[COLUMN] Money and the simple life
There are no shortcuts in arriving at a decision to live a simple life. Sometimes, one has to go through a personal hell experiencing an inner fatigue and helplessness over the never-ending chase for the almighty dollar and quality of life in order to come to a conclusion that there has to be a better…
[COLUMN] Reinstatement for surviving beneficiaries of an i-130 petition filed by a deceased relative
Dear Attorney Tan, My U.S. Citizen mother filed an I-130 immigrant petition on my behalf, which has a priority date in February 2000 and which has been approved. She filed the I-130 petition after I came to the U.S. in 1999 as a tourist from the Philippines. Since my arrival, I have lived in the…
What millions of new citizens could mean for the next election cycle
(Ed. Note: A report from the National Partnership for New Americans shows there were 5.19 million newly minted U.S. citizens between 2016 and 2020. That figure represents a significant and, in key battleground states, potentially decisive voting bloc. Raymond Partolan is the National Field Director for APIAVote, one of the groups behind the report. He…
[COLUMN] Protecting employee-applicants’ right to privacy
Q: I am new to applying for jobs so I am not very familiar with my rights as an employee-applicant. Some employers require me to fill out a simple application and submit to a drug test. There are employers, though, who tell me that I also need to give them authorization to get a consumer…
[COLUMN] The Eucharist: Christ’s ongoing presence in the world
One day while I was celebrating a weekday Mass, I asked myself, “If a time comes when there will only be one or two people attending Mass regularly, should I continue offering it? My answer was an absolute YES! I would keep celebrating Mass daily even if there is only one or no one attending…
[COLUMN] Credit card debt problems: Is bankruptcy the answer?
If you are up to your eyeballs in credit card debt and have no way of paying back what you have borrowed, a lot of things may be going through your mind at the moment. Maybe you’ve heard of bankruptcy and how it may help you obtain a fresh financial start, but you think that…
[COLUMN] Exempt property vs. property not part of the bankruptcy estate
FILING a bankruptcy case creates a “bankruptcy estate.” The estate becomes the legal owner of all of the debtor’s property while the bankruptcy is going on. What does the estate consist of? It consists of all legal or equitable interests of the debtor in property as of the commencement of the case. This includes property…
Oscar-winning artist H.E.R. to make history as Belle in ABC’s ‘Beauty and the Beast’ live-action special
R&B sensation H.E.R. continues to break barriers and make history while showcasing her versatile talent. On Wednesday, July 20, ABC announced that the Filipina and Black American singer will star as Belle in the channel’s live-action, one-night celebration of the 1991 animated Disney adaptation of “Beauty and the Beast” later this year. “I can’t believe…
Former PH team decathlete faces up to 40 years in prison for $28.4-M cannabis-related scam
A former UCLA decathlete who once represented the Philippine national team this week pleaded guilty to fraud charges of falsely raising at least $28.4 million in a fake weed pen business from investors. David Bunevacz, a 53-year-old serial grifter based in Calabasas, California, pleaded guilty on Monday, July 18 to one count of securities fraud…
[COLUMN] Parent’s right to change child’s residence to another state in custody cases
Parents that are going through divorce and legal separation sometimes have to make a decision to move out of state for various reasons. It may be because their family network is in another state. This decision often have a significant impact on the visitation of the other parent because it would be more difficult for…
[COLUMN] SB19 makes it to Teen Vogue list
PINOY pop (P-pop) group SB19 made it to the all-time favorite boy bands list compiled by Teen Vogue that came out this month. In the article written by De Elizabeth for the magazine, SB19 is described as: “Josh, Pablo, Stell, Ken, and Justin are the five members of the Filipino boy band known as SB19. They…
[COLUMN] Lola’s wrong advice resulted in many years of family separation, this Sunday on Citizen Pinoy
MIKE missed the chance to bring his kids to the U.S. due to wrong advice from his well-meaning mother. Mike was petitioned as single by his mother, but she told him not to bring his children along, since their birth certificates had a date of marriage listed. Many erroneously assume that a date of marriage…
Tourism Chief takes “Listening Tours” to Luzon
