Did you know that men from the Philippines prior to colonization wore penis pins and rings in order to pleasure their sexual partner during intercourse? Yes, many of our ancestors had all kinds of sex toys and pleasure enhancers. In many ways, being open to sex and sexual pleasure can be seen as a form of anti-colonialism. Everyday, many Filipinos and Filipino Americans have tried to push for a more sexually liberated society, much to the chagrin of the conservative folks in our community and in...
Jan 19, 2025•1 hr 4 min
Episode 224 | Living with the Land – A Conversation with Dennis Arguelles This past fall, TFALpodcast’s Elaine took a California Naturalist Training Institute course with Community Nature Connection (CNC). CNC offers this course to anyone who aspires to be a steward of the land. CNC also offers customized trainings like: Backpacking 101 Camping CA Native Plants Hiking Indoor plant care Leave No Trace Outdoor Ethics Nature Journaling (for beginners or for interpreters) Wilderness & Urban surv...
Dec 20, 2024•38 min
https://thisfilipinoamericanlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/tfal-episode223.mp3 If it’s a music episode, you know Producer Mike is behind it! In our 3rd and final episode in our Toronto series, we got to get a hangout with Michelle and Kat, two members of the “queer Filipinx kulintang gong punks” crew Pantayo whose incendiary yet soulful music defies even the sheer idea of a genre. We also got to check in with bedroom pop purveyor Denice Quimbo AKA Ruru , a more recent Toronto transplant by ...
Nov 26, 2024•1 hr 12 min
We continue our Toronto series with discussions on two very important issues that affect us – politics and golf. As with every visit to another city, we love to talk about the local political scene. Here to talk to us about Canadian politics is Member of Parliament and Minister of Small Business Rechie Valdez. She was elected to the House of Commons in Canada in 2021 representing Mississauga-Streetsville and is the first Filipina Canadian member of Parliament. Listen as she discusses her story a...
Nov 08, 2024•1 hr 9 min
In honor of Filipino American History Month, the TFAL crew goes to Canada!!! A couple of weeks ago, we had the wonderful opportunity of visiting our neighbors FAR north, Toronto!!! It’s been a while since we’ve traveled to another city, so we made the most of it! During our short trip, we got to meet some awesome kababayan! For the next few episodes, you’ll get to hear from some of the movers and shakers of the GTA (Greater Toronto Area). First, we discuss our initiation to Toronto when we quick...
Oct 25, 2024•1 hr 5 min
Last but most certainly not least in our series of Island Woman Rise episodes, we have returning guest Faith Santilla! This episode is a wee bit different in that we call it “Ask Tita Faith” where Faith answers questions from TFAL listeners. Will this be something we do in the future? ABSOLUTELY! Will we start to have conversations about perimenopause? YES! Because no one told us that this was a thing and some of us seem to be going through it. Will Joe be a part of these convos? Probably not be...
Oct 03, 2024•41 min
Continuing our Island Woman Rise series with a lovely conversation with Filipino-Canadian Kimmortal! The TFAL crew shares how we tried to reach out to Kimmortal in 2019 when we traveled to Vancouver, BC. The interview did not pan out because the universe had other plans for us. They share their journey as an artist with the TFAL crew and we manifest a Filipino North American queer musical! Check out Kimmortal’s music video Blue and Orange, which we speak highly of in the episode. ISLAND WOMAN RI...
Oct 01, 2024•57 min
What what? Another episode of TFALpodcast? Yup. This time the TFAL crew chops it up with Klassy, the youngest artist on the Island Woman Rise line up. Klassy shares her journey as a Historic Filipinotown kid with a talent for drawing and writing lyrics. Find out which TFAL crew member has tattoos done by the talented artist! Listen to GOOD SEEDS by Klassy here: You can also check out the music video for REDIRECT here: ISLAND WOMAN RISE: Ruby Ibarra, Klassy, Rocky Rivera, Faith Santilla, & Ki...
Sep 28, 2024•39 min
Surprise episode drop! Leading up to Island Woman Rise we’re dropping two episodes this week! In this episode the TFALpodcast crew has a conversation with Rocky Rivera who recently dropped LONG KISS GOODNIGHT . Rocky shares her journey as a Frisco city kid turned journalist turned full time artist. Bay area folks, check out Rocky’s album release party Sunday, September 29th at High Tide in Oakland. Listen to Rocky’s latest album now! LONG KISS GOODNIGHT ISLAND WOMAN RISE: Ruby Ibarra, Klassy, Ro...
Sep 25, 2024•52 min
Continuing our series of Island Woman Rise episodes, the TFAL crew has a conversation with the uber talented multi-hyphenated artist who inspired the theme of the show, Ruby Ibarra. Ruby shares her journey joining the Beatrock Music family, her growth as an artist, and drops surprising news to us in the episode! If you haven’t yet, make sure to check out Ruby’s latest music video Bakunawa featuring Ouida, Han Han, & June Millington. ISLAND WOMAN RISE: Ruby Ibarra, Klassy, Rocky Rivera, Faith...
