This Filipino American Life

It’s been a while since the TFAL crew came together for an episode without a special guest.  In this episode, we update each other of what’s going on with our lives.  Join Elaine, Kat, Joe, and Producer Mike on this very casual episode.  Of course, we can not discuss Ryan’s new status as a married man!  No more Taba-chelorhood for him! Also, on this episode, our special T-Pal is none other than the Department of Health and Human Services.  We can’t let up on this pandemic.  It is still here and it’s affecting all of us.  Make sure to get boosted and continue to stay safe. Listen or download the episode through the embedded player on this page, find us on Mixcloud or subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts here. And for folks on Spotify, you can take a listen to us here. Got an life update you’d like to share? Let us know! Leave us a voicemail (805) 394-TFAL or email us at thisfilipinoamericanlife@gmail.com

In this episode, the TFAL Crew have a conversation with Celeste Perez, Co-Founder and CEO of Droplet, a health and wellness company creating adaptogen infused beverages. The TFAL crew learns what are adaptogens, what it’s like to start a company at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, and how holistic nutrition can be incorporated into our daily lives. Listen or download the episode through the embedded player on this page, find us on Mixcloud or subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts here. And for folks on Spotify, you can take a listen to us here. What is your experience with holistic nutrition? Have you tried adaptogens? Let us know! Leave us a voicemail (805) 394-TFAL or email us at thisfilipinoamericanlife@gmail.com Follow Droplet @drinkdroplet on Instagram and Twitter Want to try Droplet? Get the 3 pack sampler and try all three flavors (Pretty Balanced, Pretty Happy, and Pretty Bright) Purchase Droplet here: https://shop.drinkdroplet.com/

Community colleges are the biggest bang for our buck, and yet there are so many Filipino Americans out there who do not respect such schools.  With the higher education landscape rapidly changing, the notion of what constitutes a “good school” should be reconsidered.  Moreover, there are some schools that provide a more relevant education for Filipino Americans than most four-year institutions. In this TFAL episode, we talk to Dr. Lily Ann Villaraza, Professor and Chair of the Philippine Studies Department at City College of San Francisco.  In our discussion, we talk about the value of community colleges, the large stigma of this branch of education in the Filipino American community, the unique student life of community college students, and how the City College of San Francisco has provided Philippine Studies course to its students for more than 50 years.  In addition, the TFAL crew discusses what our impressions of community college growing up and how we all need to check our perspectives and biases during the intro. Listen or download the episode through the embedded player on this page, find us on Mixcloud or subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts here. And for folks on Spotify, you can listen to us here. What is your experience as a community college student? Leave us a voicemail and let us know 805.394.TFAL or email us at thisfilipinoamericanlife@gmail.com.

FUTBOL IS THIS FILIPINO AMERICAN LIFE!! What is the most popular sport in the world? You guessed it!  It’s football! And no, not that kind of football with the oddly shaped ball that’s thrown around with hands mostly and occasionally kicked. We’re talking about futbol, or more commonly known to TFAL (and maybe you) as soccer.  Although the popularity of this sport worldwide is massive, in the United States and Philippines, its popularity, one can arguably consider, is still in its early stages.  In 2018, over 3.5 BILLION people watched the World Cup. And in 2022, the World Cup is estimated to have an audience of 5 billion people worldwide (that’s over HALF of the world’s population). So why don’t more Filipinos and Filipino Americans play it? Today, we talk to Anton del Rosario, an American-born Filipino footballer who plays for Maharlika Manila, of which he is also a co-founder and co-owner. He represented the Philippines national team from 2004 to 2014.  We talk about the life of a professional athlete, how soccer played a major role in his life, and his desire to use the “Beautiful Game” as a vehicle to create more opportunities for Filipino Americans and Filipinos across the world. Listen or download the episode through the embedded player on this page, find us on Mixcloud or subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts here. And for folks on Spotify, you can listen to us here. Do you play football/soccer?  What are your opinions on more Filipinos playing it? Leave us a voicemail and let us know 805.394.TFAL or email us at thisfilipinoamericanlife@gmail.com.

In this TFAL episode, we review the much-anticipated film Easter Sunday, the first Filipino American film produced and distributed by a major movie studio. Three out of the four of us were lucky enough to catch an early screening of the film at the TCL Chinese Theaters in Hollywood thanks to Gold House, the Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment (CAPE), and Tremendous Communications. Listen as Elaine, Ryan, and Joe discuss what it took to get the film made, what we loved about the film, what we thought wasn’t so great, the nitpicks we had, and the film’s impact on future Filipino American movies. And of course, listen to Producer Mike in his film school beret scoff at all of us for watching a film that will never live up to his standards. Easter Sunday comes out in theaters nationwide on August 5. Listen or download the episode on our website, find us on Mixcloud or subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Google, Spotify, or anywhere you listen to us podcasts. What are your thoughts on ‘Easter Sunday’? Leave us a voicemail and let us know 805.394.TFAL or email us at thisfilipinoamericanlife@gmail.com.   About the film: Joe Valencia (Jo Koy) is a struggling actor and single father to his teenage son, Junior (Brandon Wardell). For Easter Sunday, Joe and Junior attend a family celebration with their extended Filipino American family. With a feud developing between his mother (Lydia Gaston) and his Tita Theresa (Tia Carrere), Joe must manage his dysfunctional family’s antics in order to ensure the success of the family’s holiday.

