https://thisfilipinoamericanlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/tfal-episode255.mp3 Today’s the day! “ Eraserheads: Combo on the Run ” is releasing throughout North America across over 60 screens, one of the biggest and widest releases of a Filipino documentary ever. And while the exploits of the band are well detailed in the film itself, we thought it would be worthwhile to sit down with Director Diane Ventura and Eraserheads Lead Singer Ely Buendia himself to talk in more depth about what it w...
Apr 24, 2026•48 min
https://thisfilipinoamericanlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/tfal-episode254.mp3 In the 3rd edition of our Eraserheads-themed mini-series, Les the DJ and Producer Mike reminisce about road trips to the tune of “Overdrive”, and can’t get enough of silly love songs like “Ligaya”. But what songs are Les and Mike listening to now? Listen and find out! As a reminder, on April 24th, Combo On The Run , a documentary chronicling the rise of the band Eraserheads, is set to hit movie screens across Nor...
Apr 17, 2026•40 min
https://thisfilipinoamericanlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/tfal-episode253.mp3 In part 2 of our mini-series “Original Pilipino Musings” with Les the DJ, we dive into two seminal Eraserheads classics, “Toyang” from their 1993 debut album, Ultraelectromagneticpop! , as well as “Alapaap” from their 1994 follow-up, Circus . Listen as we talk about what the songs mean to us, and debate whether or not it matters if we properly understand and interpret what they (or anyone else) is singing about a...
Apr 11, 2026•40 min
https://thisfilipinoamericanlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/tfal-episode252.mp3 In a few weeks, Combo On The Run , a documentary chronicling the rise of the band Eraserheads, is set to hit movie screens across North America. It’s not often that a film from the Philippines gets a release and a reception as high profile as this film has been getting, let alone a documentary about an OPM band as varied and enigmatic as the Eraserheads. So since #TFALheartsOPM, we figured we’d dedicate some time...
Mar 24, 2026•45 min
https://thisfilipinoamericanlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/tfal-episode251.mp3 Here Lies Love, the play about the rise and fall of Imelda Marcos as the Philippine dictator’s wife during Martial Law is now playing in Los Angeles. The TFAL crew had the opportunity to watch Here Lies Love when it first opened at the Mark Taper Forum a couple of weeks ago. Love it or hate it, the controversial musical is a part of our community, and many folks are watching it. It reflects the talent, labor, lim...
Mar 07, 2026•1 hr 19 min
For 10 years, TFAL has been trying to amplify voices from our community, but particular voices from sectors of our community that have been historically overlooked. We are especially attuned to the voices without glitz and glamor, without state-sanctioned narratives, and without algorithmic egos. For our 250th episode, and on the heels of the 40th anniversary of the EDSA People Power Revolution, we wanted to focus on the memories of Martial Law, a period in Philippine and Filipino American histo...
Feb 27, 2026•1 hr 3 min
Have you ever dreamed about a TV show with an all-Filipino American cast? What kind of show it would be? Who would star in it? In this TFAL episode, Elaine, Joe, and Producer Mike dream up their ideal TV show by playing The Fil Am Celebrity Draft! Adapted from a game that Joe used to play with his friends (and Dave Chappelle’s Racial Draft, if we’re being honest), the crew takes turn “drafting” Filipino American celebrities to be cast in their hypothetical shows. Listen to see who drafts Marc De...
Feb 20, 2026•55 min
https://thisfilipinoamericanlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/tfal-episode248.mp3 In this episode of the podcast, Kalaya’an Mendoza returns to talk with the crew about community care. This episode is dedicated to the folks in Minnesota and beyond who are grieving, protesting, and resisting ICE kidnappings and intimidation. The crew reached out to Kalaya’an again to check in on how we can support each other in these times of unrest. Take a listen as the crew talks about how we are all coping an...
Feb 06, 2026•1 hr 5 min
Over the last few months, the hottest night out can be had at a Filipino supermarket. If you’re lucky enough to live near a Seafood City, you might have seen or experienced the multi-generational viral dance party conceptualized by JP Breganza back in August 2025. What is this phenomenon all about? Why does it attract so many people (especially younger Millennials and Gen Zers)? How long will it last? In this episode of TFAL, the crew breaks down their experiences at these “Late Night Madness” p...
Jan 23, 2026•49 min
https://thisfilipinoamericanlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/tfal-episode246.mp3 Dom Magwili is a prolific actor, writer, and educator who has graced his presence on stage and screen for years. Most importantly Dom has played a role in our lives when he guided Kat as she was PCN coordinator at UCLA and gave Elaine a boost of confidence when she was an emcee for the Festival of Philippine Arts & Culture. In this episode the TFAL crew gives Dom his (metaphorical) flowers. Dom shares his jou...
