ANG naturalization ang proseso ng pagbigay ng US citizenship sa isang dayuhan pagkatapos niyang ipakita na kanyang nasunod lahat ng kailangan sa ilalim ng Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). Ang mga sumusunod ang kailangan para sa application for naturalization: (1) ang aplikante ay may 18 taon gulang na; (2) siya ay 5 taon nang green…
UNDER Howell v. Hamilton Meats & Provisions (2011) 52 C.4th 541, the California Supreme Court ruled that persons who are injured and who are pursuing a personal injury claim cannot recover the full amount of medical bills incurred if an insurer paid a smaller, negotiated amount to the medical provider. The Court’s ruling further limited…
A LAWSUIT was filed on Tuesday, June 25, accusing the luxury Grand America Hotel in Salt Lake City, Utah of using interns from the Philippines to do menial jobs for long hours with minimal pay. Represented by Asian Americans Advancing Justice and other organizations, the four plaintiffs — namely, Jann Descanzo, Veronica Bondoc, Glen Segundino…
FORMER Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario on Thursday, June 27, said that President Rodrigo Duterte can be impeached for violating the Constitution that mandates him to defend the Philippines’ territory. In an interview with ABS-CBN News Channel, he said: “The Constitution states that the president and the military must secure the national territory, and…
In an exclusive OP-ED for the Asian Journal, Sen. Elizabeth Warren bares a plan for investing in AAPI and minority-owned small businesses. By Elizabeth Warren America is built on two ideas: that we are a nation of immigrants, and that if you work hard and have a good idea, you should be able to pursue…
Filipina Maria Luisa Estrella Jaidi is facing a maximum of 10 years in prison after she arrested in the United States for visa fraud and illegally recruiting workers. Jaidi, who is married to a Moroccan ambassador, is originally from the Philippines but with residence in New York. She was arrested upon the filing of charges…
Several Filipino words have been added to the third and current edition of the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) this month. The latest additions include loanwords like bongga (extravagant, flamboyant; impressive, stylish), halo-halo (a dessert made of mixed fruits, sweet beans, milk and shaved ice) and kilig (exhilaration or elation caused by an exciting or romantic…
A FORMER top official of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) called the Philippines and China’s joint investigation into the Recto Bank collision a “joke.” According to Dr. Wilfredo Villacorta, deputy secretary-general of ASEAN from 2003-2006 and former ambassador and representative to the international body, the joint probe of the two countries is strange…
I RECENTLY had a consultation where a mother’s confusion and lack of understanding of immigration law resulted in her delaying filing a petition for her minor child for approximately eight months. The child “aged out” and could not qualify for benefits under the Child Status Protection Act (CSPA). The child was then reclassified as an…
“MY brother’s neighbor’s girlfriend’s uncle had the same exact case and it got approved and they did not use an attorney.” I’ve heard this many times to have developed a well-curated response: Nothing. A person who has set out to hear only what s/he wants to hear can hear nothing else but what s/he wants…
The global keyboard Shalom! I wrote this column last Friday, June 21, 2019, in Nazareth, during our family tour of Israel, on the way to Galilee and Jerusalem. The use of cellphones is very popular among at least 88 percent of people in this country, one of the top tech nations in the world. The…
“All you need is love.” —Lennon-McCartney PAUL, aka Saul of Tarsus, lived more than two thousand years ago. He had something to say about what does matter in life. He spoke about a special kind of love that in Greek is called Agape (ah-gah-pay). Agape is unconditional love, a kind of love that has no…
Party-list lawmakers in the Philippine House of Representatives will be filing a bill next month that seeks workplace safety protocols for television and movie productions to avoid accidents similar to the one that led to the death of multi-awarded veteran actor Eddie Garcia. 1-Pacman Rep. Mikee Romero, the bill’s proponent, said the proposal will be…
OVER the weekend, President Donald Trump cancelled the massive Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids of undocumented immigrants that were scheduled for Sunday, June 23. Trump’s reversal came hours before the planned raids, which were scheduled in Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York City and San Francisco. The raids…
PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday, June 24 apologized to the 22 Filipino fishermen involved in the Recto Bank event with a Chinese vessel, but downplayed it as a “maritime incident.” “Well I’m sorry but that’s how it is. It is a maritime incident. Little in the sense that there was no confrontation, there was…
CARSON, California — Philippine Senator Risa Hontiveros met with local Filipino Americans at the city’s Civic Center on Sunday, June 23 to share updates on the recent midterm elections and answer questions. Her visit came after she voiced concerns last week over the possibility of a joint Philippine-China investigation of the recent maritime mishap in…
THE number of deaths associated with the Philippine government’s anti-drug campaign continue to be a concern for the United Nations’ human rights body, its chief revealed at the Human Rights Council on Monday, June 24. United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet, in her opening statement at the 41st session of the Human…
FIVE years ago, Filipina American model Geena Rocero made a very public confession and came out of her closet in a TED Talk in Vancouver. “The world makes you something that you’re not — but you know inside what you are,” she proclaimed. She pointed at a picture of a boy dressed in a traditional…
THERE are two most difficult, complex, but not impossible opportunities for peace-making in the Korean Peninsula and in the Iran-Saudi Arabia conflict on both sides of the Persian Gulf — or Arab Gulf to the Arabs — in the Middle East. In the case of the inter-Korean and US-North Korean conflicts, the South Koreans led…
THE initial reactions of Foreign Secretary Teddyboy Locsin and Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana were correct. The facts were not all in yet, but both Cabinet members were ready to give our fishermen the benefit of the doubt. Unfortunately, Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol and Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi joined the fray and started casting doubts on…
New resistance-themed video tackles global social justice issues Madonna’s music video for her new single “I Rise” features footage of Maria Ressa, the fearless Rappler founder who has been jailed and faces several charges in the Philippines. Ressa, whose criticism of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte propelled her to international acclaim, is one of the several…
The California Asian and Pacific Islander (API) Legislative Caucus led a Philippine Independence Day celebration at the state Capitol on Monday, June 24. The reception was attended by Assemblymember Rob Bonta — the first Filipino to be elected to the state’s Legislature — who delivered remarks, community leaders from across the state, and special guest,…
Philippine Expressions Bookshop — one of two bookstores in the United States dedicated to Filipino literature — is presenting another series of Book Talks on Saturday, June 29 with five Fil-Am scholars and authors as participants. The event will be held at their venue, 479 West Sixth St., Suite 105, at the Historic Arts District,…
DEAR Attorney Tan, I have an approved I-140 immigrant petition which was filed by Company A on my behalf. Company A would like to employ me as a bookkeeper. Based on that approved I-140 petition, I filed an application for green card (I-485 adjustment of status) in August 2014. Since that time, my green…