If you follow TFAL on IG, a little over a month ago you may have caught a quick story post about Bayan Surf Club / DJ Javier‘s collabo with Vans, and if you were really paying attention, you might have been able to catch the very small window of time where the first fruits of that effort quickly went on sale and then very rapidly sold out.  Of course, Producer Mike doesn’t sleep when it comes to these kinds of things, and not only was he able to score a pair of low tops and high tops for himself and Elaine, but he was also able to snag an interview with the artist himself!     Hailing from a serene sleepy beach town just north of Santa Barbara, DJ is maybe one of two Filipinos he knew of outside of his family.  But it’s through through his graphic design work and collaborations that he really gets to immerse himself and others in his heritage. From his creative studio Bayan Surf Club and through his online storefront Canto Vision , DJ has already unleashed an incredible body of work that pays homage to his Santa Barbara skate and surf roots, with the influences of the motherland sprinkled throughout.  But how did he end up partnering with Vans, and what’s next for this amazing artist from the 805?  And when are those Vans Slides getting released?! Well you’ll just have to listen to this episode to find out!     Listen or download the episode through the embedded player on this page, find us on Mixcloud or subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts here. And for folks on Spotify, you can listen to us here. Want to shout out your favorite Filipino designers? Leave us a voicemail and let us know 805.394.TFAL or email us at thisfilipinoamericanlife@gmail.com. First image by Producer Mike, all other images provided by DJ Javier.

What does it mean to celebrate Philippine Independence Day? Why do we Filipino Americans celebrate it?  What’s the difference between June 12 and July 4 and do people really understand its history? Is the Philippines really “independent”? Yes, we know we’re on Filipino time with this one, but on this TFAL episode, we dive into the cultural nuances of celebrating Philippine Independence Day in the United States. Listen as we discuss the history of Philippine “independence,” the pageantry of cultural celebrations in our community, and the unique Filipino American identity that emerges from “Kalayaan.” As a bonus, you’ll get to learn all about the official hymn of Miagao, Iloilo. Listen or download the episode through the embedded player on this page, find us on Mixcloud or subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts here. And for folks on Spotify, you can listen to us here. Got any opinions on Philippine Independence Day and how we should acknowledge it in the diaspora? Leave us a voicemail and let us know 805.394.TFAL or email us at thisfilipinoamericanlife@gmail.com.

In this episode of TFAL, Elaine talks with author and artist Kenneth Tan. This conversation was recorded at a pre-Mother’s Day book event at Belcanto Books in Long Beach, CA. In this conversation we learn about Kenneth’s journey with his Lola and what inspired his beautiful coffee table memoir. Since this conversation was recorded at a public event, please note that there is ambient jazz music in the background during some parts of the recording. If you’d like to purchase a copy and are local to the Southern California area, signed copies are available at Belcanto Books! You can also purchase copies directly from Kenneth’s site: The Lola x Kenneth Collaboration. Daghang Salamat to Kenneth and Jhoanna Belfer of Belcanto Books for the opportunity to talk about this lovely memoir and for the audience who joined us for the book talk. Listen or download the episode through the embedded player on this page, find us on Mixcloud or subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts here. And for folks on Spotify, you can listen to us here.   Bel Canto owner Jhoanna Belfer and CRESCENCIANA author Kenneth Tan  

This episode rounds out the TFAL crew’s trip to the midwest. On this episode we talk to Francis Almeda, a Chicago based entrepreneur who owns Side Practice Coffee, Reppin Pins, and Filipinoadz. Francis explains what it was like to open a coffee shop in the middle of a pandemic. He also enlightens the crew on what NFTs are and how they work. Make sure to take note of the special TFAL code word that gets you something special at Side Practice Coffee!  Side Practice Coffee, 5139 N Damen Ave, Chicago, IL 60625   The second interview in this episode is with Jeff Masangcay, founder of the non-profit Bata Sole. Bata Sole aims to collect & distribute new & used athletic shoes to impoverished communities. This journey originated from a trip Jeff took with his family to the Philippines. The trip sparked the idea for the non-profit and later Camp Sole, a youth basketball camp that also instills values of caring for your community. This conversation may lead to a few controversial basketball opinions (please note these are the sole opinions of Joe Bernardo and Joe Bernardo alone).    Listen or download the episode through the embedded player on this page, find us on Mixcloud or subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts here. And for folks on Spotify, you can listen to us here.   Many thanks to the Filipino American community in the Chicago area. The team only scratched the surface on what Chicago has to offer. Where should the TFAL crew travel to next? Leave us a voicemail and let us know 805.394.TFAL or email us at thisfilipinoamericanlife@gmail.com.    

One of the great things about traveling to a different city like Chicago aside from eating the wonderful food and visiting a Michael Jordan monument, is meeting people who have done tremendous work uplifting the Filipino American community. First, we got a chance to talk to Ginger Leopoldo to talk about what it’s like to grow up in different Chicago neighborhoods and learn about different cultures and what it’s like to raise a family in the Windy City.  She also shares some insight about the organization Circa Pintig, their work, and how art challenges community thought as well as gathers community together. Check out Circa Pintig’s YouTube channel here In the second part of the episode, we got to talk to longtime listener and supporter of TFAL, Mark Calaguas, Board President of Alliance of Filipinos for Immigrant Rights and Empowerment (AFIRE) and active member of Filipino American Lawyers Association in Chicago (FALA Chicago) and NFALA, it’s National parent organization.  Mark explains his path from his hometown of Detroit to fighting for marginalized groups and advocacy for Filipino Americans in Chicago. Through these conversations we see similar issues that Filipino Americans face across the United States, and also some of the nuanced experiences of Filipino Americans in the Chicago/Midwest area. What was not in the episode – Ginger and Mark brought us some presents and goodies.  Bottom line, a good time was had by all as we continue to realize…we’re all in this together. Listen or download the episode through the embedded player on this page, find us on Mixcloud or subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts here. And for folks on Spotify, you can take a listen to us here.