By Camille Maben / First 5 California Executive Director Asian Pacific Islander American Heritage Month celebrates the rich and diverse Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander heritages that span the world and the depths of American history. Generations after generations of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) have continued to make America their home…
THE Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles is embarking on another type of diplomacy — one that shares the Philippines’ culinary traditions and the stories of Filipino and Filipino American food entrepreneurs in the region. Dubbed “Lutong Pinoy, Lasang Pinoy Sa Los Angeles,” the Consulate General launched its gastrodiplomacy program on Friday, April 23 at…
U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), announced Zenei Triunfo-Cortez, RN as his “virtual guest” to President Joe Biden’s first address to a Joint Session of Congress on Wednesday, April 28. Triunfo-Cortez has practiced as a nurse for more than four decades and currently works in the post-anesthesia care unit at Kaiser Permanente South San Francisco Medical…
PINOY pop group SB19 has made history as the first Filipino and Southeast Asian act to be nominated for Top Social Artist at the 2021 Billboard Music Awards (BBMAs). The BBMA on Thursday, April 29, released the list of nominees for 51 categories via livestream. SB19 will be competing against Ariana Grande, as well as…
A COMBINED task force of IRS, state tax agencies and the tax industry is warning tax professionals of attempts to steal Electronic Filing Identification Numbers (EFINs) with new scam email that impersonates the IRS. The latest scheme that arrived just before the start of the tax season targets tax professionals who prepare your tax returns….
CALIFORNIA is still the most populous state in the country, but for the first time in its history, it will be losing one congressional seat, according to data released by the Census Bureau this week. The Golden State’s population amounted to 39,538,223 residents and will be one of seven states to lose a House of…
ON April 29, 2021, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a Notice to Appear (NTA) is defective unless it includes, in a single notice, all the required information, including: • The charging allegations (why the person is subject to deportation/removal); and • The date, time, and location of the court hearing. If the initial NTA…
Question: I contributed money which I saved before the marriage into purchasing a property during the marriage which I acquired with my spouse in joint name. During the marriage we cashed out most of the equity in that house to purchase several properties. The first house we purchased no longer has a lot of equity…
PRESIDENT Joe Biden might not have lifted our spirits up as much as Barack Obama’s lofty oratorical skills splendidly did, nor did he arouse strong emotions that made us angry, curse, laugh like the showman Donald Trump cunningly did. But, Biden ignited in us one thing that we all need most during this most difficult…
THIS passage from the early Church gives me hope, especially in this discouraging time when many people, particularly youth and young adults, do not come to Church. Indeed, it is alarming to say that there is an exodus of young people leaving the Church nowadays. We have hundreds of youth in the Confirmation program, some…
AT some point in your life, you will have to confront your own mortality as well as the mortality of your loved ones. When you’re 12, you’re in a hurry to become a teenager. When you’re a teenager, you’re in a hurry to become 21. In the meantime, before you turn 21, you’re in college…
A FILIPINO American teen was shot and killed when he answered the door of his Seattle home last week. According to police, officers were dispatched to a home in the 9200 block of Waters Avenue South in the Rainier Beach area just before 11 p.m. on Friday, April 23, after someone reported a shooting. Witnesses…
President touts pandemic recovery, reforms in first 100 days DURING his first address to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday, April 28, President Joe Biden called on the House of Representatives to pass the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act approved by the Senate last week. Biden thanked the Senate, which showed bipartisan support with a…
SENATOR Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) invited a Filipina American small business owner, who benefited from COVID-19 relief, as her virtual guest to President Joe Biden’s first address to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday, April 28. Magnolia Magat, who owns Truffles N Bacon in Regal Plaza along S. Eastern Avenue in Las Vegas, spoke with…
PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte has extended the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) in the National Capital Region (NCR) Plus until the middle of May. In his weekly public address on Wednesday, April 28, Duterte announced that Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal will remain under the second strictest quarantine classification until May 14. Santiago…
A FILIPINO American man accused of stabbing his wife to death at their home in San Diego, California pleaded not guilty to murder on Tuesday, April 27. Jay Barcelon, 31, is accused in the killing of Rhona Fantone, 30, at their home at 2200 Dain Court, Lemon Grove on April 16. According to the San…
RAPPLER co-founder and chief executive officer Maria Ressa is set to be awarded the prestigious press freedom prize from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Ressa has been named as the 2021 laureate of the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize, following the recommendation of an international jury of media professionals, the…
An anthem for the Asian American community ACTRESS and singer-songwriter Ella Jay Basco released the music video for her single “Gold,” a song of empowerment featuring Bay Area rapper Ruby Ibarra, on Thursday, April 29. Known for her role as Cassandra Cain in “Birds of Prey,” the Filipina and Korean American breakout star is also…
A FILIPINO American family from Wisconsin was targeted in an attempted robbery while visiting Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco earlier this April. Patrick Elliott, his Filipina wife, and 16 other family members who are all from the Philippines, were on a California road trip on Monday, April 19, when they made their last stop in…
INFLUENTIAL celebrities banded together on Wednesday, April 21 for an evening of solidarity to support the Asian American and Pacific Islander community (AAPI) in fighting against anti-Asian hate and bigotry. Through a virtual fundraiser hosted by Public Wise and Onward Together, proceeds of the efforts will be donated to support the National Asian Pacific Women’s…
AS advocacy-oriented organizations of community, faith-based, and nonprofit leaders working collectively to empower underserved communities, the National Asian American Coalition and the National Diversity Coalition have been intensely focused on providing support to those in need during the pandemic. Hopeful that the worst is behind us, we are now looking to the future. Yet, alarmingly,…
LOCAL residents in San Jose will soon have a new location to shop for their favorite groceries. 99 Ranch Market, the leading Asian grocery chain, is planning to open its second branch in San Jose later this summer. The new store will be located at 925 Blossom Hill Road, San Jose, anchoring the Westfield Oakridge…
DALY CITY – True to its commitment, Mechanics Bank recently presented The National Asian American Coalition (NAAC) with two checks of $5,000 for a total of $10,000. The NAAC has been serving the low-to-moderate income communities across the State of California for almost 17 years, increasing sustainable homeownership and providing technical assistance to small businesses….
LEADING U.S. Immigration Attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel provides the latest immigration developments and information, as featured on his YouTube channel, “US Immigration TV.” He also answers another round of questions from Kapamilyas regarding their immigration concerns. Jimmy from Fyffe, Alabama, has an approved petition for his parents. However, due to COVID, his parents have not…
INDIA, with a population of 1.38 billion, second to China (1.439 billion), is today’s hotbed of the COVID-19 pandemic. In three days, it saw one million new cases, with an official tally of 17.21 million infections and more than 196,000 deaths. Last week, almost 353,000 persons were infected in 24 hours. The hospitals are fully…
The May 2021 priority dates, continue to provide great news for workers in the EB-3 (skilled/professional) and “other worker” (unskilled workers like caregivers). The priority dates for all countries (except India and China) are CURRENT! This includes the Philippines! This means visas are available, regardless of the person’s priority date. If a person is being…
SUPERSTAR Nora Aunor, who starred in GMA Network’s teleserye “Bilangin ang Bituin sa Langit” that recently concluded its run, will celebrate her 68th birthday on Friday, May 21. La Aunor, internationally known as the one and only Superstar of the Philippine silver screen, was born in Iriga, Camarines Sur. She was the grand champion of…
