Issue 47, January 2022
Fr. Patrick Longalong On conflicts in FilAm families
Jersey City Council
Oks AAPI studies in schools
Jeff Coleman Politics inspired by Edsa People Power
Letter from the Editor
The human spirit will not be conquered
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loom and near despair are pervasive as we usher in 2022. The Omicron variant of COVID-19 is running riot in our country, affirming that the virus is not done yet and will be around for months and even years to come. The virus has led directly to a tsunami of hate for Asian Americans whose tangent link is the color of their skin and the way they look -- the textbook definition of racism. Some Asian Americans now hunker down in the safety of their homes, petrified about going out and being subject to random attacks that could leave them maimed, or worse, dead. The past year has been hard. In fact, the last two years have been horrible. There is no sugarcoating our collective experiences as a community in confronting the turn towards meanness we have encountered in our daily lives. While the physical toll has been horrendous, the mental harm inflicted by the virus has just been as horrific. In many, many ways, the impact of being cooped up and masked is just as bad on our psyche. There is no way to describe the feeling of being perpetNot giving in to despair and handwringing. Unsplash photo ually under siege from a disease that leaves one gasping for the simple joy of breathing and unable thing that resembles a normal life. The virus has to embrace the people we love. been that damaging to the way we function socially, Going forward, it increasingly becomes apparent leaving us for the most part isolated and cut off from that being masked and getting regular shots is the children and grandchildren, parents and the joyous only way to proceed for now so we can have somechaos of learning together in school.
Contributing Writers Tricia J. Capistrano Ludy AstraquilloOngkeko Joel David Mariel Padilla Wendell Gaa Lindy Rosales Maricar CP Hampton Vicky Potenciano-Vitug Angelito Cabigao Danielle Vania Bonus
Founding Editor Cristina DC Pastor Address P.O. Box 8071 New York, NY 10116
But the human spirit we in the Filipino American community and the remarkably wider universe of our nation will not be conquered by what has happened in the last two years from going forward in 2022 and beyond. We recently watched a year-ender on one of the networks where they featured the joy and exuberance of good Americans doing what comes naturally for neighbors and strangers. One of the clips shows a veteran with prosthetic legs teaching a young boy how to walk with his own artificial limbs. It is those acts of kindness that speak to the fact that people of goodwill are worth celebrating as the New Year begins. We are all too aware of the difficulties we face. But we can face them with a generosity of spirit which defines who we really are as Americans, of Filipino descent or otherwise. Some 60 years ago, a young, incoming Catholic president asked us ‘what we can do’ for our country? The answer then, as it is today, is simple and heartfelt. We need to keep doing what is right for our community and our nation. We need to meet the challenges of our times with the abiding belief that good people will want and work toward better times. There will be the constant struggle and disappointment. But we will not give in to despair and hand-wringing. We control our collective destiny and we should welcome 2022 to build on the inherent goodness of people. There is no other option but to put one foot in front of the other and make the world a better place. Have a wonderful and blessed 2022.
Contact Thefilamny@gmail.com
The FilAm is a publication of A&V Editorial THE FILAM |
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Fr. Patrick Longalong on shortage of priests and conflicts in FilAm families
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By Cristina DC Pastor
know very few Filipino priests in America. Three to be exact. One of them is this elderly priest, a favorite in the community, whose touchy-feely ways give me the heebie-jeebies. Another is the priest in my parish whose homilies I find a little gimmicky. In one homily, he brought a beach ball and asked a boy to snatch it from him. He wanted to illustrate why we should not lose our Faith or take it for granted. And then there’s Father Patrick Longalong, 41, whom I met in 2014 when I attended a meeting of the Simbang Gabi stakeholders at the Philippine Center. I was struck that one so boyish-looking could be so serious and formal. I was wrong. He has a dry humor and loves a good laugh. Father Patrick is a pillar, a long-time member of the National Association of Filipino Priests-USA. The organization, founded by Bishop Oscar Solis of Los Angeles -- the first and only Filipino bishop in the U.S. -- has more than 700 members throughout the U.S. About 50 of them are in New York State.
