Smoothing the road to citizenship
JAE Koo (Jerry) Chang left Korea for the United States in early 1980’s, seeking better economic opportunities for himself and his family. For the next 30 years he built a…
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Why trade legislation matters to our families here at home and abroad
You have likely heard many arguments from both sides of the debate concerning the passage of trade legislation and whether or not it is good for the country. As the…
Filipino American culinary collaboration hosts Philippine Independence Day Dinner
FKEDUP NYC: Filipino History in 5 Courses is a pop-up dinner held in celebration of Philippine Independence Day, June 12, at Court Tree, 371 Court St 2nd Fl, Brooklyn at…
Report reveals dozens of US airport workers linked to terror
The Transportation Security Agency was under heavy fire after a new report revealed that a number of US airports had hired dozens of people with links to terrorism. The TSA…
Idina Menzel sings part of ‘Let it Go’ in Tagalog at MOA concert
SINGER Idina Menzel gave her Filipino fans a special treat during her concert Sunday, June 7, at the Mall of Asia Arena by singing “Let it Go” from the Disney…
Everybody is a story
All my life I’ve dealt with words. I live in a world of stories. Stories are not replicable because our lives are unique, which gives us value and meaning. Yet,…
Will you join the global protest vs. China on Philippine Independence Day?
JUNE 12 marks the celebration of Independence Day among Filipinos, a commemoration of the victory of our people against foreign intrusions and oppressors that denied Filipinos the freedom and liberties…
Chipotle to offer hourly workers benefits
CHIPOTLE Mexican Grill announced it will extend some of the same benefits it provides to salaried employees to part-time and entry level workers, starting July 1, including sick pay, paid…
Apple unveils new products at WWDC 2015
WWDC, or the Worldwide Developers’ Conference, is a highlight of Apple’s yearly calendar, a huge annual get-together for the company’s software partners and the media to see Apple’ unveil a…
4 million federal employees, private individuals possibly affected in data breach
China suspected culprit A CYBERHACK that may have compromised the data of up four million current and former federal employees may have also affected private citizens, sources said. Officials reported…
LA County communities dispute bullet train route proposal
A DIVERSE alliance of communities—including Los Angeles County’s third-largest city—is fighting California’s long-planned bullet train route going into San Fernando Valley, saying it would bring “irreparable harm” to their neighborhoods….
Poll marks low support for Obamacare
PUBLIC support for Obamacare hit its all-time low in a recent ABC News/Washington Post poll—even as most Americans say the Supreme Court should not block federal subsidies at the heart…
California adopts rule allowing people to fight traffic tickets
CALIFORNIA court leaders voted unanimously on Monday, June 8 to a rule change allowing drivers to contest traffic violations without first paying for them. The rule, requested by Chief Justice…
Obama: ‘We will continue to push to fix immigration’
PRESIDENT Barack Obama expressed his frustration on Monday, June 8 about the continued broken immigration system in the United States, and how federal court rulings have stalled his executive orders,…
Philippines to submit 300 year-old map to strengthen claim in sea dispute with China
THE Philippines is scheduled this week to submit a 300-year-old map to the international tribunal, which will bolster its case against China’s territorial claim of the South China Sea, the…
Informal adoptions of ‘given’ children are not valid for immigration purposes
DEAR Atty. Gurfinkel: I am a US citizen (I got my green card through my US citizen husband), and I petitioned my mother. But she was denied at the Embassy…
Young client seeks to discharge $780,000 wage garnishment
Good samaritan client seeks to discharge $2o,ooo lawsuit; Senior seeks solution for wrongful death $1.0M lawsuit “ Only 10% of California foreclosures are judicial. 90% of foreclosures are extrajudicial where…
Chapter 7 and 13 bankruptcy: means test
DURING initial consultations, some debtors contemplating filing bankruptcy have expressed their personal preference of filing Chapter 7, instead of Chapter 13, for various reasons such as a shorter time frame…
The wrong immigration help can hurt
RECENTLY, I had a third year international college student do a consultation with me. She had married her US citizen boyfriend. She hired an “immigration consultant” referred to her by…
Audit – 10 tips to handle field audits
THERE are three basic types of audits: correspondence, office, and field examinations. Correspondence audits are the simplest ones – W2s, 1099s and other items that can be easily resolved by…
Should I allow my employer to disclose my name and contact information to attorneys in a class action?
Q: MY employer has been sued in a class action by another employee who is trying to collect unpaid wages. All the employees, including me, received a Notice from an…
Financially broke? The first question you should ask yourself
AS we go through life, we are likely to encounter several bumps along the way. This is especially true when it comes to our finances. I’m sure you’ve heard of…
There is the international will for people that live or will move outside california
QUESTION: I have a bunch of assets in other places than California. Also, I will be moving soon. Is there a Will I can use here for my Last Will…
Is property acquired with financing during marriage community or separate property for purposes of divorce?
A QUESTION that invariably arises during divorce proceedings is whether assets are properly characterized as community or separate property. If property is characterized as community property, it must be divided…
Quiet angels with gentle hearts
THERE is a quiet army of gentle women who wear their tact like a uniform. They look after elderly people with long-term needs. Whether in a high-rise, multi-storey building, a…
As Grace Poe shines in polls, is the Binay camp in panic mode?
PERHAPS the surrogates of Vice President Jejomar Binay are scratching their heads over how their tactic of aggressively probing Senator Grace Poe’s nationality and qualifications to run for President in…
Obama signs bill limiting NSA’s access to Americans’ phone records
President Barack Obama on Tuesday, June 2, signed the USA Freedom Act into law, reforming the National Security Agency’s bulk collection of Americans’ phone records. The legislation still permits the…
Right-to-die bill moves past state Senate
FOLLOWING a debate filled with personal stories of loss, the California Senate on Thursday, June 4, approved a highly controversial measure that would allow terminally-ill patients to end their lives…
Tar balls wash up on Long Beach coastline
Raises health and environmental concerns A CLEANUP operation was underway on Wednesday, June 3, on a four-mile stretch of coastline in Long Beach, Calif. that was closed the day before…