This Filipino American Life
215 episodes - English - Latest episode: 2 days ago - ★★★★★ - 360 ratingsA podcast that explores the nuanced experiences of Filipinos in the United States, atbp.
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Episodes
Episode 158 – Baybayin atbp. with Kristian Kabuay
January 07, 2022 18:12 - 59 minutes - 135 MBBaybayin, 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 years of Spanish colonization, documented...
Episode 157 – A Few of TFAL’s Favorite Things – Small Businesses to Support this Holiday Season
December 17, 2021 18:26 - 57 minutes - 132 MBIn 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 ...
Episode 156 – Freethought, Faith, and Politics with Filipino Freethinkers
December 03, 2021 18:50 - 1 hour - 161 MBGotta 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...
Episode 155 – Filipi-mnemonics: Remembering the Tagalog with Geoffrey Ocampo
November 12, 2021 17:54 - 48 minutes - 112 MBOh, 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...
Episode 154 – Manifest Technique: Talking Filipino Americans and Hip Hop with Mark Villegas (Social Distance Series)
November 05, 2021 21:15 - 1 hour - 148 MBIn 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....
Episode 153 – Kulintang Kultura: A Conversation with Theo Gonzalves and Mary Talusan Lacanlale
October 22, 2021 17:18 - 1 hour - 161 MBKulintang (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 Folkways Recordings...
Episode 152 – A Life Well Designed: The Legacy of Pinky Santos and the Influence of Filipino Art on the Lived Environment
October 15, 2021 18:07 - 1 hour - 220 MB“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...
Episode 151 – Filipino American Heritage…er History Month
October 08, 2021 04:52 - 50 minutes - 115 MBHappy 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 as FAHM. ...
Episode 150 – The Wisdom of Guncles: A Conversation with Michael Dumlao (Social Distance Series)
September 10, 2021 16:35 - 1 hour - 164 MBAre 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...
Episode 149 – Contested Relations: Fil Am Experiences with Filipinos in and from the Philippines (Social Distance Series)
August 20, 2021 19:50 - 1 hour - 204 MBWhat 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 discussing issues of...
Episode 148 – A Pawsome Episode for Filipino American Pet Owners (Social Distance Series)
August 06, 2021 18:40 - 1 hour - 201 MBAlthough 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 Dr. Ronaldo “Joey” Vasquez....
Episode 147 – Family Matters: TFAL Talks Taking Care of Family
July 23, 2021 20:18 - 1 hour - 143 MB“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...
Episode 146 – No Crying in Baseball: A Conversation with The Baseballogist L.A. Gamo
July 13, 2021 16:42 - 1 hour - 196 MBTake 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...
Episode 145 – Les is More: Mixing It Up with “Les The DJ” Talusan (Social Distance Series)
June 25, 2021 17:57 - 1 hour - 181 MBCan 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 may be as old as vinyl records themselves,...
Episode 144 – Susus Maryosep: TFAL Talks Recent Filipino Representation (Social Distance Series)
June 12, 2021 02:34 - 54 minutes - 124 MBIn 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 incident...
Episode 143 – Filipino American Community Profile: Data and Statistics with Neil Ruiz (Social Distance Series)
May 28, 2021 20:09 - 1 hour - 176 MBHow 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 and...
Episode 142 – The Bakit List 3.0: What Grinds Our Gears Edition (Social Distance Series)
May 14, 2021 17:53 - 1 hour - 145 MB3-2-1 …. 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...
Episode 141 – Pinays in Political Organizing: A Conversation with Russellie Bongolan & Lillie Madali (Social Distance Series)
April 30, 2021 18:10 - 1 hour - 181 MBWhat 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...
Episode 140 – The Good (Ha) Place – TFAL Thinks Happy Thoughts (Social Distance Series)
April 09, 2021 18:14 - 1 hour - 153 MBSo… 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...
Episode 139 – Cleaming the Gube: TV Writing with Rene Gube (Social Distance Series)
March 26, 2021 19:47 - 1 hour - 185 MBHave 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,...
Episode 138 – A Year of COVID 19: A Conversation with Cindy Evangelista
March 05, 2021 22:30 - 159 MBIt’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...