||Only son The Longalong family from Nueva Ecija had a roundabout immigration backstory. Father Patrick’s parents met on a blind date in Louisiana in the 1950s. His mother worked in a charity hospital, while his father was a gynecologist. They married and had two daughters. The parents became anxious when the girls were growing up with little knowledge of Philippine culture and acquiring a distinct southern accent. The family decided to return to the Philippines. In the Philippines, two more children were born: a third sister and Patrick, the youngest and only boy. When the first two sisters came of age and had to choose between a Filipino and an American citizenship, the family returned to the U.S. and settled in New York. By his recollection, he has always wanted to be a priest since about 5 years old. “My mom was very religious,” said Father Patrick in an interview with The FilAm. “She would bring me to church, sometimes prayer meetings. She taught me my prayers, the Hail Mary. She’s a big influence on me.”
||Conflict between cultures After nine years in the St. John’s Seminary of the Immaculate Conception, he was ordained in 2008. His first parish was the Church of Our Lady of the Snows in Floral Park, a diocese with a large Filipino community. He was next assigned to the St. Francis de Sales Parish in Belle Harbor, where he became the
'Some families don’t give their sons to become priests. They want to have grandchildren.’ Photo by Alex Esteban parochial vicar. He is currently a pastor at the Our lady of Lourdes Parish in Queens Village. “The issues are mostly family stuff, the conflict between the two cultures,” he said. “You have parents born in the Philippines, trying to instill Filipino values in their children that sometimes conflict with American values. I tell young people you have to be patient, you have to understand that you live in two worlds.” The FilAm: There’s been a decline in the priesthood population. Is the Church worried? THE FILAM |
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Fr. Patrick Longalong: It’s disconcerting a little bit, but we’re in a different culture, different generation, and we also have to take a more realistic level. When a person decides to pursue a particular career, who do they consult? It could be the parent, the close friend that they trust, whoever it is around them. Unfortunately, sometimes the values are different. Or maybe they’re asking advice from a person who’s not religious. Especially in this day and age where family size is becoming smaller. Some families don’t give their sons to become priests. They want to have grandchildren. TF: What is your homily style? PL: I find myself evolving. When I got out of the seminary, my mentality was very textbook-ish. Everything was very neatly packed. But as I continue to engage the community I begin to become more realistic. I begin to apply what I have learned in reallife situations. TF: Do you tell jokes? PL: I follow the eight-minute rule. That’s the encouragement. We’re in an age now where people’s attention span is shortened a little bit. Sometimes I find jokes are some kind of filler. TF: Do priests receive salaries? PL: That depends. If you’re in a religious order, like Benedictines, Dominicans, Claretians, or Jesuits, etc. they have a vow of poverty. For example, if they’re working as professor in a university whatever salary they have they turn it over to their order. And the order will give them allowances for whatever they need, like transportation or housing. Diocesan priests (like me) don’t really take the vow of poverty but we have to live a very simple lifestyle. You cannot buy a car that is very luxurious. For a while I’ve been living on second-hand cars but I find myself spending more money fixing the car, that’s why I opted for leasing a car. The payment I make is equivalent to fixing my second-hand car. TF: Is your salary enough? PL: It’s enough for one unmarried person. That’s why I tell them, you want married priests? Make sure the salary goes up. TF: Married priests. Will that solve the sex abuse issue in the Church? PL: I don’t think it will. The issue of pedophilia is very different and it’s not something out of celibacy. It’s a sickness. If you look at the statistics of pedophilia around the world, many of them are committedly, married people. Not a lot are Catholics. TF: Why does it seem like big news when Catholic priests do it? PL: Sells a lot of papers? (laughter)
Letty Lanuza: A mother’s love conquers death (Part 2) I always knew that when the going gets rough and a kababayan is in dire straits, Filipinos would always come to help, assist, give food, donate money or whatever is needed, and would do it generously. This is our God-given, unbreakable Bayanihan spirit.
