the 2020 election. Here’s how the 12 measures faired on Election Day, November 3. Prop 14 — Stem Cell Research Institute Bond Initiative (YES) This ballot measure would send $5.5 billion in…
Calls for California’s corporations to do their share in protecting workers and communities SAN FRANCISCO — On Monday, October 19, Asian American and Pacific Islander labor and community leaders spoke alongside gig workers at a virtual press conference to urge California voters to protect workers and invest in our communities by voting No on Proposition…
Ang mga respiratory risks sa mga panahong ito ay nagmu-multiply before our eyes. Ang Coronavirus ay patuloy na kumakalat at nagpapasakit ng libo-libo – oo, kahit na mga teenagers.1 2 At ang mga wildfires sa taong ito ay naging cause ng matinding pollution.3 Mahalagang tandaan, more than ever, na vaping can weaken lung function. In…
Though the presidential race is always the primary focus of every general election, it is only one of at least two dozen items that appear on the big ballot every four years. This is the time of the election cycle when everybody from elected officials to celebrities are urging voters to complete their civic duty…
INDIVIDUALS itching to visit a theme park in California will still have to wait as the coronavirus pandemic continues. State health officials on Tuesday, October 20 issued new reopening criteria for theme parks to meet. Under the guidelines, Disneyland, Universal Studios Hollywood and other destinations can’t welcome visitors until the county they are in reaches…
The deadline to register to vote in California is Monday, October 19, 2020. To be eligible to vote, a person must be a citizen of the United States, be at least 18 years old by Election Day (November 3, 2020) and not in prison or on parole for a felony. Registered voters who have moved…
AS COVID-19 continues to be a threat for Californians, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is advising communities to find alternative and safer ways to celebrate Halloween. The safest way to celebrate Halloween is to spend time with people in the same household or to celebrate virtually. Some specific alternatives that are low risk…
Filgrimage starts streaming on iWant TFC, TheFilipinoSchool.com, myxTV, and other TFC platforms in time for Filipino American History Month SAN FRANCISCO – The series trailer for Filgrimage opens with a local saying, “Welcome to the Philippines!” The excitement and eagerness of the young travelers reflect the tone of the journey ahead of them: exhilarating sights, a cacophony of sounds,…
SACRAMENTO – Covered California for Small Business unveiled the health plan choices and rates for small-business employers and their employees for the upcoming 2021 plan year. The statewide weighted average rate change will be 1.5 percent, which represents the lowest annual increase in the program’s seven-year history, and is significantly lower than national projected increases…
IN an unexpected move, California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday, Sept. 30 vetoed a bill that would have required ethnic studies to be taught in all high schools. Earlier this year, the California Legislature passed Assembly Bill 331, which would require public high school students to take an ethnic studies course in order to graduate….
by Sunita Sohrabji / Ethnic Media Services DESPITE overwhelming support for affirmative action, a large percentage of Asian Americans in California remain undecided on Proposition 16, a Nov. 3 ballot measure that would reinstate affirmative action in education, government hiring, and public contracting. The measure is sputtering with voters in the state: a poll released…
AS the deadline to respond to the 2020 Census approaches on Wednesday, September 30, Filipino American community leaders are making a final push to ensure that Fil-Ams are all counted across California. Census partnership specialists and community-based organizations are staking out in front of supermarkets and other high foot traffic locations to remind members to…
Cristina de Jesus, an educator of nearly three decades, has been elected the board chair of the California Charter Schools Association, the organization announced this week. The association advocates for non-profit charter schools that can help California students prepare for college and life afterward. “I am honored and humbled for the vote of confidence by…
NAIL salons in California will be allowed to open, regardless of the tier the county is in on the state’s reopening roadmap, according to State Health Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly. During the press briefing on Tuesday, September 22, the secretary said even with the state’s permission, it would be up to individual counties to have…
Preference for in-person voting drops amid COVID-19 As the presidential election looms just over a month away, the likelihood that the coronavirus pandemic will be gone in time for voters to hit the polls becomes more of a stark impossibility. Voting by mail is poised to be the more primary option for voters across the…
