This Filipino American Life

“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 Legendary Hour. Listen as they try to make bo...

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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.

In this TFAL episode, the crew talks about the one and only Olympic Games! We discuss our memories of Oly...

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 and other nasty ingredients that aren’t so good for us through locally sources. He’s also hoping that his new Fil...

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, we talk about sex (baby!). We focus on the politics of sex...

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 Americans in Hawaii and on the Mainland. We also discuss her work in promoting Ilocano to young folks in Hawaii and b...

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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), Native Hawaiians, and other historically marginalized communities of color transpired. The Maui Fires, like Hurricane Katrina nearly 20 years ago, was largely a man-made disaster, scorching the island through the convergence of settle...

“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 download the episode through the embedded player on our s...

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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 and support the #BayaniKomixtape on Bandcamp: https://th

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 episode sheds light on some of the experiences of a Filipino adoptee who grew up in the United States with a non-Filipino family. We a...

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 embedded player on our site...