Many of us have grown up seeing women in our lives rock the duster around the house. The piece of apparel is synonymous with traditionally women’s work. But what if the duster could be updated? What would that look like? In this episode the TFAL Crew, sans food appreciator Ryan Carpio, have an intimate conversation with author and journalist Melissa Magsaysay about Filipino/Filipino American fashion, her family’s history with the barong, and her new brand Duster @shopduster . Check out Melissa’s...
Oct 27, 2023•1 hr 13 min
Have you spoken to your parent(s) about estate planning? What will happen to their financial assets when they will pass away? Have you witnessed your family feud over family inheritance or ancestral land? Have you thought of what legacies you’d like to pass on when you eventually transition to the other side? In this TFAL episode, we collaborate with Pilipinx in Wellness to interview Marivel Zialcita, an estate planning attorney. Listen as we discuss the hesitancy of many Filipinos and Filipino ...
Oct 13, 2023•1 hr 23 min
The South of Market, or SoMa neighborhood in San Francisco is a historical place for Filipino Americans for a century. Throughout its history, many Filipinos have called SoMa home with its affordable apartments, neighborhood amenities, and proximity to jobs in downtown San Francisco. Community advocates have been established cultural institutions and social services for its largely working class residents for decades, making SoMa Pilipinas , as its affectionately called, a true epicenter of Fili...
Sep 22, 2023•52 min
Have you ever been in constant pain and could not figure out why? Have you ever felt a knot in your back and felt like you could never break it? What happens when family trauma transcends generations and physically manifests itself in your body? In this episode of TFAL join Elaine and Producer Mike as they talk with Jen Soriano about her journey with chronic pain. The conversation dives into how somatic symptoms can manifest within our bodies. Jen chronicles her journey in her book “Nervous | Es...
Aug 25, 2023•1 hr 3 min
How do you pronounce your name? How do you pronounce your last name? Do you Anglicize it? Do you pronounce it differently when talking to other Filipinos or when speaking Tagalog? Do you correct people who pronounce it differently? How would you pronounce the name “Roxas”? In this mini-episode, Ryan, Elaine, and Joe discuss the various ways that we as Filipino Americans pronounce our last names, the act of code-switching in certain contexts, and how shame and power may play a part in pronunciati...
Aug 12, 2023•41 min
This past month an overzealous group of fans found their way to Lea Salonga’s dressing room after a performance of Here Lies Love . The interaction was then uploaded to the internet for the world to see. SORRY, NOT SORRY. Christopher Carpila, who drew backlash for uploading the viral Lea Salonga dressing-room video, remained firm in his stance to not apologize to the Broadway star, stressing that he didn’t do anything wrong. READ: https://t.co/cSWs4Hm3uh pic.twitter.com/1sf6fW2A6n — Inquirer (@i...
Jul 28, 2023•30 min
Where do Filipino Americans hang out? Where is the place where they are allowed to tambay (Tagalog slang for loitering from the English “stand by”)? Where are can one find Filipino immigrants and Filipino Americans alike in public places? According to some sociology scholars, the third place in modern capitalist society refers to spaces that are the home (“first place”) and the workplace (“second place”). Examples of third places include churches, cafes, clubs, bookstores, stoops, porches, parks...
Jul 10, 2023•57 min
Most Filipino Americans today live in the suburbs – Daly City, National City, Carson, Jersey City, Skokie, Oxon Hill, and on and on. When you think of the Filipino American community since the 1970s, we are by and large a suburban community. There are reasons for this, of course, many of which we focus on in this TFAL episode. In the first iteration of “TFAL presents Brown Bag Baon,” Joe has a conversation with Dr. James Zarsadiaz, Associate Professor of History and Director of the Yuchengco Phi...
Jun 16, 2023•1 hr 17 min
Did you know April is financial awareness month? A perfect time to drop this episode with MONEY OUT LOUD author Berna Anat. Berna is your Financial Hype Woman/Manang/Ate/Tita. The moniker “Financial Hype Woman” is her made up way of saying she creates financial education media that lives at @HeyBerna all over the internet. Listen as the crew talks about their own journeys with financial planning, dealing with money, and how that applies to our Filipino American family dynamics. Get your copy of ...
Apr 21, 2023•1 hr 22 min
We’re back at it again. Part 2 of the ultimate Filipino food tournament! Listen as we decide between Sinigang and Tinola, Pancit Palabok and Pancit Bihon, and many other hard matchups. Laugh as you listen to TFAL Food Appreciator Ryan nearly gets an aneurysm from our food debates. And of course, find out what is the ultimate Filipino food! (According to us anyway). Listen or download the episode through the embedded player on this page, or subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts here . And for folks o...
