USCIS implements provisional waiver process March 4, 2013
AS OF March 4, 2013 certain immigrant visa applicants who are the spouses, children and parents of US citizens (“immediate relatives”), who have been unlawfully present in the United States,…
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Billionaire's club
TODAY, the world has 1,426 billionaires (people with personal wealth of $1 billion as of January) accounting to a total net worth of $5.4 trillion. 11 of them are Filipinos….
The solemn process of electing the next Pope
AFTER the Pope Benedict XVI’s resignation on February 28, the Roman Catholic Church may have a new leader before the beginning of Holy Week (on March 24, Palm Sunday). St….
Three Pinoys convicted of gun smuggling in the US
LOS ANGELES – A US federal jury on Monday convicted three Filipinos of smuggling high-powered military and assault weapons including rocket launchers, machine guns, and other deadly explosives from the…
Chapter 13 can be last hope for families facing foreclosure
FILING Chapter 13 bankruptcy is often a last resort for people in foreclosure when no other options exist. A lot of homeowners usually put off making this decision for a…
Immigration reform: Is it really coming?
QUESTION: I have heard that there is going to be immigration reform. Can you shed some light on the subject and what we might expect? Answer: Conservatives have tended to…
Dr. Francisca Tolete Velcek, Castle Connolly America Top Doctor and PH Presidential Pamana ng Pilipino Awardee
IF YOU search for the name of Dr. Francisca Tolete Velcek on the Internet, one of the most impressive things you will find is an icon of Castle Connolly. In…
Bad news for people who pled guilty
There are times when a person is arrested and charged with a crime. In some cases they may have actually committed the crime, or it could be that they are…
The aching impermanence of power: The fall of President Marcos
Something odd was happening. Faced with popular protest and revolt in the army, President Marcos left Malacañang Palace in a US Airforce Huey helicopter on the evening of February 25,…
Making sense amid immigration reform confusion
THE current influx of media attention on immigration issues is very exciting. One cannot help but be hopeful and optimistic that some type of immigration reform is on the horizon….
Me-Too’ evidence allowed in sex discrimination claim
Q: MY boss at work would slap or touch my buttocks, make comments about my breasts, or other parts of my body, and tell me to wear shorter skirts. He…
Two Fil-Ams vying for Cerritos City Council
CERRITOS – Two Filipino-Americans are vying for the City Council of Cerritos in the March 5 local election. Current City Planning Commissioner Frank Aurelio Yokoyama and retired Social Worker…
Fil-Ams, Asian Americans urged to vote in LA elections on March 5
LOS ANGELES – With at least two Filipino-Americans running for LA City Council seats, kababayans are highly encouraged to come out and vote in the coming LA City Primary…
Part B – Business
THIS fiscal cliff legislation includes lots of tax changes; accordingly, I summarized the provisions for simple reading. Last week’s Part A dealt with individuals while this week’s Part B deals…
Changes in loan modification programs for 2013
Homeowners Bill of Rights IN JULY, California enacted the major pieces of legislation, which were introduced by Attorney General Kamala Harris. These provision, which will take effect January 1, 2013,…
Your vote matters
ON TUESDAY, March 5, Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities are urged to exercise their right to vote for the 2013 Primary Municipal Elections in the City of…
Discharging income taxes in bankruptcy
MANY people have the mistaken belief that back due income taxes cannot be discharged in bankruptcy because a debt owed to the Federal and State government cannot be wiped out….
4 Asian Americans vying for LA City Council seats
LOS ANGELES – A historic four Asian Americans are vying for a seat in the LA City Council — a place they have not had representation since the mid-1980s and…
Redefined: Everyday female ‘Sheroes’
LONG BEACH – College students gathered from all corners of Southern California for the 6th annual SCPASA Summit conference held at California State University at Long Beach (CSULB), on Saturday….
The Church in ’Sede Vacante’
OUR Roman Catholic Church has entered a period called “sede vacante” (the empty chair) since Benedict XVI’s retirement last Thursday. The Pope Emeritus has taken refuge at Castel Gondolfo, the…
Should undocumented immigrants be allowed ‘supervised release?’
THIS week, the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirmed that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) started releasing undocumented immigrants being held in immigration jails around the country —…
Infectious Mono
Kissing Disease, medically known as Infectious Mononucleosis, or Mono for short, is a viral illness that presents as fever, sore throat, enlarged neck lymph nodes, and fatigue (severe tiredness). Mono…
LA Fil-Ams mark 27th EDSA 1 anniversary
LOS ANGELES-Nearly 70 Pinoys gathered together on Feb. 25 at a church on Beverly Boulevard to commemorate the peaceful and bloodless revolution that overthrew a tyrannical and oppressive government….
Cardinal Mahony should vote for next pope – Bishop Solis
ANAHEIM-Filipino-American Bishop Oscar Solis believes Cardinal Roger Mahony should be able to vote for the new pope in the upcoming papal conclave despite the criticisms surrounding the embattled senior…
Building the house of memories
The EDSA People Power Revolution recently celebrated its 27th year last February 25. It has entered its rockstar age. But beyond the rockstar mythos, EDSA is tightrope-walking on a precarious…
The world of gossip
Some love it or hate it. Others write about it or repeat it. The obsession for gossip seems to be here to stay: from what we read and see, from…
Another 40 years?
IS NOYNOY Aquino the Moses of the Philippines, leading our country to the Promised Land? Not by any measure of Charleton Heston’s walking stick. For sure, Aquino has repeatedly declared…
H-1B Visa quota opens April 1, 2013
YES, it’s that time of year again: The H-1B visa quota (H-1B “cap”) for FY 2014 will finally open up on April 1, 2013, making 65,000 new H-1B visa numbers…
Desperate measures
EVERY year, millions of Pinoys go to great and in some cases, drastic lengths to work abroad, in order to pursue better lives for themselves and their families. Many overseas…
Will you join the ‘virtual march for immigration reform?’
DO YOU wish to support the cause of our kababayans, who will benefit from the passage of a true comprehensive immigration reform? Do you email? Are you on Facebook, Twitter,…