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nd so it happened — $5, $10, $25, $50, $100 started to pour into the bank account of Letty Lanuza (for Philippine peso deposits), and into the bank account I set up in New York with MetroBank, which accepted my affidavit that "Save Dondon" would go towards the Blood Money demanded by the family of the slain Saudi. I also knew that for big donations like $5,000 or more, I had to personally approach and call my high net worth friends to donate. And they did so without any hesitation! Judy Araneta Roxas, mother of former Senator Mar Roxas, Tessie Sy-Coson of SM Mall, investment banker JJ Soriano, Quintin San Diego, and of course the Lewis Family — they all helped us raise funds for Dondon. In the meantime, I called the Philippine Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Ezzedine Tago to ask if he could try and seek help from the King. We were praying they would have mercy, and perhaps help us with the Blood Money, too. Amb. Tago gave us hope that sometimes, a member of the Royal Family would help with the Blood Money if the convicted person was worthy of saving. Abdulhannan Tago of Arab News shared what we were doing for Dondon with the local Saudi media, and said that he also knew one of the princes in the Royal Family. In due time, the total amount of the contributions slowly but surely added up to $100,000. True to his promise, Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario authorized the deposit of the matching grant of $100,000, giving us a total of $200,000! Then, a miracle happened. Dondon excitedly informed his mother that he was going to be released — because the Saudi Arabian Royal Family filled up the balance of $600,000, to reach the total of $800,000!
The author and Letty Lanuza answer questions from the FilAm media during press conference. Photo by Troi Santos. I guess the Royal Family was observing all the efforts being made to raise the Blood Money for Dondon — and saw how fellow Filipinos and the Philippine Government came together to try and save him. All that was left to do was for the Saudi family to forgive Dondon, receive the Blood Money from their Court, and — after 13 ½ agonizing years in Death Row — Dondon walked out a free man. *** Months later, Dondon and his new girlfriend visited me at my apartment in Rockwell, Makati City. When he saw me, he gave me a long and grateful hug. Miracles do happen! A mother’s faith, hope, and love work in the end. Praise the Lord!
The campaign to set Dondon Lanuza free.
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Jobs all around but no takers By Cristina DC Pastor
The country is experiencing a historic shortage of labor across the board.
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ilipino Americans who work in schools and the restaurant industry are seeing a workforce crisis, seemingly another downside to the never-ending pandemic. When businesses closed at the height of the coronavirus outbreak, many workers lost their jobs as businesses shut down. When the businesses reopened, many of these same workers did not return. What the pandemic has done, according to analysts, was force some kind of a reckoning on workers stuck in low-end jobs. Staying home during the lockdown prompted scores to take stock of their lives, their future, and their options. This was especially true of restaurant and retail workers. With the time on their hands, they started looking for other jobs and retrained for new skills. Others opened their own businesses. “It’s our biggest challenge,” said restaurant owner Cherry Castellvi of New York. Castellvi, a former physical therapist, owns five restaurants across New York State — including the flagship Kabayan Grill on Queens Boulevard, Kabayan at Union Turnpike, and the more upscale Kabayan Bistro Lounge and Banquet on Roosevelt Avenue. Her chain of Filipino restaurants, which includes a food truck and a catering service, has a staff of 70 people. They are looking for eight to 10 more people to fill vacancies. “We need people across the board — servers, cooks, dishwashers,” she told The FilAm. Cherry said her business lost people during the pandemic. “Some of them didn’t want to go back to the restaurant industry anymore,” she said. The restaurant industry has remained a minimum-wage industry. In New York City, the minimum wage is $15 per hour, although not all restaurants pay their workers that amount. Cherry said they are offering a daily wage beyond the minimum to “attract workers” but still find it a challenge to find people with experience. “We have been taking inexperienced people and training them already,” she added.
