[ESSAY] Takao Ozawa and Bhagat Singh Thind: Asian Americans’ role in revealing the implicit ambiguity of ‘whiteness’
Editor’s note: Once a year, an essay competition is held at Cal State University, Northridge, amongst Asian American Studies and Education majors, as part of an endowment set up by the columnist, Prosy Abarquez-Delacruz, for her deceased mother, Asuncion Castro Abarquez and her deceased sister, Rosalinda Abarquez Alcantara to provide a scholarship grant to deserving students. The essays are vetted…
LA County could revive indoor mask mandate by end of July
WITH summer in full swing, Los Angeles County officials are warning residents to continue to practice COVID-19 safety measures — or else the indoor mask-wearing mandate could be reinstated by the end of July. LA County is reportedly on track to reach “high” COVID-19 activity level as hospitalizations related to the virus are continuing to…
Vaccine and testing delays for monkeypox echo failures in early COVID-19 response
By Michelle Andrews/Kaiser Health News Andy Stone is one of the lucky ones. The New York City resident saw a tweet from a local AIDS activist saying that monkeypox vaccines would be available that day at a clinic in Manhattan. Stone, 35, and his husband booked appointments online right away and got their shots last month….
Gun safety ‘wrapped in a mental health bill’: A look at health provisions in the new law
By Victoria Knight/Kaiser Health News The gun safety law forged through tense bipartisan talks in the Senate last month has been heralded as the first federal legislation in 30 years to combat rising gun violence. But what often falls below the radar is the new law’s focus on improving mental health services. News coverage has…
[COLUMN] Reporting on possible employer misconduct is protected by whistleblowing law
Charles Erhart worked as an internal auditor for BofI Federal Bank in San Diego, California. The Bank is a federally chartered savings and loan association and its holding company is publicly traded (i.e. under SEC oversight). It provides financing for residential properties and small- to-medium size businesses. It also purchases “specialty finance receivables,” such as…
[COLUMN] Debt problems: You can’t change the past, only the future
ARE you currently struggling with debt problems and don’t know what to do? To most people, finding themselves in that situation is pretty scary. They constantly worry about their finances and wonder whether they will ever be able to get out of the financial mess that is causing them a lot of stress. But what…
[COLUMN] Five benefits of establishing a revocable living trust
THERE is never the perfect time to think about who you would like to inherit from your estate in case you pass away or at least who among your closest friends (BFFs) and family members are even deserving of inheriting from your estate. In doing so, you should also think about which vehicle you plan…
[COLUMN] Retiring senior needs bankruptcy relief for $45K credit cards
THE husband is 65 and has just handed in his application for retirement from his job. He makes a gross of $5,000 a month with overtime. Upon retirement, he will net about $3,700 as pension. That’s not bad at all. In fact, that’s a lot better than social security benefits. If it were social security,…
[COLUMN] K-1 fiancé(e) visa: Getting your significant other to the United States
Several options exist for a U.S. citizen to bring his/her foreign-national fiancé(e) to the United States. One popular option is to marry the fiancé(e) in the country in which he/she resides, and file an I-130 immigrant petition, with the fiancé(e) to undergo consular processing for an immigrant visa when the I-130 petition is approved. However,…
Mia Manansala set to release her third ‘cozy’ mystery ‘Blackmail and Bibingka’
Book coach and author Mia Manansala burst into the literary scene last year with her smash debut Arsenic and Adobo, which would turn out to be the first installment of a quirky and fun series steeped in rich Filipino heritage and spiced with a generous helping of delicious Filipino food. She made it a quick one-two punch in…
[COLUMN] Ruru Madrid happy about ‘Lolong’ TV series high rating
RURU Madrid, who finished as one of the runners-up in the “Protégé: The Battle for the Big Artista Break” reality series on GMA Network, is extremely happy that viewers tuned in and watched the pilot episode of his adventure series “Lolong.” According to a story on PEP.ph, even Ruru’s co-star in the series, veteran actor…
Presidential Awardee Laura Garcia: ‘I like to serve, and sometimes give a little bit more’
By Marivir R. Montebon After a grueling day at school, Dr. Laura Garcia, a nurse educator, recharged herself through a short nap and had the energy to answer my interview questions in the wee hours of the night. She is a woman of accomplishments and of many titles in com-munity organizations in the Big Apple….