Jan 10, 2026•1 hr 1 min
What is the Filipino American anthem? Is it Bebot by the Black Eyed Peas? P.T.I. by Carl Angelo? Lemonade by Jeremy Passion? Us by Ruby Ibarra? Do You Miss Me? by Jocelyn Enriquez? Todo Todo by Daniela Romo (you know who chose that one!)?? In this TFAL episode, we look at so-called Filipino American anthems over the years and discuss how much of an anthem they really were to our community. One criterion though: if Producer Mike hasn’t heard of it, it doesn’t count! FYI, we recorded the episode b...
Dec 19, 2025•44 min
https://thisfilipinoamericanlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/tfal-episode244.mp3 In this episode the TFAL crew has a conversation with Arthur Yu. Arthur Yu was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia in 2023. Arthur did all the things you needed to do like rounds of chemo and looking for bone marrow matches. Arthur explored the National Marrow Donor Program (formerly Be The Match) for possible matches. https://www.nmdp.org/ A match through NMDP wasn’t found, but a match through a distant relati...
Dec 06, 2025•1 hr 5 min
“You’re not Filipino if you don’t speak Tagalog.” “You sound white.” “The national language of the Philippines is Filipino, not Tagalog.” “Filipino is already gender neutral.” Much of our online discourse in the Filipino community is about or related to language. The debates are out there. We here at TFAL want to tackle some of these linguistic arguments head on. On this TFAL episode, we talk about the politics of language in the Filipino/Filipino American community with linguistic anthropologis...
Nov 13, 2025•58 min
Have you ever thought about doing a pilgrimage? Would you want to contemplate your life choices on a hiking journey through the mountainous regions of Europe? Do you just want to hear about someone else doing that and not deal with the physical and spiritual Olympics of it all? Then this episode is for you! The TFAL crew has an enlightening conversation with Kristine Jan Espinoza about their experience walking the Camino de Santiago. Listen or download the episode through the embedded player on ...
Oct 31, 2025•1 hr 14 min
In this episode we have tfal fan favorite Faith Santilla aka “Tita Faith” in her fourth appearance on the pod! Joining Faith is the amazing and inspiring Martha Gonzalez of Quetzal. On this episode Elaine, Kat, and Producer Mike talk story about the exciting and upcoming show at The Ford Los Angeles, Labor of Love. Join us in Commemorating the 60th Anniversary of the Delano Grape Strike in this evening concert, which features the legendary Joe Bataan, the “King of Latin Soul,” alongside the Gram...
Oct 17, 2025•1 hr 3 min
https://thisfilipinoamericanlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/tfal-episode240.mp3 In this episode Elaine and Producer Mike have a conversation with singer-songwriter Stephen Ordonez also known as LABIT ( @labitlabit ). Stephen shares his experience growing up with Filipino American parents born in the States and how their love of music influenced his style. Fans of artists like Laufey and Jason LaPierre will vibe with Stephen’s style. Want to check him out live? Join Stephen on Saturday, Octob...
Oct 03, 2025•45 min
In this episode of TFAL, Elaine and Producer Mike have a conversation with Los Angeles native (yes, they exist!) Chrissa Sparkles. You may have seen Chrissa Sparkles go viral with her Barbie inspired content on @chrissasparkles . In this conversation we go through Chrissa’s journey as a local kid with no connections figuring out how to maneuver through auditions and the industry. The current state of the world inspired Chrissa to create the dance banger “F*ck ICE.” Play it at your next rally! Na...
Sep 12, 2025•50 min
Dear young people, How do we stay cool? Sincerely, Middle-aged TFALers There are many generations of Filipinos who live in the United States in this day and age. Immigrant generations, 2nd generations, 3rd generations, Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials, and now Gen Z. Many have different experiences as Filipino Americans, and in many ways, some of those experiences are the same. In this TFAL episode, we discuss some of these intergenerational differences and similarities with two self-proc...
Aug 31, 2025•1 hr 13 min
Joe wrote a book! Well…kinda. After a few years of gathering photos and writing, Joe has published FILIPINOS IN THE SAN FERNANDO VALLEY, a pictorial history that traces the historical and cultural shifts of this quintessential suburb through the lens of generations of Filipinos who made the San Fernando Valley their home. This book is the newest edition of “Filipinos in…” books from Arcadia Publishing. In this TFAL episode, Joe talks with the TFAL crew about his book and the process of writing i...
Aug 08, 2025•54 min
https://thisfilipinoamericanlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/tfal-episode236.mp3 In this episode the TFAL crew has a conversation with author Randy Ribay. The crew has discussed Patron Saints of Nothing multiple times, so this conversation was long coming. In fact, we thought we had already spoken to Randy Ribay! So glad we got to have this conversation with Randy about his journey as an author. For folks lucky enough to be at San Diego Comic Con, make sure to check out his panel at today at ...