Cherry Castellvi and one of her restaurants, the Kabayan Bistro Lounge and Banquet on Roosevelt Avenue in Queens. According to Cherry, some restaurant workers are finding new employment in healthcare where they believe jobs are more secure because of the long-drawn pandemic.
||Also wanted: Teachers
School Business Administrator Bima Baje. THE FILAM |
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Bima Baje, who works as a School Business Administrator in New Jersey, said there is a teacher shortage in K-12 schools as well. Stress, low pay, and no room for advancement are the reasons reported why Kindergarten to 12th grade schools are experiencing unprecedented vacancies. “I work for K-12 schools since 2012 and the shortage is nationwide,” she told The FilAm. “It got worse during the pandemic, with others opting to stay at home because they’re receiving unemployment benefits anyway.” Teachers in Math, English Language Arts and Science are especially in demand. “We are offering attractive salaries but we’re still short,” she said. Her schools have hired inexperienced teachers supported by interns from colleges “we have collaboration with.” They have remedied the situation by merging classes, she said. “It is affecting the academic performance of students.” It used to be that word-of-mouth would bring in a stream of applicants, especially for small businesses. Not a lot of people are sending resumes and calling to be interviewed. The pandemic has made some people look toward work-life balance where they get to spend more quality time with family or make time to pursue other interests. Going back to the ‘same old, same old’ is being turned down by some people who simply wanted something better.
Albert Guerzon writes a song for his father who died from COVID-19 In April 2020, Broadway singer-songwriter Albert Guerzon (“The Visitor,” “Mamma Mia”) lost his father, Robert Guerzon, to COVID-19.
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long with thousands of New Yorkers, the Guerzon family was at the mercy of limited ventilators and hospital beds. In the end, Albert bid his father farewell through a telephone screen and a prayer. In the summer of 2021, Guerzon delivered a more fitting goodbye to his father and the millions of other elders, friends, and families impacted by the pandemic. He wrote and performed "Breathe Now," a finalist in the Times Square Alliance concert series, Songs for Our City. Guerzon said, “The song became a vehicle for emotional release beyond me. There is an invisible thread that ties performers to their audience. And I wanted whoever still needs to hear my music to have it. We heal together. Society continues to face the ongoing chaos of the pandemic and beyond, and ‘Breathe Now’ reminds us of the precious gift of living in the moment.” Although Guerzon did not claim the title prize of the contest, his message of hope and resilience resonated
with the public. Inspired to share it more widely, Guerzon collaborated with Christian Almiron to remaster a new version, including vocals by Broadway actors Ester Barroso-Guerzon and Kevin Schuering. Guerzon made his Broadway debut playing Eddie in “Mamma Mia!” (also on national tour). “It was truly a dream come true,” he said. According to his website, “Albert grew up listening to a mix of Frank Sinatra and Michael Jackson. He is compared to artists like Justin Timberlake and Robin Thicke. He says, ‘I’m constantly looking for new ways to create some sort of visual or performance art to release and share the best energy out of me.’” His credits also include “The Visitor” (Public Theater), “Ghost the musical” on Broadway, “The Times They Are a Changin'” by Twyla Tharp, “The Wiz” (La Jolla), David Byrne’s “Here Lies Love” (Public Theater) and “Flower Drum Song.” "Breathe Now" is available on streaming musical platforms such as Apple Music, iTunes, Amazon, and Pandora.
His music about ‘healing together’ was a finalist in the Times Square Alliance concert series. Facebook photo
Tina Marie Romero: Caregiving is from the heart
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he American Dream permeated Tina Marie Romero’s consciousness as a young girl growing up in Bacolod City in Negros Occidental. In fact, she confessed to the excitement of opening balikbayan boxes sent by cousins working as nurses in the US. America came in these boxes, through the cornucopia of Oreos, Cabbage Patch kids and Nine West purses. “I grew up with a strong U.S. colonial mentality,” she said in an interview. “I adored everything American.” Her father, a veterinarian, was the first to emigrate to the U.S. When the sugar industry collapsed in the 1980s, her father’s veterinary hospital and agricultural supply store in Bacolod City was gravely affected. Tina Marie joined him in 1996 when she was 26 years old. With grit and a sense of purpose, she is now the owner and CEO of Synergy HomeCare, a franchise business located in Central New Jersey. “We are a non-medical homecare agency,” Her dream is to provide compassionate care to U.S. seniors and jobs to she told The FilAm. “I provide home health Filipino caregivers. THE FILAM |
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aides for seniors and all your loved ones needing care at home or in facilities.” She added that she may not have a healthcare background but what she has is just as or even more important: “The heart to care for seniors.” Her heart was set on becoming an entrepreneur just like her father. She spent time doing due diligence on franchise business options while moonlighting in her father’s animal hospital in Queens. Meanwhile, Tina has been volunteering in her parish visiting homebound seniors and made deep friendships with them. This made it clear for her to start her Synergy HomeCare business in 2014. It’s been a steady success for the past six years. At the height of the pandemic in 2020 she decided to buy out her business partner. “It was my biggest life decision.” Her dream is for American seniors to experience “compassionate care at the end of their lives, in the hands of Filipino caregivers,” she said. “It will not only benefit our seniors who need it but it will elevate the lives of Filipino caregivers.”
