FILIPINOS support other Filipinos. However, sometimes, that could be a bad thing. Just ask Rob Bautista Villeza, who is an Assistant United States Attorney for the Office of the United States Attorney for the Central District of California. Early in his career, Villeza recalls that being Filipino actually hurt him, in a case he was…
Part of the weekly excitement of LA Weekend Asian Journal is to record events that matter in pictures and words: its pleasure, joys, even the little crises. Pictures matter because they mirror the Fil-Am communities temper and taste, their stature and their fundamental pursuit of excellence. We are enriched or diminished, informed or influenced by decisions we…
MING Qu and Ying Wu were from China and enrolled at the University of Southern California (USC) to study electronic engineering. They were fatally shot while sitting in a parked BMW on Raymond Avenue, less than a mile from campus. Police say the students were killed during a robbery. The students’ parents filed a wrongful…
THE AMERICAN TAXPAYER RELIEF ACT OF 2012 Tax breaks for education expenses American Opportunity Higher Education Tax Credit extended The American Opportunity Credit, which can be worth up to $2,500 and can be claimed for up to four years of undergraduate education, was extended by the Act through 2017. College tuition deduction extended -This write-off,…
For 12-year-old Jervin Barcenas, getting on an airplane is one thing. However, being able to fly one is an entirely different story. A student of Saint Anne Catholic School in Santa Monica, CA, Jervin was always interested in aircrafts from his very first plane ride to Manila aboard the Philippine Airlines. Jervin became more interested in…
LOS ANGELES – Filipino-American motivational speaker Jessica Cox Chamberlain will be bringing her unique inspirational message, “think outside the shoe” to Africa in April. The 32-year-old Cox, who was born with no arms because of a rare birth defect, is visiting Ethiopia as part of Handicap International’s efforts to foster inclusion of children with disabilities…
What are my options? AS I have mentioned on my previous columns before that if you are in a position where your property value is much lower than your current mortgage balance (underwater value) you will need to ride out this very scary real waves for the next 3-5 years before you see any real…
IN PREVIOUS editions of this article, the process of obtaining permanent residence through marriage was explored. Discussion of that procedure began with the supposition that the couple was married, and continued with the various steps to ultimately gain permanent residence. In many cases, however, a problem exists in even getting to the point at which…
ON MONDAY, the Philippines will be commemorating the 27th anniversary of EDSA 1 — The 1986 People Power Revolution which freed us from the clutches of a tyrannical ruler. To mark the momentous occasion, President Benigno Aquino III will likely sign a landmark bill that would provide just compensation to thousands of human rights victims…
CALIFORNIA is home to the biggest number of Filipinos in America. It is also the biggest state in the nation in terms of population. According to the new findings released by the Asian American Center for Advancing Justice based on the 2010 US Census, Filipinos have now become the largest Asian American group in California….
IF YOU look at a boat, a camper, a trailer and a tractor separately and as individual items they may not be considered as badges of a luxurious lifestyle. But if the debtor who has filed for Chapter 7 relief intends to keep all of them, even if all of them are used as collateral…
AMOUR (French for “love”) is an Oscar contender for best foreign film that you would want to watch if you’re looking for a dramatic movie that confronts one’s humanity to its deepest core with regards to sickness, old age, and death. It is a brutally realistic, torturing, and depressing film, a yet so extraordinarily and brilliantly…
LOS ANGELES – With the March 5 primary nominating elections fast approaching, Los Angeles City Clerk June Lagmay and LA Chief of Elections Jacob Wexler spoke before members of the media at the Piper Technical Center in Downtown LA on Feb. 14 to talk about the preparations being made and further information on election…
Fructose corn syrup is sugar from corn or corn sugar. This is processed sweetener. Anything processed food item is unhealthy. This ingredient is found in hundreds of food items on the market, including baby formula and baby food. Why are manufacturers using fructose corn syrup? Although HFCS (High Fructose Corn Syrup) has been deemed unhealthy…
Each month, the Visa Office of the State Department publishes, in the Visa Bulletin, the priority dates for that particular month, for the various family and employment based categories. A priority date is a person’s “place in line” for a visa, meaning that immigrant visas (or green cards) would be available for persons whose priority…
