In honor of Filipino American History Month (FAHM), which was first recognized by the U.S. Congress in 2009, two leading Filipina-founded brands and three Filipina-led Los Angeles restaurants are coming together to make the month-long celebration a bit sweeter! Los Angeles-based and Filipina-owned brands Spread The Love® and Coolhaus have teamed up on a special…
AS the world looks to discover new stories for media consumption, Diwata Komiks (simply the English word “comics,” adapted to fit native Filipino languages) launches with a premiere slate of titles spearheaded by its cross-cultural supernatural thriller, “Carmina: A Filipino-American Urban Mythology™” which tells the story of a troubled biracial young woman living in a…
THE U.S. Census Bureau continues to release information from the 2020 Census in order to provide rich information about the changing population of the United States. From the apportionment counts data in April to the redistricting data in August, each data set from the 2020 Census has progressively unveiled insights about the Asian American community….
New measures don’t apply to US arrivals THE Philippines has updated its roster of “red, yellow, and green” countries and jurisdictions following its decision to ease the quarantine protocols for arriving travelers, according to Malacañang. Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque on Friday, October 15, said that the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious…
LOS Angeles-based runway models and event organizers gather for a grand photo-op during final final rehearsals for “Ani” (Harvest), a cultural fashion show, slated Oct 16, 2021 at 11455 Burbank Boulevard, North Hollywood. “Ani”, which will serve as the highlight of a special celebration by the Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles led by Consul…
By Mark Hedin/Ethnic Media Services TWO members of California’s Citizens Redistricting Commission joined a press briefing hosted by Ethnic Media Services on Oct. 11 to discuss the process of drawing new political boundaries for the next decade. Sara Sadhwani, chair of the commission, and colleague Linda Akutagawa joined Paul Mitchell, a national expert on redistricting…
THE annual “Balikatan” military exercises between the Philippines and the United States will be back in full scale in 2022. Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Gen. Jose Faustino Jr. on Thursday, October 14, made the announcement after the 2021 Mutual Defense Board and Security Engagement Board (MDB-SEB) meeting in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City….
WHEN the virus makes your income disappear overnight, it can be very frightening to realize that you can’t go very long without it because your bills don’t stop just because your income did. No one ever wants to file bankruptcy. But if you are one of the millions laid off and don’t even know whether…
THE client is 72. He still works his normal job and makes about $3K a month. He also receives social security of $1K. So, his total income right now is $4K. He tells me that he is tired of working. His wife doesn’t want him to work anymore. His wife retired ahead of him at…
Biden tax plan series WHAT Is a Gift Tax? Gift tax is a federal tax applied to an individual giving anything of value to another person. The donor must report the gift on a tax return and pay the gift tax. Normally, the recipient doesn’t have to report the gift. In summary: Gift tax is…
FOR anyone who is out of status, one of their biggest fears is an immigration raid at their workplace. We have all seen news reports of immigration raids at carwashes, restaurants, factories, processing plants, etc., where workers are rounded up, and if out of status, are handcuffed, and taken away in vans for deportation/removal. During…
MANY people are of the perception that simply downloading a prenuptial agreement from the internet and signing it with their fiance offers them a bullet proof protection from a divorce. What many people do not know is that certain statutory requirements must be met in order for the prenuptial agreement to be valid and to…
DEAR Attorney Tan, I recently married a US Citizen, who is my second husband. He has filed an immigrant visa petition and green card application for me. My husband recently received from USCIS a Notice of Intent to Deny the petition that he filed on my behalf. The Notice indicated that the immigrant visa petition…
FILIPINO American labor activist Larry Itliong is among the six notable individuals posthumously inducted into the California Hall of Fame. California Gov. Gavin Newsom and First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom on Tuesday, October 12, announced the honorees for the California Hall of Fame 14th class through a webcast streamed by the California Museum. “Sometimes the…
As Filipino American History Month is underway, community members are marking the month-long occasion with festivals and tributes to the community’s contributions to the United States. For one ice cream brand in Southern California, this month means unveiling flavors inspired by beloved Filipino ingredients and desserts. Wanderlust Creamery, which operates five brick-and-mortar locations in Los…
“My life is a duality. I am proud of my Iranian heritage and I am also a proud American.” For 33-year-old Nadia Hojjat, the combination of her personal background and professional passion makes her a unique asset to the Las Vegas Judicial community. For the past 10 years, she has worked in the Clark County…
THE 6th annual POW! WOW! Long Beach made its long awaited return featuring artists from all over the globe who showcased their art throughout the city. The weeklong outdoor mural festival, held from September 28-October 5, had the theme “Rise Play Repeat,” and was kicked off with a press event gathering city and community leaders….
ROHNERT PARK, CA – Graton Resort & Casino is participating in several local events to support the Asian communities while welcoming guests to experience its Four Diamond quality standard casino and resort. Graton is joining the Chinese Hospital to raise funds to support needs represented by the $35 million Momentum Fund. The funds will also…
Thousands of fans made a beeline to the convention center to attend the four-day extravaganza for fans of pop culture. Event organizers made sure health and safety protocols were followed. Outside the Hudson Yards subway exit, tables were set up on a vacant lot where attendees had to show proof of vaccination and were issued…
SAN Francisco this week is set to relax mask requirements for certain indoor settings where stable groups of fully vaccinated people gather. Mayor London N. Breed and the San Francisco Department of Public Health (DPH) announced that so long as case and hospitalization rates remain stable or decline, indoor masking requirements will be lifted on October…
‘Lizard Boy’ to premiere at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley “From the ashes of Mount St. Helens emerged a monster with mysterious powers—powers that changed one boy’s life forever. Freak or hero? Trevor is about to find out with a little help from Mr. Right. Join triple-threat Seattle artist Justin Huertas and friends for one fateful night…
FACILITY-BASED quarantine will no longer be mandatory for fully-vaccinated inbound Filipino and foreign travelers from certain countries starting October 14, according to Malacañang. Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque on Wednesday, Oct. 13, announced that the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) updated its rules for travelers qualified for “green lanes.” According…
FILIPINA Alexandra Faith Garcia has added herself to the list of international beauty queens from the Philippines. The Olongapo native was recently crowned Miss Aura International 2021, beating 30 other contestants. In doing so, she became the first Filipina to win the title since the pageant started 16 years ago (it was formerly known as…
Marjun (right) missed the opportunity to join his father, Marcelo Sr. (left), and siblings in the U.S. in 1996 because his name was missing from the list of accompanying family members on his father’s petition. Because his parents did not know what to do, Marjun was left behind. His mother (2nd from left) finally petitioned…
WHAT is reflux heartburns? Reflux Heartburns is a milder stage of Reflux Esophagitis, which is an inflammatory condition where hydrocholoric acid, normally produced by the stomach to aid in the digestion of food, regurgitates (goes back up) to the lower end of the esophagus (food pipe) which is connected to the stomach. In majority cases…
LEADING Asian grocery chain 99 Ranch Market recently opened its new store in Fremont, CA on Wednesday, October 6. The grand opening, which was a huge hit in the Fremont community, was marked with special deals and giveaways (goodie bags) to the first 200 customers. The grocery chain continued its goodie bag promotions in the following…