Jersey City council adopts resolution supporting AAPI studies in public schools The Jersey City municipal council unanimously adopted a resolution in support of state legislation -- Senate Bill No. 4021/Assembly Bill No. 6100 -- that requires the inclusion of Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) history in New Jersey’s K-12 curriculum.
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he council resolution approved during the November 29th city council meeting, states that the inclusion of AAPI studies in the classrooms would cultivate communities that are more inclusive and serve to create a more just society. The measure also cites the steep rise of hate incidents against the AAPI community. “We are living in more polarized times. The violence against AAPI communities has given Councilman At Large Rolando Lavarro is the rise to the urgent need for education to combat principal sponsor of the resolution. systemic racism,” said Councilman At Large Rolando Lavarro, sponsor of the resolution. “Our education system not only should reflect the diversity of our state but should ensure that future generations grow up with knowledge and values of inclusivity and social justice by learning the history and contributions of AAPI communities.” Other members of the city council spoke. “Everyone knows I'm a history buff,” said Ward C Council Rich Boggiano, who was a co-sponsor of the resolution. “Jersey City has always been an immigrant city, and we are lucky to have such an amazing Asian American community. This is a wonderful opportunity to make our history curriculum reflect the diversity of our city.” “It is extraordinarily important that Asian American and Pacific Islander history and contributions are included in our public-school curriculum,” stated Ward E Council James Solomon, who also co-sponsored the resolution. “Such education will foster a more equal society and address rising hate.” Following the City Council vote, on December 2nd, Lavarro joined Make Us Visible NJ and nearly a dozen activists urging legislators to pass S4021 and A6100. In advance of a vote by the New Jersey State Senate, advocates, students AAPI studies will foster a ‘more equal society.’ Photo: WNYC THE FILAM |
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and residents gathered in a committee room at the Statehouse and shared their personal experiences of racism, and the importance of education in combating bigotry. With more than 37 sponsors in the state Senate, S4021 passed overwhelmingly with a vote of 38-2. Make Us Visible NJ, a coalition of students, parents, educators, legislators, professionals, and New Jersey community members, has been leading the campaign for the passage of the bill in Trenton. Dr. Kani Ilangoven of Make Us Visible NJ said, “We believe that it is vital to focus on prevention and education by emphasizing what an integral part of this country Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have been and continue to be. Changing our public-school curricula is an important place to start that work. We must correct the absence of Asian American and Pacific Islanders in our narrated history in schools.” “The inclusion of AAPI studies in our public schools' curriculum is long overdue. We are glad that Jersey City and Hudson County leadership recognize the need to fill this void in the interest of inclusivity and creating an equitable and just society,” said Jennie Jonson of Jersey City Asian American Pacific Islander Coalition AAPI.
Clarisse Pastor-Medina: Painting with coffee By Cristina DC Pastor
Where some of us see nasty ring stains, she sees a sustainable art medium.