Filipino Food Month kicks off in Oregon with ‘six-hands’ dinner
PORTLAND, OR – The Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco, through its attached agencies, the Department of Tourism Office in San Francisco (PDOT-SF) and the Philippine Trade and Investment Center in Silicon Valley, launched the Filipino Food Month celebration in Oregon on June 27, 2022. Filipino American chef Carlo Lamagna prepared a six-hands dinner at Magna restaurant…
[COLUMN] Lifetime ban for admitting drug use lifted, this Sunday, July 10 on Citizen Pinoy
RONALD was petitioned as Joyce’s fiancé in 2006. While the K-1 petition was approved, his visa was denied after Ronald admitted to the doctors at St. Luke’s that he tried drugs many years ago. Because of that admission, he was banned for life. In 2008, Joyce and Ronald got married, hoping that this would get…
Filipino American pens new nostalgic memoir
A NEW book written by a Filipino American has just been released and is now available online. “The Road to Cabalitian,” penned by Rodolfo I. Necesito of Stockton, California, is a nostalgic memoir that captures the events that framed the life of a young boy growing up in a bucolic village in post-World War II…
Summer promotions at Graton Casino are in full swing
ROHNERT PARK – The summer breeze is blowing your way. Come to the all-round leisure and entertainment destination, Graton Resort & Casino, to win good fortune all summer long! On the last Friday of July there is the Big Ford Truck Giveaway, guaranteed to give out a Ford F-150 at 10 p.m. and cash prize…
Fil-Ams sound off on Marcos’ return to power
WHILE newly sworn-in Philippine President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has full backing from his supporters here in the U.S., some Filipino Americans have expressed doubt in his ability to fulfill his promises of reshaping the country’s future in the next six years. Upon his inauguration last June 30, Marcos, who is fondly called BBM by…
Former LA Consul General Adelio Cruz named chief of presidential protocol
ADELIO Angelito Cruz, a career diplomat whose previous role includes Philippine Consul General in Los Angeles, has a new post as the protocol chief in the Marcos administration. Cruz, who served as the former Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary after his assignment in LA, was recently sworn in as the chief of presidential protocol. He will…
Older adults still at high risk for COVID-19
By Mark Hedin/Ethnic Media Services “You might be done with COVID, but COVID is not done with you.” So said Denny Chan, directing attorney with Justice in Aging, at a press briefing co-hosted by the California Department of Aging on June 29 to address the high risks older adults still face from COVID-19 and what steps will protect them. Joining Chan…
Asian Americans call for multi-racial solidarity at first-ever unity march
By Sunita Sohrabji/Ethnic Media Services WASHINGTON DC — Approximately 15,000 people gathered June 25 at the National Mall here for the first-ever Unity March, organized to draw attention to the dramatic spike in hate crimes against the Asian American Pacific Islander Community. The enthusiastic young crowds gathered against the backdrop of the Capitol Building in…
[COLUMN] Luck and making a living
Unless you were born with a golden spoon in your mouth, one of the crucial choices that anyone makes is how to make a living in the world. Will he choose a career in government service or work in the private sector? Should he go into business? Should he pursue the arts? An accurate assessment…
Parents encouraged to keep children up-to-date on COVID-19 vaccinations
LOS Angeles County officials are reminding parents to get their children vaccinated against COVID-19 as the virus continues to affect individuals under 18. To date, there have been 91,935 children under the age of 5, 260,389 children ages 5 to 11, and 255,187 children ages 12 to 17 confirmed with COVID-19. While most children experience…
AG Bonta: Anti-Asian hate incidents jumped 177.5% in California
AMID the rise in anti-Asian hate and discrimination across the United States, California reported a 177.5% increase in anti-Asian hate incidents from 2020 to 2022, according to Attorney General Rob Bonta. On Tuesday, June 28, Bonta’s office released the 2021 Hate Crime in California report which found a sharp increase in hate crimes — defined…