Episode 138 – A Year of COVID 19: A Conversation with Cindy Evangelista (Social Distance Series)
March 05, 2021 22:30 - 1 hour - 159 MBIt’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...
Episode 137 – tFalling in Love: TFAL Talks Valentine’s Day (Social Distance Series)
February 19, 2021 20:59 - 53 minutes - 122 MBRoses 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...
Episode 136 – A Good Death: A Conversation with Death Doula/Midwife Michelle Mondia (Social Distance Series)
February 04, 2021 19:44 - 1 hour - 163 MB2020 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...
Episode 135 – Purge Towards New Beginnings (Social Distance Series)
January 22, 2021 17:28 - 1 hour - 138 MBNew Year. Covid’s still here. Let’s start purging and clear… The energy for 2021. We all know that 2020 was a roller coaster that we were happy to say so long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, goodnight, and goodbye to that wretched year. Within the first week of 2021, we faced an attempted coup attempt and more...
Episode 134 – Philippine Archaeology and the Ifugao Rice Terraces with Stephen Acabado (Social Distance Series)
January 14, 2021 18:55 - 1 hour - 155 MBDid you know that the Banaue Rice Terraces are actually only approximately 200-300 years old hundred years old, and not 2,000 years old as many people believe? Did you know that the “Wave Migrations” theory of the people-ing of the Philippines has no archaeological basis and is fundamentally racist? Some of these Philippine nationalist narratives...
Episode 133 – TFAL Sweet Talks: Filipino Desserts with Ginger Lim Dimapasok of Café 86 (Social Distance Series)
December 16, 2020 18:14 - 1 hour - 222 MBFilipinos are notorious for their sweet tooth. We put sugar in almost all of our dishes. So much so our spaghetti would be a dessert in Italy. And of course, who can forget our traditional desserts? Bibingka, turon, halo halo, Cebu torta, tupig, puto bumbong, ginataan, buko pie…the list goes on and on. In almost...
Episode 132 – Bumoto Kami: Filipino American Electoral Politics (Social Distance Series)
November 20, 2020 18:00 - 1 hour - 180 MBElection season in the US has come and not quite gone, and regardless of who you voted for (and how you feel about the results), a noteworthy aspect of this year’s Elections were the sheer number of Filipino Americans running for office throughout the country. From Hawaii to Virginia, California to Georgia, and even Utah...
Episode 131 – Who Ordered Tax? TFAL Talks Pinoy Humor (Social Distance Series)
November 06, 2020 19:12 - 58 minutes - 135 MBFilipino humor. You know what it is. Super corny one-liners your mom or dad, aunt and uncle might have said. It may be a play on words. May include using an accent. On Filipino TV shows, it may include a high-pitched, solo laugh track. Some Filipino Americans might find it hilarious. Some may not. Non-Filipinos...
Episode 130 – Dance Dance Revelations: Filipinos and Hip Hop Dance with J. Lorenzo Perillo (Social Distance Series)
October 21, 2020 14:05 - 1 hour - 213 MBDance off! Dance crews and line dancers, dance fanatics, and dance contest watchers – gather around for another episode of TFAL as we discuss hip hop dancing and Filipinos’ proclivity towards the art form. We reminisce about our abilities (or inabilities) to follow a dance routine, our love for dancing, and of course, Pilipino Cultural...
Episode 130 – Dance Dance Revelations: Filipinos and Hip Hop Dance with J. Lorenzo Perillo
October 21, 2020 14:05 - 213 MBDance off! Dance crews and line dancers, dance fanatics, and dance contest watchers – gather around for another episode of TFAL as we discuss hip hop dancing and Filipinos’ proclivity towards the art form. We reminisce about our abilities (or inabilities) to follow a dance routine, our love for dancing, and of course, Pilipino Cultural...
Episode 129 – Digging up the Truth: The Celine Archive with Celine Parreñas Shimizu (Social Distance Series)
September 30, 2020 20:33 - 1 hour - 152 MBIn 1932, Celine Navarro, a young Filipina American, was buried alive and murdered by other Filipinos just outside of Stockton, California. The murder of Navarro caught national media attention, sensationalizing the crime and painting Filipinos as savage members of primitive cults. Though mostly forgotten now, this horrific incident reverberated through the Filipino American community during...