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or 13 years now, Batangas-born Clarisse Pastor-Medina (no relation to this writer) has been painting with coffee and staging solo exhibits with nothing more than her large canvases and presumably her ‘Kapeng barako.’ Wait. She is not using ‘Kapeng barako’? “It’s been just regular instant for now because brewed coffee comes out better on watercolor paper but not on the canvas,” she explained. “I really wish!” “I like the medium,” said Clarisse when interviewed by The FilAm. “It is practical, non-toxic and natural. It also gives a painting an overall sepia effect, the color of nostalgia.” Brewed or boiled, coffee presented endless possibilities to Clarisse one day when she was having a cup at work and saw ring stains on white paper. She saw a myriad of images. She may have glimpsed the Olympic logo, a pair of matrimonial rings, hoops for circus tigers or disco earrings. Soon she was in a “mad phase of experimenting” with red wine, soy sauce, beer and other natural food stains only to come back to where it all began. Clarisse was born and raised in Batangas City and went to college in Manila at De La Salle University, where she earned a B.S. degree in Commerce majoring in Marketing Management. After college, she moved to San Francisco where she works for a research company…and paints. “Even though I was never art-schooled, art had always been an inclination and a part of my life since I was a child,” she said. It was a family hobby. Her father, who is a banker, continues to paint well into his retirement. An uncle, who is a surgeon, paints in between medical procedures. Art may be a continuation of that legacy, or it could be a matter of just “scratching a natural itch or following my heart.” Clarisse was drawn to coffee, initially because it is easily accessible, and aesthetically because it mutates into various shades of brown, the color of Filipinos. She has completed a collection for an exhibit called “BIAK: Explorations of Filipino Heritage, Identity, Immigration and Assimilation.” She used coffee as a medium to express her Filipino identity.
A cup of art courtesy of the Batangas-born artist. “A finished coffee painting on paper is very much like watercolor work and a coffee painting on canvas has a finish like that of acrylic inks’ although unlike paint, coffee is not permanent and easily lifts with any liquid,” she said. “I don’t mix or blend it with any other medium, just coffee and varying amounts of water to achieve different shades. I do seal my fully dried and finished work with clear acrylic fixative.” Coffee has its challenges, too, she said. “Foremost its unpredictability on certain types of surfaces. But it’s the type of “unpredictability” she equates with life itself. “I particularly enjoy the stubborn unpredictability of this medium much like the randomness of life. It requires and hones proper timing, intuition, patience, letting go, coping and sometimes even forgiveness and undoing,” she said, seeming to wax poetic. Realistically though, archival quality is a “real concern.” Clarisse’s coffee paintings have braved the elements in parks and outdoor shows and long car trips — and survived. “They haven’t gotten damaged, faded nor lost their values.” She would love to see how they hold up in a long plane ride under varying temperatures. Discovering the medium in a brilliant moment of spontaneity was a wonderful feeling, although she said there are other artists who may be using it longer than she has. She said: “Some have been truly helpful to me in solidifying my love and faith in the medium.”
‘Balikbayan Box’
‘Mandirigma in Stilettos’ THE FILAM |
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COVER STORY
Jeff Coleman: A politics inspired by the peaceful PHL People Power Jeff Coleman, the former Pennsylvania State representative, has announced his return to public service as a Republican candidate seeking the office of Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania.
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oleman, whose mother is Filipino from Mindoro Occidental and whose political consciousness was shaped by the 1986 peaceful Edsa People Power revolution, said he is running a “positive campaign” on a platform of restoring respect and civility to politics. His team touts his immigrant background, his small-town values, and being elected to the House of Representatives “without negative campaigning.” He was a congressman from 2001 to 2004, winning in the predominantly Democratic 60th district. He took a break from politics when he and wife Rebecca founded Churchill Strategies, a corporate consulting company, in 2005. He published the book “With All Due Respect: Recovering the Manners and Civility of Political Combat” in 2017. “The legacy and importance of family, faith, work, and hospitality, the same values that make the Filipino culture special, will define Jeff’s current campaign,” says a statement from his campaign office.
Jeff and Rebecca and their children Anna, Teddy, Charlotte, and Henry. Rebecca Collins Coleman is a member of the Lemoyne, PA Borough Council.
||Missionary parents
Coleman said he has “some” of the Filipino signature traits of hospitality, humor and friendship he got from his mother Milan. His father Keith taught at a Bible College in Quezon City.