Sep 20, 2024•47 min
In this episode the TFAL crew talks story with Kat Carrido Bonds, our fam and frequent fill in for food appreciator Ryan. Kat shares her journey from music aficionado to college student turned pcn coordinator turned cultural affairs commissioner to Filipino American cultural events producer. Kat and her producing partners with AKB Media are bringing ISLAND WOMAN RISE: Ruby Ibarra, Klassy, Rocky Rivera, Faith Santilla, & Kimmortal to the beautiful Ford LA Theater on Saturday, October 5, 2024,...
Sep 13, 2024•45 min
“In the Year 2000…” If you know that line, you remember it was a bit that Conan O’ Brien did during his late night talk show where he and his co-host Andy Richter comically predicted what the world would be like in the year 2000. (Yes, we’re that old). In this TFAL episode, Ryan and Joe attempt to rehash this bit, but for the Year 3000 and for Filipinos. Yes, Ryan and Joe alone (without Elaine and Producer Mike who were on vacation) steer this episode in what they call the Bernardo Carpio Legend...
Sep 06, 2024•51 min
https://thisfilipinoamericanlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/tfal-episode213.mp3 Every four years (two years if you care for winter sports) athletes from around the world come together to compete in sporting events at the Olympic Games. It’s a time when we care about such sports as swimming, track and field, gymnastics, and dressage. (Seriously, how many of us really care about these sports between Olympics??). Think of the Olympics as Friendship Games or Sportsfest but a million times bigger...
Aug 02, 2024•44 min
Ay SAUCE-MARYOSEP!. Have you ever thought of what kind of Filipino sauces and condiments are in your kitchen? Patis, toyo, suka, bagoong, banana ketchup, sinigang packets, etc. These are essential ingredients to all of our wonderful Filipino dishes. OK, so have you also thought of what kind of preservatives and colorings are in them? Sorbic acid? Sodium benzoate? Titanium dioxide? Red No. 5??? Luckily, Fila Manila is trying to create these sauces and condiments without the added preservatives an...
Jul 23, 2024•1 hr 16 min
Who taught you about SEX? Was it through school? Was it through watching porn? Whatever means you learned (or are learning) about the various aspects of sex, we could bet it wasn’t through your parents! With the Catholic Church shaping our Filipino way our being, sex education has been reduced to abstinence and “family life.” In many ways, Filipinos and Filipino Americans are quite prudish (at least outwardly) when it comes to sex. This is a subject we really never talk about it. In this episode...
Jul 07, 2024•1 hr 31 min
TFAL goes to Hawaii! Well, actually just Joe goes to Hawaii. While attending a conference in Honolulu, Joe took the opportunity to do an additional interview with local Filipino American leader, Chachie Abara. Chachie is an Ilocano language and mental health advocate, runs the podcast and media company KasamahanCo, and is author of a bilingual Ilocano children’s book, Ti Nakakaskasdaaw a Padas ni Nasudi (Nasudi’s Amazing Adventure) . Listen as we discuss the some the differences between Filipino...
Jun 21, 2024•43 min
https://thisfilipinoamericanlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/tfal-episode209.mp3 On August 8, 2023, Maui experienced the largest wildfire in the “United States” in more than 100 years, killing 101 people and displacing 6,500. National media portrayed the disaster as an unfortunate incident to Maui’s idyllic setting for tourism. However, hidden from this mainstream narrative is the larger context of how the wildfires and its disproportionate affect on Filipinos (who make up 40% of Lahaina Town...
Jun 01, 2024•1 hr 3 min
“Bless me, Father, for I have sinned. I am a BAD Filipino!” What makes you a “bad” Filipino? It’s time to confess!! In this TFAL episode, the crew discusses what makes us “bad” Filipinos…or rather Filipinos who buck the proverbial trend. Which one of us doesn’t like Jollibee? Who doesn’t mano po? Who doesn’t ever want to send money back to the Philippines? Which one of us supports a white American culture vulture?? We discuss all this and more in this episode of reconciliation! Listen or downloa...
May 10, 2024•51 min
https://thisfilipinoamericanlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/tfal-episode207.mp3 In this episode the TFAL crew talk with Bayani Teodosio about Bayani Komixtape, the hip hop mixtape follow up to The Realest Bayani, Teodosio’s graphic novel. The crew shares their experience with comic books, pop culture, and learn about Bayani’s origin story that paved the way for the creation of The Realest Bayani. Looking for a graphic novel to read? Pick up The Realest Bayani at www.savidesigns.nyc . Listen ...
Apr 26, 2024•57 min
Did you know that there are currently over 1.8 million orphaned or abandoned children in the Philippines? While formal adoption rates of these children are comparatively low , a significant number of orphaned Filipino children have been transnationally adopted by families in the United States over the decades. In 2000, for example, there were over 10,000 Filipino adoptees living in U.S. households . Just last year, there were 67 adoptions from the Philippines by American families . This TFAL epi...