A number of California mayors are among a coalition of at least 25 city mayors across the U.S. who are pushing to roll out guaranteed income programs for low-income individuals in their cities. Led by Stockton, California Mayor Michael Tubbs, the Mayors for a Guaranteed Income (MGI) program was launched in June with the goal…
WITH less than two months until the November 3 general election, California’s Secretary of State is assuring voters that casting their ballots during the pandemic will be secure and safe. “This is an unprecedented year between the political climate we find ourselves in and the COVID-19 pandemic,” Secretary of State Alex Padilla said in a…
Recent fires, heatwave may have hindered testing, leading to lower positivity rates As California faces a trio of disasters — wildfires, dangerous air quality and, of course, a global pandemic — this week’s statewide briefings provided a silver lining. As of Tuesday, Sept. 15, the COVID-19 test positivity rate in the Golden State is 3.5%,…
Prop 16, a measure that seeks to reverse statewide ban on affirmative action, will appear on November ballot California is historically one of the most diverse states in the country. Despite its deep roots in the Latino, Asian, Black and Indigenous cultures, diversity is also one of the most politicized and contentious topics in the…
In an effort to prevent a “twindemic” of COVID-19 and seasonal influenza, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is urging Californians to get vaccinated against the flu now to protect yourself and your loved ones. “Flu will be hitting your community soon, and in the midst of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in California, getting…
THE University of California (UC) system will no longer be able to use SAT and ACT scores in evaluating its applicants for undergraduate admissions or scholarships, a superior court judge ruled this week. The ruling on Monday, August 31 comes long after critics of the tests claimed they inadvertently favored students from wealthier families over…
By Caroline Aoyagi-Stom / Energized by Edison Editor On the heels of a record-breaking, week-long heat wave, SoCal residents will need to brace for more high temperatures this weekend and early next week in time for the Labor Day holiday. The California Independent System Operator has issued a Flex Alert for this Saturday, September 5…
COMMUNITIES across California are still urged to fill out their 2020 U.S. Census forms as the deadline approaches at the end of September. The decennial count, which can be done by phone, online or mail, enumerates where individuals live as of April 1. “Fundamentally, our message is clear: time is running out to make an impact on…
Hair salons and barbershops allowed to reopen indoors starting Monday California Governor Gavin Newsom said on Friday, August 28 that California would be modifying how the state determines which counties can reopen. Moving away from the previous “watchlist” system, Newsom revealed California’s “Blueprint for a Safer Economy,” which he described as “more stringent” and “steady.”…
This election, California voters will be voting on a ballot measure that, if passed, would repeal a 1996 bill that prohibits affirmative action. Known as the California Civil Rights Initiative, Prop 209 prohibited state-sanctioned institutions, like the University of California system, from considering race, sex, ethnicity in the areas of hiring, public education admission and…
AB 1460 overrules similar requirement set by CSU Board of Trustees California Governor Gavin Newsom recently signed a bill that requires undergraduate students of the California State University (CSU) system — the largest public university system in the United States — to take an ethnic studies course to graduate. Students who will be graduating in…
Next Webinar on Sept. 29 Explores Adding Diversity to Corporate Boards SACRAMENTO – If there was any question about the interest women have in learning how to land a seat on traditionally male-dominated boards that govern public companies headquartered in California, the August 13 webinar cohosted by California Treasurer Fiona Ma answered it. More than six-hundred women…
Two Filipino caregivers who were trafficked share their stories and urge all Filipinos to support anti-trafficking legislation Like thousands of Filipinos, Angela Guanzon was attracted to the promise of America. So when she got the opportunity to find gainful employment through a recruiter, she didn’t ask any questions. It’s notoriously difficult to uproot and the…
Prop 16 would repeal ban on using race and ethnicity in college admissions Even amidst a global pandemic, racial justice has remained a key issue for voters. As California gears up for the upcoming November elections, one proposition on the state’s ballot looks at whether race and ethnicity should play a factor in public employment,…
California judge denies motions to delay injunction A California judge on Thursday, August 13 denied motions by Uber and Lyft to extend a deadline to appeal a preliminary injunction that ordered the companies to classify their drivers in the state as employees. At a hearing at the San Francisco Superior Court, Judge Ethan Schulman denied…
