Category: Filipino American
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Help Us Build Kusina ng Bayan: The Community’s Kitchen
Chicago’s Filipinx/a/o community has faced significant challenges this year, from rising costs and economic uncertainty to reduced access to essential services and growing pressures on immigrant communities. This past summer, much of Rizal Center’s time, resources, and fundraising has focused on necessary improvements to make our building safer, more accessible, and better prepared to serve…
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A September Reflection: The Art of Doing Nothing and Why It Matters
There emerges a strange phenomenon as summer melts into fall. September arrives with a very specific vibe — yung hangin na medyo malamig na sa umaga, yung sunlight na hindi na kasing harsh ng July, at yung subtle shift sa city rhythm. Sa Chicago, ramdam na ito sa Lakefront breeze, sa mga bata na bumabalik…
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A Legacy of Resistance: Filipino Americans, Martial Law, and the Fight for Democracy
By Grace Fitzgerald As we approach the 54th anniversary of President Ferdinand Marcos’ proclamation of martial law over the Philippines, we must remember the hostile political state that drove hundreds of thousands of Filipinos to seek sanctuary in the United States, and we should recognize the courageous, innovative FilAm activists who persistently fought against the…
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Covering News during Martial Law Years
By Willie Jose Working in a newspaper during those early years of martial law in the 70s was not so hard or fearsome; all the papers had to do was publish “positive stories” about the workings of government and the country —and follow Malacañang’s directives. Those martial law years were the heyday for press releases,…
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Maraming Salamat po! – Generations of Service: FACGC Honors the Volunteers Carrying the Rizal Center Forward
CHICAGO — The faces gathered for a group photograph at the Rizal Center tell a story larger than a single Volunteer Appreciation Day. Standing and sitting shoulder to shoulder, volunteers of different ages and backgrounds represent the latest chapter in more than seven decades of community service, sacrifice, and stewardship at the Filipino American Council…
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Pamana Children’s Library-From the Author’s Desk
This August at Pamana Library Corner, we are pleased to feature The Twin Mermaids of the Island Moon by Filipina author Marilou Urbi. Rooted in Filipino values of family, kindness, and community, this beautifully written story introduces young readers to a magical world where emotions, courage, and compassion are just as important as adventure. Inspired…
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An Adventure of a Lifetime: Riding a jeepney back home
By Willie Jose During my recent visit to the Philippines, I couldn’t help but notice the apparent breakdown in drivers’ discipline and their little or no regard for traffic laws — it’s a free-for-all over there. Drivers could pick up passengers anywhere on the streets, even stopping in the middle of the road. While driving,…
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From Baybayin to Filipino: The Enduring Journey of a Nation’s Language
How centuries of adaptation shaped the Philippines’ linguistic identity without erasing its cultural roots. The Philippines has always had a heritage language vouching for this country’s capacity to interact with the world – even long before the crowned heads of Europe came to colonize countries in Southeast Asia. The Philippines’ earliest language is called “Baybayin,”…