Apr 12, 2024•58 min
Here it is again…another edition of Hilaw Pa! For those not in the know, Hilaw Pa is where the TFAL Crew shares our half-baked ideas that should be out there in the world. Of course, we’re not going to do it ourselves – thinking them up is our job. It’s up to someone else to execute our brilliant (or not so brilliant) ideas. Listen as we discuss random ideas we had such as a Filipino mariachi band, karaoke in the park, Filipino churrascarias, and more! Listen or download the episode through the ...
Mar 29, 2024•46 min
How do Filipinos practice indigenous spirituality through Catholicism? Who are these “spirits” our parents or grandparents keep talking about that are around us? What explains the Filipino psyche and the way we make sense of the world? How many souls do we have? Some of these questions have helped many Filipinos and Filipino Americans in their quest for a cultural identity and spirituality. In this TFAL episode, Joe speaks to the brilliant Carl Lorenz Cervantes of Sikodiwa about countering the d...
Mar 15, 2024•58 min
In this episode the TFAL crew talks with TFAL alum, Michael Arage, and JT of Nevadans for Palestinian Liberation @npl_palestine . In this episode we have a discussion of our history with the Free Palestine movement, why this issue is important to our community, and how we can show our allyship and be a part of the global movement to end this genocide. Sidenote: There were technical issues during this episode so there may be a few audio issues in the recording. Palestinian accounts to follow: @wi...
Mar 01, 2024•58 min
https://thisfilipinoamericanlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/tfal-episode202.mp3 New year new TFAL? Or are we back to our usual shenanigans? Actually, for the first time in months, and thanks to Ryan’s terrible internet, we met up in person and recorded an episode! One New Years’ tradition that many of the folks in TFAL (and maybe some of you) partake in is the creation of a vision board, a collage of the things we hope to manifest or bring into our lives in the coming year. And in that spiri...
Feb 10, 2024•58 min
Last year, some of us on the TFAL crew had the opportunity to participate in the creation of a special episode of the PBS Socal/KCET show, Lost LA , which focused on the Filipino American community of Southern California. The episode premiered this week and is available on the PBS website or on YouTube . In this TFAL episode, you can listen to our entire discussion with the Lost LA host, Nathan Masters, about Historic Filipinotown in Los Angeles and its history. Listen as we discuss what the Los...
Jan 12, 2024•49 min
https://thisfilipinoamericanlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/tfal-episode200.mp3 Looks like we made it! TFAL’s 200th episode! (Give or take a few bonus episodes and unreleased things here and there…) Back in October, we recorded our 200th episode live at the National Center for the Preservation of Democracy in Los Angeles. (Well technically, it was our 195th at the time but who’s really keeping track ). Together with community leaders and artists Faith Santilla and Johneric Concordia, we revi...
Dec 30, 2023•1 hr 16 min
Before we end 2023, we’re sharing a special bonus episode for you from our friends at Gravy , a narrative podcast produced by Southern Foodways Alliance and distributed by APT Podcast Studios. Named the “Publication of the Year” by the James Beard Foundation, the series showcases a South that is constantly evolving, using food as a means to dig into lesser-known corners of the region, to complicate stereotypes, to document new dynamics, and to give voice to the unsung folk who grow, cook, and se...
Dec 22, 2023•29 min
https://thisfilipinoamericanlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/tfal-episode199.mp3 2023 is almost over! And to close things out before we get to our grand finale of the year, we decided to do something… a little different? Or maybe not? In what is apparently essentially in the grand tradition of our reflections on highlights (Episodes 19.5, 140, 157) and/or airing of grievances (Episodes 4.5, 25.2, 142, 180), and not the amazingly creative new thing Producer Mike had hoped he had come up with, ...
Dec 19, 2023•1 hr 6 min
Rondalla. Kulintang. Bamboo poles. Gangsas. Sway balance. DANCE! We all are quite familiar with Philippine folk dances such as Pandanggo sa Ilaw, Vinta, Carinosa, Banga, and of course, Tinikling. Whether we learned them through P.E. classes back in the Philippines, church festivals in the U.S., on college campuses at a PCN, or even on viral TikTok videos, Filipino Americans have had some exposure to folk dances. How did these dances become so popular and why do they play such a large part of “Fi...
Dec 01, 2023•1 hr 29 min
https://thisfilipinoamericanlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/tfal-episode197.mp3 When and where does Filipino American history begin? Is it on October 18, 1587 in Morro Bay, California? According to our guest in this TFAL episode, this date and time only reinforces a settler colonialist narrative. Writer and public historian, Adrian De Leon , argues that “Filipino America” actually began in the 1760s in the Philippines. Certainly a highly polemical take in Filipino American history for sure, ...
Nov 10, 2023•1 hr 24 min