Jul 25, 2025•55 min
https://thisfilipinoamericanlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/tfal-episode235.mp3 In this episode Producer Mike and Elaine have a conversation with TFAL graphic designer Vincent Collyer and his brother Charles Collyer about Charles’ experience with a surprise diagnosis of lung cancer. Charles explains how a post Tough Mudder run lead to a rib injury which the X-rays lead to his lung cancer diagnosis. Post lung cancer surgery, somehow Charles decided to get back into running and began training ...
Jul 11, 2025•59 min
https://thisfilipinoamericanlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/tfal-episode234.mp3 In this episode the crew has a conversation with author and filmmaker, Jill Damatac, who shares her journey from the Philippines to the States to the UK all through the lens of an undocumented immigrant. Instead of a traditional cookbook, which predominantly focuses on recipes and then sprinkles in family stories, Jill does the opposite and weaves recipes in between Philippine mythology and family history. This t...
Jun 27, 2025•56 min
Amidst the chaos, we still have hope. A couple of weeks ago, Ryan and Joe had a conversation about being relatively new dads. With Father’s Day approaching, the two TFAL dads discuss their experiences navigating fatherhood and all that it entails. Listen as they talk about how their identities changed as new responsibilities came, how they unconsciously emulate their own parents while trying to mitigate and stop generational trauma, and above all else, how they try to lead with love as much as p...
Jun 14, 2025•57 min
https://thisfilipinoamericanlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/tfal-episode232.mp3 TFALpodcast kicks off PRIDE month with a conversation with author and illustrator Mike Curato. In this episode Elaine and Producer Mike learn about Mike Curato’s journey with Gaysians , Curato’s first graphic novel for adult audiences. Curato is best known for Little Elliot , a picture book series, and Flamer , a young adult graphic novel which has the distinction of being listed as one of NPR’s Best Books of 202...
Jun 06, 2025•53 min
https://thisfilipinoamericanlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/tfal-episode231.mp3 On Election Day 2024, while most of the level-headed American public mourned the re-emergence of the far-right orange man, local folks in Los Angeles had a moment of electoral triumph with the victory of Ysabel Jurado to the Los Angeles City Council. Jurado is the first Filipino/a/x American to ever serve on the City Council for the nation’s 2nd largest city and the home to the largest number of Filipinos outside...
May 05, 2025•57 min
https://thisfilipinoamericanlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/tfal-episode230.mp3 In this episode TFAL’s Elaine and Producer Mike have a conversation with Lisa Angulo Reid, founder of Dear Flor @lovedearflor . Dear Flor’s mission is to bring Filipino culture to the world, one flavor at a time. Lisa shares her journey as an entrepreneur and how she transitioned from advertising to the quickly growing cannabis industry. If you have ever been interested in trying gummies, take advantage of the De...
Apr 18, 2025•46 min
In this TFAL episode, Joe talks to Dr. Allan Lumba , writer, researcher, historian, and professor at Concordia University in Montreal, about potential of Filipinx Studies to inspire our community to fight for a better world. Listen how he developed into a brilliant scholar focused on Philippine Studies, the growing number of Filipino and Filipino American intellectuals unapologetically studying the Philippines and Filipinos in the diaspora, the making of a Filipinx Freedom School , and the curre...
Apr 13, 2025•1 hr 13 min
https://thisfilipinoamericanlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/tfal-episode228.mp3 The TFAL crew is no stranger to the world of animation. In episode 28 ( TFAL talks Voice Acting (and Secrets & Fears) ), the crew had a conversation with voice actors Eric Bauza ( @bauzilla ) and Earl Baylon ( @earlybgoode ). While Producer Mike and Elaine were on their trip in the Philippines, they were able to connect with Oscar nominated animation director and founder of Rise Up Animation ( @riseupanimatio...
Mar 28, 2025•1 hr 10 min
https://thisfilipinoamericanlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/tfal-episode227.mp3 Is it truly “More Fun in the Philippines? Well technically not any more, because that marketing campaign ended in 2023. Now it’s “Love the Philippines”, but do we? They say there’s “no place like home” (which is especially fitting, since this is episode “227”… look it up, kids), but for Elaine and Producer Mike, who were both born in the US, going to the Philippines was always going to be a different sort of home...
Feb 21, 2025•1 hr 4 min
For generations, society has taught Filipinos and Filipino Americans what our specific gender roles should be. For men, masculinity is usually associated with ideas of strength, competition, emotion-less, family responsibilities, and protection. At times, these concepts can create narrow definitions of manhood and can pigeon-hole heterosexual men into certain prescribed racial, classed, and gender identities. How can Filipino men navigate an increasingly isolating, brutal, and hyper-masculine so...
Feb 04, 2025•1 hr 27 min