Manila, the city’s capital, explodes with the dynamism of a mega-city. She is home to our heritage and our past. Jeepneys, tricycles, and trains run through her street-veins. With the millions of souls squeezing to make a living here, it can get tiring at times. But Manila, the ever-generous city of our affections, provides her…
I admire a contented mind — one that reveres enlightenment of simple things. Yet, in quiet meditation, the one emotion that’s hardest to fight against is a longing for all things past. The moon prods, as one spends nights wondering alone or with someone, viewing the moon, from a sick bed. The surprise splendor of…
LOS ANGELES – Los Angeles City Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said on Monday that of the few remaining Fortune 500 companies in LA, Wells Fargo Bank is one of the remarkable firms, in terms of their commitment to community development efforts for the city. “They’ve been a generous partner of the City of Los Angeles…
LOS ANGELES – Pro-immigration advocates are hopeful that the government will pass a comprehensive immigration reform (CIR) legislation by August, giving relief to the more than 11 million undocumented individuals in the United States. During a New America Media national telebriefing: Tracking Immigration Reform in 2013 on Thursday, proponents of CIR believe this is the…
IN THE wake of an announcement late last month that a Bipartisan “Gang of Eight” Senators has put for a blueprint for Comprehensive Immigration Reform (CIR), a leaked internal Whitehouse memorandum outlining the President’s vision for Immigration reform sparked much controversy over the President’s Day Weekend. When news of the leak surfaced, President Barack Obama’s…
Comparison is a death knell to sibling harmony. – Elizabeth Fishel (Part 2) I WILL conclude my article related to sibling rivalry. Behavioural research have shown that emotion-based sibling rivalry is the struggle to gain attention and love from parents that was missing during childhood. The adult child’s actions and behaviors are directed toward gaining…
DON’T fight fire with fire. China, through its embassy, recently rejected the Philippine government’s “Notifcation and Statement of Claim” before the UN’s arbitration tribunal. The letter, which was handed out by Foreign Affairs Sec. Albert del Rosario last month to Philippine Embassies and Consulates abroad, urges China to desist from unlawful activities that violate the…
THE momentum for a real immigration reform is finally building up: the gang of eight bi-partisan Senators have introduced their immigration reform plan; Pres. Barack Obama supported the plan and pushed for the passing of a comprehensive immigration reform bill within six months; a majority of Americans now support granting qualified undocumented immigrants a path…
DO you dream of simplifying your life, reducing your stress and regaining control of your financial future? Everyone dreams of living a debt-free life and yet we know that today, so many people are drowning in debt that they don’t even sleep well at night. If you are one of these people, perhaps you are…
RODELIO Cadas was born with an oversized head. He had an abnormal accumulation of cerebro-spinal fluid (CSF) inside the brain. The condition is called Hydrocephalus and it results in the failure of the brain to drain properly, causing a buildup of pressure, intermittent headaches, and death, if not treated properly. Cadas needs help fast. His…
The curtain rises and stays raised. Behind its footlights are nuggets of musical lores and unpublished anecdotes, which are mined from press and personal sources—setting the tone of what dwells lovingly on the triumphs and tribulations of hundreds of stars, one golden age upon another, both for the greats and lesser lights that performed here….
WYNONA Harris was hired to drive Santa Monica’s Big Blue Bus. About 40 days into her training period, she had an accident, which the City said was “preventable.” About three months later, Harris had a second preventable accident. Per the City’s guidelines, those who drive unsafely will not pass probation. Weeks later, Harris reported late…
THE AMERICAN TAXPAYER RELIEF ACT OF 2012 THIS fiscal cliff legislation includes lots of tax changes that could turn into a novel; accordingly, I summarized the provisions for simple reading. Even this condensed version is still long. In brief, the new law: – Cancels most other income tax increases that would have resulted in added…
THERE’S no question the economy has not been kind for many California families who bought and borrowed more than they can chew in the mid 2000s’. Bad things happen to good people and many folks fell victim to bankruptcy, foreclosures, and lost a home either through short sale. Buying a home after this type of…