Clark, Pampanga — As part of her nationwide listening tours, Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco travelled to Clark, Pampanga on Thursday, July 21 to engage in back-to-back dialogues with all heads of Department of Tourism (DOT) regional offices and key tourism stakeholders based in Luzon, completing the first leg of listening tours for all DOT…
Filipino American breakout actor Brandon Perea makes feature film debut in ‘Nope’
THE most anticipated film of the summer is, undoubtedly, “Nope,” the latest offering from Academy Award-winning writer and director Jordan Peele that promises a new take on the classic extraterrestrial blockbuster. And just like his previous feature endeavors, “Nope” promises suspense and horror with a signature Peele smattering of thought-provoking commentary on the zeitgeist that…
Boracay, Palawan and Cebu hailed as world’s best islands
DOT celebrates back-to-back accolades for PH destinations THE Philippine Department of Tourism (DOT) applauded the naming of the country’s three island destinations among “The 25 Best Islands in the World” of the New York-based travel magazine Travel + Leisure (T+L). Boracay Island — featuring its postcard perfect sunset — ranked 9th in the T+L World’s…
Fil-Am community converges in Cerritos for Philippine-American Friendship Day
CERRITOS, Calif. — The Filipino American community of Southern California recently came together at the Don Knabe Community Regional Park for the Philippine-American Friendship Day hosted by the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA)-Greater Los Angeles. This year’s celebration theme, “Together We Rise. The Time Is Now,” is a fitting tribute to the accomplishments…
Boost now or wait? Many wonder how best to ride out COVID’s next wave
By Sam Whitehead and Arthur Allen/Kaiser Health News Gwyneth Paige didn’t want to get vaccinated against covid-19 at first. With her health issues — hypertension, fibromyalgia, asthma — she wanted to see how other people fared after the shots. Then her mother got colon cancer. “At that point, I didn’t care if the vaccine killed…
[COLUMN] The 80/20 Rule
Eighty percent of things don’t matter; twenty percent do. That is essentially the Pareto Principle. Vilfredo Pareto, an Italian sociologist in the late nineteenth century, introduced the concept of the 80/20 rule. It states that in any given group, only 20 percent will constitute what is important and the remaining 80 percent will be trivial….
Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Los Angeles changes name to Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California
Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Los Angeles (Advancing Justice-LA), the nation’s largest civil rights and legal services organization announced its official name change to Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California (AJSOCAL). With offices in Los Angeles and Orange Counties, the organization is making this change to reflect its unified presence and service in both counties. While AJSOCAL’s…
FABAG-GLAC celebrates ‘Philippine-American Friendship Day’
GLENDALE, CA — The Filipino-American Business Association of Glendale, Greater Los Angeles County (FABAG-GLAC), in partnership with Glendale YMCA, celebrated “Philippine- American Friendship Day” with Installation of Officers and a Luau Party on Saturday, July 16, 2022 at Glendale YMCA. Highlight of the successful event was the Installation of 2022-23 FABAG-GLAC Officers namely: President: Jo…
Flash flood season is here in Southern Nevada. Are you prepared?
By Patranya Bhoolsuwan Even though we are known to be a desert oasis, flash floods are actually common in Southern Nevada. “Monsoon” or “Flash Flood” season runs from July through the end of September and it is sometimes characterized by sudden and highly localized rainstorms. This can lead to very dangerous and even deadly situations….
Pechanga Resort Casino racks up four more AAA awards for 2022
Awards include two Four Diamond distinctions and two Best of nods THE hit parade keeps rolling for Pechanga Resort Casino as it adds two new AAA Four Diamond Awards for 2022. This is the 21st consecutive year the 1,100-room luxury resort/casino has been awarded this honor, and the 11th year for the resort’s signature restaurant,…
‘Asian Persuasion’: An Ode to Culture and A Love Letter to NYC
Here’s one film to watch out for when it is shown next year. “Asian Persuasion,” Tony & Grammy Award-winning producer Jhett Tolentino’s directorial debut, wrapped up production in May and immediately went to post-production last month. The team also launched a crowdfunding campaign to help recover funds lost during a 12-day pause due to COVID….