Coleman’s parents met and married in Olongapo while his father was stationed at Subic. Theirs is a “wonderful love story” enduring to this day at 47 years, he said. “I think what's astonishing to me is that the Filipino signature traits—hospitality, humor, friendship, sacrificial love—are so obviously a part of their marriage because of (mom). I'd like to think I have some, or at least parts, of each of those. They are remarkably giving and sacrificial people,” he told The FilAm. Coleman was a Pennsylvania congressman from 2001 to 2004 winning in a predominantly Democratic district. Facebook photo THE FILAM |
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He said, “My mother Milan is from Mindoro Occidental, and the barangay of Mamburao. She was the oldest of 10 surviving children—eight girls and two boys. I'd say they lived a very middle-class life. Certainly not in poverty, but not an aristocratic family.” His father Keith hails from western New York. His said his children love their grandpa and Lola and are completely curious about their culture. “They're divided on whether or not ‘halo-halo’ is a good thing. Two of our kids love it. The other two are undecided. I think they can't quite figure out how beans are a dessert! For the record, it's my favorite. My son Teddy has been trying out his Tagalog with Lola. Word by word, he's getting pretty good. I expect I’ll have some Tagalog speakers by college.” His Filipino grandfather, Bernardo, was an “enthusiastic young helper” during the war. At the time, he was not old enough to be a Philippine Scout to engage in the resistance against the Japanese imperial forces. Coleman was born on the Fourth of July in 1975, at Whidbey Island Naval Base in Washington State. Before he was 13, the Colemans would enter Presbyterian missionary service in South America, Africa, and lived for four years in Manila.
||First FilAm
He was the youngest person elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, and the first FilAm to serve in the State Capitol. He credits his experiences living in the Philippines in the late 1980s with his passion for public service. His father taught at a Bible College in Project 6, Quezon City. “Those were some of the richest years of my life,” he told The FilAm. “It's where I learned to speak Tagalog, fell in love with early morning tricycle and jeepney rides to the market with my mom, and in every way lived like a Filipino.” For four years, he had a very Filipino childhood and was called “Jepoy” by family and friends. He was back in the Philippines on his honeymoon at El Nido in Palawan Island. Then-President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo hosted a dinner for the couple at Malacanang during that same trip. He returned again for President George W. Bush's state dinner in Manila. “We're hoping to plan a return trip after the election next year,” he said. During his time in the House, Coleman built friendships with members of both political parties and earned himself a reputation as a “happy warrior.” He said he was unafraid of challenging the Old Guard, but did so with respect and a “commitment to decorum.”
Lola Milan and her grandchildren. Is ‘halo halo’ a good thing?
In 1986, he and his parents witnessed the overthrow of 20-year dictator, Ferdinand Marcos, in a bloodless revolt. “Seeing over two million people stand side by side purely in the name of democracy is a type of unity that is desperately needed in our country today,” he said. “I learned from the hard work and joyful tenacity of Filipinos that it only takes one courageous person, standing with another brave soul to change the world, and I still believe that.” Coleman is the founder and principal of the consulting firm Churchill
Strategies in downtown Harrisburg, near where his family attends their multi-ethnic church. His wife Rebecca is also an elected Borough Council Member in Lemoyne, where they reside with their four children: Anna, 16; Teddy, 11; Charlotte, 8; and Henry, 7. He avoided commenting directly when asked about Donald Trump, who remains a potent force in Republican politics, saying simply, “This race is about 2022 and the future of Pennsylvania, which is the challenge we face right now.” – Cristina DC Pastor
Rechelle Balanzat’s ‘Juliette,’ a book about believing in yourself
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he Juliette story started back in 2013 when “serial entrepreneur” Rechelle Balanzat had the idea of developing an app that would take care of laundry and dry
cleaning. In September 2014, she launched a pilot service in three buildings in Murray Hill. “It was an immediate success,” she recalled. From Sept 2014 to Dec 2014, she grew her sales from $300 to $1,700, a 467 percent growth! “Clearly customers liked what I had to offer,” the CEO and founder of Juliette said then. The Philippine-born Rechelle earned a degree in philosophy from Fordham University and graduated with honors. With a background in finance, technology, and public relations, her aim was for her third venture, Juliette, to become a market leader through technology.
