Some issues and pitfalls in pursuing US citizenship
(Part 2) FOR many people, attaining US citizenship is the final step in achieving their “American Dream.” After getting a green card, they eagerly count off the years until they…
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USCIS to increase fees by December
EFFECTIVE December 23, 2016, USCIS will increase its filing fees for applications and petitions for immigration and naturalization benefits under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). Thus, applications and petitions…
Do you have bad breath?
As a common presumption goes, “One isolated incident of bad breath, like a first time thief who is caught, permanently tarnishes the reputation, and the condemnation sticks for life.” What…
Why I no longer support Heck
by Cristina Llorente-Drost As an independent voter, I voted for Joe Heck three times when he ran for Congress. As his fellow church-goer, I know he is a good man,…
Protecting employees injured at work from wrongful termination
ADAM Prue worked for the Brady Company, a construction company in San Diego, CA. Prue was injured at work and suffered a hernia in June 2011. Because of this, Prue…
EB-5 green card program: A way to bring your entire family to the US
PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte recently announced severing military and economic ties with the U.S. He has also recently assailed the U.S.’s strict visa policy. As President Duterte aligns himself with China,…
Excluding foreign earned income
ARE you a U.S. citizen or resident working in a foreign country? Have you declared your foreign income? Have you even filed a tax return? Or are you hiding from…
Bankruptcy: Don’t let your past decide your future
AS a Bankruptcy Attorney for the last 18 years, I have counseled thousands of individuals with all types of debt problems. A lot of these people often feel tired and…
The presumption of ‘undue influence’ in transactions between spouses during the marriage
CALIFORNIA law on the nature of spouses’ rights and obligations with respect to management and control of community property has evolved over the last thirty years from less stringent “good…
Average itemized deductions
FOR taxpayers who itemize their deductions, the chart below should be of interest. But for those who take the odds, this chart should be of very special interest. While it…
Bankruptcy court rules in favor of client for $250K after trial
87-Year-old senior seeks chapter 7 relief I REPRESENTED a foreign company with a $250K claim for a forty foot container of manufactured goods that it delivered to the debtor…
Yankee go home, but take me with you
IF you scan the postings on social media, you would get the impression that the United States is anathema to most Filipinos. Hateful statements that rake up Yankee atrocities during…
Clinton or Trump: Who will you vote as the next US president?
THERE is less than a week to go before America decides who will become the 45th president of the United States. Poll after poll has shown how much people want…
Why Mayor Eric Garcetti thinks LA is a Fil-Am friendly city
A native Angeleno, Garcetti considers himself a friend of Filipino Americans, having worked alongside and for them throughout his political career. The city, which he has led since 2013, is…
Traveling is like feasting at the banquet of life
NEW YORK — Whenever I see gleaming posters of people waving and smiling happily as they hop into a plane, I realize what a lying society we inhabit. Inside the…
85°C Bakery Cafe opens 23rd store in Cypress, CA
Two hours before the doors of the new 85°C Bakery Cafe was scheduled to open in Cypress, California on Friday, October 21, a line began to form, eventually wrapping around…
Goodbye America, hello China
Some thoughts on Duterte’s ‘US separation’ announcement I remember writing about Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte several months ago when he won the presidential election. I may or may have not…
God’s heart revealed
HOW marvelous are the words of the Book of Wisdom for this Sunday’s Liturgy: “For you love all things that are and loath nothing that you have made; for what…
LA city officials flip switch on Historic Filipinotown street light installation
LOS ANGELES City Councilmember Mitch O’Farrell, the Board of Public Works (BPW), Bureau of Street Lighting, and community stakeholders on Wednesday, October 26 officially unveiled a streetlight project that improves…
Nanding & Laura enjoy a second whirl in their first joint birthday fête
Since birth is the window to the chance and all possibilities of a lifetime, there’s nothing more momentous than celebrating it in the midst of friends and relatives…and to make…
Star for All Seasons and Congresswoman Vilma Santos-Recto heads list of birthday celebrants this November
One of the brightest stars in Philippine entertainment, Star for All Seasons and currently the Representative for the province of Batangas Vilma Santos-Recto, will be celebrating her birthday on Thursday,…
Some issues and pitfalls in pursuing US citizenship
(Part 1) FOR many people, attaining US citizenship is the final step in achieving their “American Dream.” After getting a green card, they eagerly count off the years until they…
An open letter to Filipino-Americans
by Atty. José Y. Lauchengco, Jr. Mga magiliw na kapatid, kapwa Pilipino: We cannot sit idly by while one person singularly misrepresents the feelings of the people of the Philippines…
Criminal convictions and consequences
(Part 1 of 2) Criminal convictions in immigration are definitely ‘dealbreakers’. Even just one can cause regrets about the incident which led to it. Not a lot of aliens definitively…
Is your heart failing?
How do we know when our heart is failing? This condition could be in its early stage that the individual may not even have enough symptoms to know he/she has…
The AAPI voice unites for Trump and the Republican Party
by Lisa Melanie Noeth On October 18, 2016, many members of the Asian American and Pacific Islander Republicans throughout the nation were invited to attend the AAPI Advisory Committee meeting with…
Democrats would help small businesses flourish
by Ian Amarento I didn’t knowingly choose to become a business owner – I fell into it because I was caring for my parents, and over time I realized that many…
Women can stop Trump and Heck
by Christine Ko The constant barrage of misogynist remarks made from presidential nominee Donald Trump became too much for me to bear. From saying women should only be young and…
Tips to keep the IRS away
KEEP a low audit profile. It reduces risk of an audit. Here are some tips to keep the IRS from auditing your tax returns: • Make sure that social security…