Podcast Filipino American Life

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 la…

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 backya…

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 unfortunatel…

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. W…

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 …

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 thi…

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@g…

“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 chil…

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 …

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 ep…

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…

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 Filipin…

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…

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 Entertainm…

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 cours…

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 o…

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…

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 su…

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 Chicag…

The TFAL Crew is in Chicago! Over the next three episodes, TFAL brings you to the capitol of the Midwest! We will talk to some of the city’s community leaders and small business owners and discuss what the MIdwest Filipino American experience is all about. In this introductory episode, the TFAL crew discusses traveling for the first time since the …

In less than two weeks, Filipinos across the Philippines and dual citizens around the world will go to the polls to elect a new president. This is a very important election for the Philippines and will affect those of us in the diaspora tremendously. We at TFAL want to make sure you all know the basic information about the election. Ferdinand “Bong…

In the year 2000 MTVs Real World took the audience to New Orleans and introduced Filipino Americans to Melissa Howard. Over 20 years later Paramount Plus is giving Gen Xers the opportunity to revisit classic Real World casts. In 2021 Real World New York and Los Angeles opened the door to these Homecoming reunions. These shows did not take place in …

Surprise, surprise, TFAL talks about their favorite subject – FOOD – in this episode! Specifically food criticism. The team talks about the rise of Yelp reviews to which one of us wanted to be a food critic? Could you guess who that might be? If you suspect a TFAL food appreciator, you might be correct! In this episode, the team talks story with An…

Monuments, statues, street signs, plaques, memorials, murals. Our communities are filled with tributes to the people, places, and things that hold some sort of significance to the people who live there, and this holds true in past and present Filipino Communities throughout America. Jose Rizal Bridge, Larry Itliong Village, and the upcoming gateway…

Oh SPAM…the delectable, delicious soft pink slab of pork meat so ubiquitous to Filipino and Filipino American weekend breakfast meals. You love it fried, crispy, maybe with a sprinkle of sugar, served with a warm heap of garlic rice and egg. It tickles our taste buds and tummies with such delight, but also clogs our arteries with fat and cholestero…

It’s no secret that TFAL Producer Mike and Elaine love a good video game from Animal Crossing to Uncharted to Final Fantasy. Role Playing Games (RPG) are a favorite pastime. If only there was a Filipino inspired one we could explore? Well turns out there is! In this episode the crew shares their experiences with video games and speaks with Patti Um…

Ever wonder why that peculiar Chinese restaurants have no chopsticks on their table settings? Have you noticed that your finance branch at your work has a lot of Filipinos? Did you ever think, what’s up with basketball leagues that are 6 feet and Under? These questions are some of the same things we’ve asked. We all know about places, businesses, o…

Baybayin, the pre-colonial written script of the Philippines, is a major foundation of our cultural heritage. The alphasyllabary script consisting of 17 characters was understood and used by communities throughout much of the archipelago prior to colonization. Spanish missionary Pedro Chirino, who lived and studied Philippine society in the early y…

In this episode, we shout out some of the many Filipino Small Businesses that we are personal fans of, ones that you should definitely support this Holiday season! Here is the list of who we mentioned on the show, along with some other ones that are also near and dear to our hearts: Jewelry Honey My Heart – honeymyheart.com / @honeymyheart Maaari –…

Gotta have faith! Freedom Like many Filipinos and Filipino Americans, the TFAL crew grew up around Christianity, specifically Catholicism. We speak of our upbringing in our podcast, mainly about how it’s shaped not just our adult selves, but the continued practices and traditions of many family, friends and listeners alike. Although we all look at …

Oh, the dad joke. We all know it. We all love it. And for Filipinos it gives us life. While Dad jokes can be a myriad of things, dad jokes to Filipinos are especially punny (get it?). For one Filipino American, dad jokes have become a way to learn Tagalog words. In this mini-episode, the TFAL crew joins forces with Geoffrey Ocampo of the Rememberin…

In this episode the TFAL crew is short one Ryan Carpio but is happily joined by Kat Carrido Bonds on this episode about Filipino Americans in Hip Hop. Mark Villegas shares his wealth of knowledge as an academic scholar in this field bridging his previous collaborative work with DJ Kuttin Kandi and Dr. Roderick N. Labrador, Empire of Funk: Hip Hop a…

Kulintang (literally meaning “golden sound moving” in English), is the gong and drum ensemble indigenous to the Sulu and Mindanao islands in the southern Philippines This classical music genre has resonated across the Philippines and throughout the Filipino diaspora. As a way to honor and archive the rich sounds of kulintang, the Smithsonian Folkwa…