Episode 128 – A Stoner’s Parable: TFAL Talks “Call Out” Culture (Social Distance Series)
September 24, 2020 19:13 - 1 hour - 168 MB“Call out” culture, an inevitable part of online conversations, has become a bigger part of public discourse over the past few years. While critique and criticism have been around forever, social media has perhaps accelerated confrontations and further deepened divisions between people as online identities increasingly coalesce with personal identities. And the Filipino American community...
Episode 127: TFAL Live – Do The Hustle
September 11, 2020 17:33 - 1 hour - 142 MBCan you believe it’s been six months of quarantine? The TFAL Crew, including sleep deprived new dad Joe, came together this past Wednesday night for a TFAL Live where we engaged in a lively discussion about hustles. We talk about how quarantine and covid has impacted or inspired side hustles. The conversation also delves into...
Episode 126 – LINGUA FRANCA: A conversation with filmmaker Isabel Sandoval (Social Distance Series)
August 26, 2020 16:32 - 1 hour - 147 MBIn this episode the TFAL crew, with Kat Carrido Bonds filling in as a guest host, have a discussion with Isabel Sandoval, the artist behind the lyrical and delicate drama LINGUA FRANCA. LINGUA FRANCA follows Olivia, played by Isabel Sandoval, an undocumented Filipino trans woman, working as a caregiver to Olga, an elderly Russian...
Episode 125 – When Nature Calls: TFAL Goes to the Great Outdoors (Social Distance Series)
August 14, 2020 17:01 - 1 hour - 148 MBTrading the city and WiFi for nature and No Service may be the break our overstimulated brains need to recharge. In this episode the TFAL crew talks about their experiences with hiking, fishing, camping, and nature. Find out who grew up camping, how karaoke and mah jong can be a part of these trips,...
Episode 124 – A Feminist’s Journey Through Pregnancy with Angela Garbes (Social Distance Series)
July 29, 2020 15:48 - 1 hour - 183 MBTFAL is having a baby! Actually, just Gerlie and Joe are having a baby. The latest change in their lives prompted a discussion about pregnancy as Filipino Americans. In this episode, the TFAL crew delves into what we know and don’t know about pregnancy. Most of our conversation is around what we don’t know because,...
Episode 123 – Culture Shock: How Filipino Americans deal with Americana (Social Distance Series)
July 16, 2020 15:17 - 1 hour - 181 MBBeing raised in the United States, we as Filipino Americans have learned American cultural practices that we’ve grown accustomed to and even embraced – eating hotdogs in a bun, trick or treating, camping, Superbowl parties, calling in sick after Superbowl Parties, weekend BBQs, or even being treated to a meal on your birthday. There are...
Episode 122 – Hold the Line: Standing Up for Press Freedom with Maria Ressa (Social Distance Series)
July 08, 2020 15:09 - 1 hour - 193 MBHave you ever thought about how do you get your news? Obtaining news has quickly evolved over the years. Just in the TFAL crew’s lifetimes, the ways we have consumed news has transitioned from physical newspapers to local afternoon TV news to news sites then to social media feeds. In this new era of rapid...
Episode 121 – Urban Gardening and Restorative Justice with Richard Garcia of Alma Backyard Farms (Social Distance Series)
July 01, 2020 16:54 - 1 hour - 200 MBThe late Asian American activist Grace Lee Boggs towards the end of her life began to devote her activism to the urban agricultural movement in Detroit. She believed that urban gardening provided nutritious food, beautifies neighborhoods, and creates and sustains neighborhood social capital, More importantly, she believed that urban gardening had the capability to be...
Episode 120 – Fil Am Allyship in the Black Lives Matter Movement (Social Distance Series)
June 17, 2020 18:13 - 1 hour - 212 MBThe murder of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and countless others at the hands of the police department has ignited outrage all around the world and once again, exposed the deep wounds of racism and inequality in the United States. While it’s easy to dismiss this unrest as somehow “outside” of the Filipino American...