Apr 14, 2023•59 min
This time of year is one of our favorites. It’s March Madness and April is Filipino Food Month. To celebrate these two occasions, the TFAL developed a Filipino Food Bracket! In this Part 1 episode, we explain the parameters of this tournament and go through the first round of 64 Filipino dishes (ulam-only). Listen as Ryan goes crazy over some of our choices, we get Kat to serve as our tiebreaker, and Producer Mike picking meat-only options. Unfortunately, Joe had babysitting duties so we had to ...
Mar 31, 2023•46 min
Pursuing a career in academia can be both rewarding and challenging. It often requires a significant amount of dedication, hard work, and resilience. From navigating graduate school to being on the job market to balancing research, teaching, and service, scholars face a range of unique experiences and pressures. For Filipino Americans, the added layers of being imperial and racialized subjects compound the already challenging experience in this sector. In this TFAL episode, Joe talks to his old ...
Mar 10, 2023•1 hr 20 min
Tell us if you’ve heard this one: “What size is your panty? You’re not large.. you’re size H… HUSKY” We can still remember listening to this joke in college (before youtube), in an MP3 file that circulated the dorms. Never had we heard a stand up comic that sounded like our uncle. Listening to Rex Navarrete for the first time had the feel of backyard shenanigans with a relative, telling stories, and laughing hysterically. His Filipino accent hit home for many of us, and his stories were relevant...
Feb 24, 2023•1 hr 25 min
In this episode the TFAL crew talks about make out parties in the 1990s. Just Kidding! In this episode the TFAL crew talks about scams, the criminal kind. The crew talks about their recollection of prominent Filipino American scams that happened in Los Angeles like the infamous Jun Reodica who was the leader of a bank fraud scheme that unfortunately took advantage of Filipino Americans in the process of financing car purchases in the 1980s and 1990s. Then there is the recent LA Times article abo...
Feb 10, 2023•59 min
As Filipinos, comedy is a significant part of our lives. Not only is it a source of entertainment, comedy is a way of survival – a salve during the lowest points of our lives. It’s no wonder why Filipinos find humor in anything. In these modern times, performance comedy can come in many forms – stand-up, written narratives, sketches, improv, etc. Where does Filipino American comedy thrive? How can Filipino Americans challenges conventional understanding of our community through comedy? In this T...
Jan 20, 2023•1 hr 4 min
Hilaw Pa 5.0! Once again it’s a new year. With a new year comes new ideas. In this 5th iteration of Hilaw Pa, the TFAL crew once again come up with new random “half-baked” ideas related to Filipino Americans that should be out there in the world. Listen as we discuss a solution to California’s housing crisis, a new Filipino New Year’s Tradition, a more convenient way to eat Filipino BBQ, and much much more! Listen or download the episode through the embedded player on this page, or subscribe to ...
Jan 13, 2023•1 hr 2 min
The TFAL Crew comes together for a festivus miracle episode! What is festivus? Take a listen and hear our take on the Seinfeld inspired holiday where we air out our grievances aka give our hot takes for 2022. Do you need to air out your grievances? What are your hot takes for 2022? Let us know! Leave us a voicemail (805) 394-TFAL or email us at thisfilipinoamericanlife@gmail.com Listen or download the episode through the embedded player on this page, or subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts here . A...
Dec 16, 2022•1 hr 11 min
Somehow it’s November and the holidays are upon us. In this episode the TFAL crew has a conversation about our favorite Thanksgiving foods, traditions, etc, etc, etc. What are you thankful for this year? What are some of your favorite Thanksgiving traditions? Let us know! Leave us a voicemail (805) 394-TFAL or email us at thisfilipinoamericanlife@gmail.com 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 ...
Nov 24, 2022•48 min
“Everybody’s looking for Blue’s Clues (and You!) Come on in, come on in It’s Blue’s Clues (and You!)” Some of us remember growing up watching Blue’s Clues , the show that changed children’s programming in a significant way. Nickelodeon introduced us to Steven and his animated dog, Blue, as they found and followed up on clues. The show delighted children for 10 years. In 2019, the show was brought back with a new host, the young Filipino American, Josh! Now new generations of children are growing...
Nov 11, 2022•1 hr 31 min
Happy Filipino American HISTORY Month! How did you celebrate? Why did you celebrate? The past month here in Southern California was filled with numerous events and moments where Filipino and Filipino American culture and heritage were celebrated, but only a handful seemed to spotlight and focus on Filipino American History itself. And while it may seem like splitting hairs, there are very specific and deliberate reasons for the word “History” to be included in the official designation of this mo...
Oct 28, 2022•1 hr 1 min
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 a...
Oct 14, 2022•53 min
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 f...
Sep 30, 2022•58 min
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 D...
Sep 16, 2022•1 hr 20 min
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...
Aug 19, 2022•1 hr 15 min
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...
Aug 04, 2022•1 hr 7 min
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 himse...
Jul 15, 2022•1 hr 6 min
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 cultur...
Jun 27, 2022•46 min
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...
Jun 10, 2022•38 min
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, Chic...
May 20, 2022•1 hr 34 min
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 orga...
May 13, 2022•1 hr 36 min
