Category: Immigration
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Pinoy’s Tabo culture
By Willie Jose When we think about our Filipino culture, many things come to mind: Bahay Kubo, Tinikling, Kundiman, Kalesa, Jeepneys, Singkil, Fiesta, Parol, Baro’t Saya, Barong Tagalog, Balikbayan Box– and the handy Tabo. Of all these cultural icons, tabo is doubtless an indispensable fixture of the culture. And whether we are working abroad, living…
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Grace to Organize
by Gabriel Catanus Recently, an activist contacted me on behalf of a workers’ rights organization. One of the unions this organization supports represents several Filipino American factory workers in a nearby suburb, and these workers were upset that their employer was forcing them to work under poor conditions. Also, their collective bargaining agreement had expired…
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“Tuli”(circumcision) — a Rite of Passage
By Willie Jose I remember my “Tuli” ( circumcision) rite of passage, which took place in the summer of 1960, right after I finished elementary school. Before entering high school, I wanted to make sure “everything was done” so I wouldn’t have to worry about being teased by my classmates for being “supot” (uncircumcised). Being…
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Bahay Kubo, a known Pinoy Icon
By Willie Jose These days, the popularity of the bahay kubo is once again finding its way into the hearts and minds of our countrymen. Despite the rise of modern concrete and hardwood houses, many people are now choosing to buy ready-made nipa huts and set them up in available spaces on their properties. Being…
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Tara na! to Springfield — where decisions shape Filipino Americans’ future
Maraming Filipinos, kasama ang fellow Asians at determined community supporters ang tutungo sa Springfiled Illiois, seat of state government, sa Miyerkules, Mayo 6, 2026 para ipadama sa mga legislators ang collective concerns at hinaing ng mga Filipinos at kapwa Asians ukol sa mga pangangailangan ng mga pamilyang migrante sa Chicago. State legislators control essential aspects…
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Civic Engagement Beyond the Ballot: How Filipino Americans Can Make Their Voices Heard
By Angela Ebreo, Ph.D. I read Connie Triggiano’s article in a previous issue of Bayanihan with great interest. Her appeal for community members to become more civically engaged is timely, especially given the many ways policies affecting us are being implemented both nationally and within individual states. But what does it mean to be civically…
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A celebration of life while it’s still being lived
A farewell party. A final hurrah. A profound swan song. An advanced goodbye. It’s when a loved one is getting ready to write “30,” like when a news story ends. It’s a celebration of life while it is still being lived. They’re called many endearing terms – these celebrations of life as it veers towards…
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PABASA
by Rowena Luna PABASA, a traditional Lenten Filipino Catholic devotion, is one of the oldest Holy Week tradition which begun in the 17th century. It was started by Spanish Missionaries in melodic form and translated into Tagalog so the Filipino indigenous people could be familiar with it. It is a continuous chanting of a long…
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A Proposed Blueprint for Filipino Americans’ Political Recognition
During every election cycle, Filipino American voters bring a cluster of priorities highlighting economic needs, immigration anxieties, and health care, among other issues in the mix but these community concerns rarely surface in mainstream political narratives. The core issue behind this absence in the political landscape that tends to perpetuate Filipinos’ under-recognition is not a…
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A Trilogy of Stories, a Century of Memory:
THE ART OF BELONGING Theater, Archival Film, and Filipino American Memory Come Together in Chicago Chicago, IL — CIRCA Pintig announces The Art of Belonging, a multidisciplinary theater and film project that celebrates Filipino immigrant life in the Midwest through staged readings and rare archival home movies. The project pairs three short plays adapted from…