Episode 119 – The Social Distance Series: Mental Health in times of Quarantine with Alyssa Lia Mancao
June 10, 2020 17:36 - 1 hour - 175 MBEarly in the TFAL podcast journey we discussed therapy and mental health in Episode 2. As time has progressed the TFAL community has asked to continue the discussion around mental health. In this episode the TFAL crew has a conversation with Alyssa Lia Mancao, a therapist based out of Sherman Oaks, CA, who also...
Episode 118 – The Social Distance Series: Pilipino Graduations
May 29, 2020 19:08 - 1 hour - 169 MBPilipino Graduation. P-Grad. Fil-Grad. Filipina/o/@/x Grad. Whatever the nomenclature, these ceremonies celebrate the educational accomplishments of Filipino Americans at many universities, colleges, and increasingly high schools. P-Grads are more intimate ceremonies where FilAm graduates personally thank their loved ones, don Filipino regalia, and honor a community whose retention and graduation rates are historically not very...
Episode 117 – The Social Distance Series: Hilaw Pa 4.0
May 23, 2020 19:21 - 1 hour - 169 MBTFAL is back with yet another edition of Hilaw Pa, the ultimate Filipino American brainstorm where the crew comes up with half-baked ideas related to our experiences. In this episode, we discuss Coronavirus-related ideas. Listen as we come up with ideas to hang out with our pals, respect our elders, and grab our food while...
Episode 116 – The Social Distance Series: TFAL talks ECQ in Metro Manila with Isabelle Lacson
May 07, 2020 20:12 - 1 hour - 165 MBAs we continue our social distance series, we wanted to know what the Covid-19 experience was like in the Philippines. For that perspective the crew talks to Isabelle Lacson, a Metro Manila resident and friend of Producer Mike and Elaine. Isabelle shares what life is like under Enhanced Community Quarantine or ECQ. While there are...
Episode 116: The Social Distance Series – TFAL talks ECQ in Metro Manila with Isabelle Lacson
May 07, 2020 20:12As we continue our social distance series, we wanted to know what the Covid-19 experience was like in the Philippines. For that perspective the crew talks to Isabelle Lacson, a Metro Manila resident and friend of Producer Mike and Elaine. Isabelle shares what life is like under Enhanced Community Quarantine or ECQ. While there are...
Episode 115 – The Social Distance Series: Pilipino Cultural Nights
April 30, 2020 17:09 - 1 hour - 213 MBPilipino Cultural Night, aka PCN, aka PACN, aka Barrio Fiesta, aka Filipino Night, etc. is an annual production performed by countless Filipino American student organizations on college campuses (and some high schools) throughout the country. It is a night of acting, singing, and dancing that draws thousands of Filipino Americans any given year. It has...
Episode 114 – The Social Distance Series: Raising Multiracial Children with Farzana Nayani
April 22, 2020 16:25 - 1 hour - 201 MBWhen we began our podcast journey several folks reached out to us about covering the multiracial Filipino experience. The question came to mind “What does it mean to be a multiracial Filipino?” This is a question that we knew we’d need an expert to share their experience and perspective. In this episode we chat with...
Episode 113 – The Social Distance Series: Burlesque with Mizon Garde and Di’ Lovely
April 08, 2020 18:54 - 1 hour - 218 MBWhat a tease! In the midst of this doomsday-esque reality that we are experiencing through the coronavirus pandemic, we thought it would be nice to travel down the world of… you guessed it—Burlesque! Although the roots of “burlesque“ range from parody stage shows to performances in a variety show format, it gradually transitioned into what...
Episode 112 – The Social Distance Series: Live with Nurse Practitioner Therese Golingay Donnelly
April 02, 2020 18:26 - 1 hour - 152 MBOn this episode of our Social Distance Series we were able to live stream via our Youtube Channel and on Instagram. The TFAL crew chats with Therese Golingay Donnelly, a nurse practitioner based in Los Angeles. Therese shares her journey going from Founding Mother of Kappa Psi Epsilon at California State University, Long Beach to...