Governor Andrew Cuomo announced on Monday, May 17 the lifting of mask requirements in most public spaces for people vaccinated against COVID-19 in the state. The decision was reached after New York health officials reviewed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s new and updated guidance. In New Jersey, Governor Phil Murphy said he would…
The U.S. House of Representatives this week passed the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, legislation to address anti-Asian hate crimes that have risen since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Introduced by Rep. Grace Meng (D-N.Y.) and Senator Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), the bill passed in the lower chamber on Tuesday, May 18 in a 364-62 vote,…
Jimmy from Fyffe, Alabama is worried for his parents due to COVID, and would like to know if they can come to the U.S. using their multiple-entry tourist visas then adjust status in the U.S. once they arrive. Christian from Antioch, California asks if his friend, who is a green card holder, can still return…
ON May 14, 2021, President Biden revoked former President Trump’s proclamation of October 4, 2019, which would have barred the entry of immigrants unless they could prove they already had health insurance, could secure health insurance within 30 days of entry or had the financial capacity to cover their healthcare costs. I have already posted…
Stacie Gancayco-Adlao, a Filipina American filmmaker and actor, just scored the biggest win of her career so far. Her coming-of-age drama feature, ‘Clementine,’ won the Final Draft Big Break Grand Prize Feature. It is also an Athena Film Festival Screenwriting Lab Finalist, and Austin Film Festival Second Rounder. Final Draft received over 10,000 submissions from…
MALIA Vella, the current vice mayor of Alameda, California, is vying to be the first Filipina American elected to the state Legislature. A workers’ rights attorney and adjunct professor of practice at Mills College, Vella is now running in the special election for the 18th Assembly District seat, which became vacant after Rob Bonta assumed…
POPULAR acts Black Eyed Peas and Saweetie will be performing during a special event that will celebrate and support the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. “See Us Unite for Change,” set to air on Friday, May 21, will feature comedy and musical performances, speakers and short films, with appearances from various AAPI industry…
After establishing himself as a credible heartthrob for rom-coms, Henry Golding has embarked on a more adventurous role as he turns into an action star in his latest film Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins. In this reboot, Golding plays the lead role of a skilled martial artist recruited by a Japanese clan called the Arashikage…
From stay-at-home mom to Yamashiro’s first female executive chef UP until four years ago, Vallerie Castillo Archer was a stay-at-home mom of three, but had a burning desire to do something food-related. Following her formal culinary education, Archer landed her first job in 2019 in the industry at Yamashiro, the historic Hollywood Hills landmark that…
AWARD-WINNING actor John Lloyd Cruz, who has confirmed that he and Bea Alonzo will star in a forthcoming film, has a new outlook in life, courtesy of his son Elias. In an article in PEP.ph, Cruz revealed that it is his son who gives him the motivation to wake up and go to work. “My…
CALIFORNIA Gov. Gavin Newsom will include Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) support services in his California Comeback Plan following the rise in anti-Asian hate crimes over the past year. The $100 billion plan will allocate $5 million for research, conducting hate prevention activities, and approving grants at the UCLA Asian American Studies Center. Meanwhile,…
MORE than three million COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered in the Philippines, according to an official. National Task Force (NTF) Against COVID-19 Chief Implementer Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. on Tuesday, May 18, said that the country has utilized a total of 3,114,847 doses since March 1. Meanwhile, NTF Against COVID-19 Deputy Chief Implementer and…
Photo by Pam Menegakis on Unsplash Nurses’ union denounces CDC, state guidance Despite the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announcement last week that face masks are no longer necessary for fully vaccinated individuals, California says it will not lift its mask mandate until June 15, the state’s targeted re-opening date. After the CDC’s…
AROUND 39 million families across the United States will receive the first monthly payment of the expanded Child Tax Credit (CTC) from the American Rescue Plan on July 15. The credit, which will cover 88% of children, will be sent as monthly payments without any further action required by the families, the Internal Revenue Service and…
FROM using a cane as a self-defense weapon to how to escape while in a headlock — these are some of the tips community members learned during a recent workshop in Carson, California. The “Defend Our Elders” event at Carson Park featured a live demonstration from Filipina American martial artist Diana Lee Inosanto (“The Mandalorian”)…
By Carmen Heredia Rodriguez/Kaiser Health News Q: THE federal government approved the Pfizer vaccine for 12- to 15-year-olds. What does this mean for my child? Extending the emergency use of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to preteens and young adolescents adds nearly 17 million more Americans to the pool of those eligible to be immunized against COVID-19,…
PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte has assured the public that the country will not abandon its claims in the West Philippine Sea. In a statement read by presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, Duterte maintained that his position in the West Philippine Sea will not waver. “Our principal position and stand on the West Philippine Sea remains. I…
KABABAYANS who chose to uproot themselves from the Motherland share one aspiration: to give ourselves and our family life opportunities that have increasingly become scarce in the Philippines. This is especially true, not just in job and career opportunities, but more so in the quality of life the United States has been offering us and…
A Kickstarter campaign has been launched to support a documentary that explores the history and humanity of Filipino nurses in the United States risking their lives on the frontlines of a global health crisis. “Nurse Unseen,” directed and produced by Filipina American filmmaker Michele Josue, dives into why troves of Filipino nurses left the Philippines…
By Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes WHETHER one identifies as Asian Pacific American, Asian American Pacific Islander, some subset of those categories or, like me, all of the above, May is a month where we celebrate the national contributions of a diverse group representing over fifty ethnic minority peoples and the fastest-growing minority demographic in…
ARE you seriously in debt and don’t know what to do about your situation? Are you afraid that unless you do something about it, thing will just continue to get worse every day? When people are going through financial difficulty and are unable to pay their bills, their first reaction is often to ignore their…
WHEN, and not if, this blasted pandemic finally leaves without a trace, what are your plans? Here’s a thought. How about playing tourist in your own native land? Get out of the city and really look with fresh eyes at the countryside. Let it not be said that aliens and other strangers saw something worthwhile…
Newly formed non-profit RE:Her announced a COVID-19 relief grant program, sponsored by DoorDash, to help women-owned restaurants in Los Angeles. This initiative builds on the organization’s January 2021 event called 10 Days RE:Her. RE:Her will distribute 15 cash grants of $10,000 each to female-identifying food and beverage entrepreneurs in LA County, which recipients can use to…
Vice President of the United States Kamala Harris, the nation’s first Asian American and woman vice president, will deliver the keynote address for the first-ever virtual AAPI Unity Summit hosted by the AAPI Victory Alliance on Wednesday, May 19. The virtual summit will begin at 3 p.m. PST/ 6 p.m. EST. Joining former Secretary of…
MISS Universe Philippines Rabiya Mateo has concluded her pageant journey after finishing as a semifinalist at the competition’s Top 21. Mateo failed to enter the Top 10 of the 69th Miss Universe held on Sunday, May 16, at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida. In an Instagram live video hosted by…
CA, LA County begin accepting vaccination appointments for kids in this age group THE U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Monday, May 10 announced that it amended its emergency use authorization for the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine to include teens between the ages of 12 and 15, clearing the way for the 17 million people…
THE daughter of the elderly Filipina immigrant who was assaulted in New York has launched a project that encourages Asian Americans to share their personal stories of racism and belonging in the United States. “AAP(I belong) is a place to share stories and words of encouragement from those who have encountered anti-Asian hatred,” Elizabeth Kari…
LA County still requires masks inside businesses AFTER a year of wearing masks, fully vaccinated individuals can forgo face coverings when outdoors or in most indoor settings, according to new guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The relaxed measures were announced on Thursday, May 13, paving the way for safely resuming…