“If there was one thing to take away from this story, I would hope that it’s motivation for you to go create something.” -Antonio “Miko” Javiniar This is a story about chairs. Whether you knew it or not, the rattan and bamboo hourglass-style peacock chair that has been seen in photos and homes for over a century traces its origins to the Philippine…

Happy Filipino American Heritage…er History Month! It’s hard to believe, but in the five years this podcast has been around, we haven’t dedicated an episode to Filipino American History Month (FAHM). So this episode, the TFAL crew discusses our experiences with October ever since the Filipino American National Historical Society declared the month …

Are you the black sheep in your family who chafes at traditions and seeks examples of how to redefine them? As Filipino Americans, we are constantly pulled in various directions and navigate multiple spaces in our families and in society, often getting shunned for just being our true selves. The black sheep, however, are in key positions to move ou…

What are Filipino Americans’ experiences and relationships with Filipino immigrants and Filipinos in the Philippines? Filipino Americans – Filipinos who are born and or raised in the U.S. – often have vastly different experiences from Filipinos in the Philippines and those who recently immigrate to the U.S. Sometimes those differences clash when di…

Although they provide companionship, emotional support, and stress-relieving, these key “family members” of some Filipino American households may not get talked about very often: OUR PETS! On this TFAL episode, we talk about pet ownership and welfare with two Filipino American veterinarians who are passionate about animals: Dr. Maria Solacito and D…

“As the days go by…it’s the bigger love the family.” Growing up in communal households, many Filipino Americans sense the unspoken duty to take care of their families. Whether it’s taking care of one’s own children, or one’s parents, or new, adopted members of one’s family, we all know we have some form of obligation to something outside of ourselv…

Take me out to the ball game Take me out with the crowd Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack I don’t care if I ever get back Let me root, root, root for the… How many of you have had the opportunity to sing this song at a baseball game? Filipino Americans love sports, however our fandoms lean towards basketball, a sport where the average height of …

https://thisfilipinoamericanlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/tfal-episode145.mp3 Can you believe that, in the five years that we’ve been doing this podcast about Filipino American Life, somehow we have neglected to talk to a DJ about DJing?! Neither can we, especially since Producer Mike is a collector and curator of vinyl himself! Though DJing …

In recent weeks, many Filipinos and Filipino Americans have appeared in mainstream U.S. news and entertainment. Whether it’s the release of the Netflix anime series, TRESE, the long-awaited appearance of a Filipino nurse in Grey’s Anatomy, the recent announcement of a Pinay Captain America, or the heroic acts of Jordan Clarkson after a racist incid…

How many Filipinos are in the United States? Where are Filipinos located throughout the nation? How well are we doing socio-economically? What does this data tell us about our community? Many people have researched answers to these demographic questions using statistical data. One of these important figures is Neil Ruiz, Associate Director of Race …

3-2-1 …. 1-2-3. What the heck is bothering me? It’s been a while since TFAL has asked “Bakit?” “Why o’ why?” For our latest edition of the Bakit List, the TFAL team shares what grinds their gears. We look at the annoying and ever so problematic topics that affect Filipino Americans. Some of the discussions include land inheritance, living and perpe…

What is something that you thought was politically impossible but happened? This is the question that Elaine, Joe, Producer Mike, and special guest host Kat tackle in this conversation about Pinays in Political Organizing. Community and political organizing is a difficult and important job that allows for the impossible to become a reality in our l…

So… there’s a lot going on in the world. A lot of it not so great. And while we talk about many of those things on our show and in our social media, we figured we all needed to take a little bit of a break to try and focus on the good things that are happening in our lives, and to think about some of the things that have actually brought smiles to …

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to write a TV or movie? If you had total creative freedom to pitch a show or movie, what would it be about? Would you center Filipino or Filipino American stories? In this TFAL episode, we talk TV writing with the one and only Rene Gube, comedian, actor, and writer for such shows like Crazy Ex Girlfriend…

It’s been one year since most of the United States has been under quarantine, significantly changing our lives. In this TFAL episode, we reflect on a year like no other, how COVID has affected our personal lives and the lives of many of our kababayan, and reminders of what we need to continue to do while we’re still in the pandemic. Our special gue…

Roses are red. Violets are blue. These brown hands Choo choo choose you! Hello TFAL listeners, join us as the TFAL Crew reflects on love. Well…sort of, through the lens of the commercialized and overpriced holiday of Valentine’s day! All joking aside, we can all agree that we need a little more love in this world, and if Valentine’s Day makes us be…

2020 will go down in history as one of the most difficult years for so many of us. At the time of writing, 443,000 people have lost their lives to covid-19. Deaths in 2020 that were not Covid-19 related were still impacted by the virus. In certain situations, they were unable to get care that could save their lives because emergency rooms were turn…