Juliette’s service is simple and straightforward. Using technology clients can simply call, text, or use the app, and a team comes to pick up their dirty load. Technology allows them to be everywhere without being anywhere. THE FILAM |
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The “Juliette” book is a highly personal retrospective of Rechelle entrepreneurial journey, tracing the evolution of her company from concept to execution. She invites readers into her world, chronicling the improbable odyssey of founding, building, and scaling a company without outside capital. She shares her process and how following her dreams helped her to find herself. The book explores some of the obstacles entrepreneurs face and her company’s journey so far, as well as lessons to empower other entrepreneurs. Writes Rechelle, “To be successful, first you must believe you can be successful. Think it. Manifest it. Repeat it, over and over.” The book launched on December 7. For a copy, visit https://www.juliettecleaners.com/ or call 315- 284-5689.
Calendar
of Events
||January 9
||April 15
Mad about Love, with Morisette, Sam Concepcion and Mig Ayesa Melrose Ballroom 3608 33rd Street Queens NYC
Jo Koy: Funny is Funny World Tour UBS Arena Belmont Park, Long Island N.Y.
||April 20
Lea Salonga: Dream Again Tour Town Hall 123 West 43rd NYC
||July 2 to 3 ||February 19
||January 8 to 9
Feed Hungry Minds: Project Bag of Hope & Belaire’s Band Bohol Relief Mission Bohol needs potable water or purifying system, generators, reconstruction materials, DIY equipment, emergency lights and portable solar kits. Please send donations to Hannah Murphy, ′′Zelle′′ to 3476131182
RJP Sports Festival Sportika New Jersey 150 Woodward Road Manalapan Township, N.J.
Mismatched Valentine's Date with Jo Awayan and Angel Bonilla Sheraton LaGuardia East Hotel Queens NYC
||January 25 to 27
13th International Nursing Conference @ Global Summit: The Filipino nurse leading healthcare and caring for the global citizens Contact mypnaa.org for details Via Zoom
||February 23 to March 27
Chinese Lady: A Ma-Yi production directed by Ralph Pena The Public Theatre 425 Lafayette Street, NYC
||March 4
The Voices of Marcelito (America’s Got Talent 4th place) For tickets: amoryuproduction.com; 818-818-4301
||July 7 to 10
43rd PNAA National Convention New York Marriott Marquis For details contact: Philippine Nurses Association of America
||August 11 to 13
FANHS National Conference Seattle University
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Noel Quintana’s New York City
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UNBREAKABLE SMILE “A manager from another location came to my shop and asked me how long I’d been working as a barista. After I answered, she said to me, ‘Well, the smile still hasn’t worn out.’ That’s probably because I smile a lot, even if customers are difficult to handle.”
BARISTA “I was able to get a job as a barista, and I stayed there for seven years or more. I was so happy because there was no pressure. I would go home more peacefully and lighter than I was in the Philippines. I enjoyed being a barista. I read in the newspaper about a broker who became a barista who was happier preparing coffee than he was being a stockbroker.” THE FILAM |
oel Quintana is a Filipino American non-profit worker who has been vocal about combating Asian hate after surviving a violent hate crime in February 2021. He’s a man of faith, and one of the reasons he ultimately moved to the U.S. from the Philippines over a decade ago was because he asked God for a sign—and once he saw it, he moved. Prior to his current job, he spent seven years as a barista and became known for his perpetual smile and positive attitude. Lydia Ortiz is a Filipina illustrator, designer, and art director based in San Francisco whose work spans from editorial to book design. Her positively charged colors and layouts imbue all of her work with an optimism befitting the way Noel carries himself. Together, Noel and Lydia collaborated on a series of posters that “feel like a topographical map of Noel’s New York.” “I drew everything within Noel’s portrait. He has such a nice smile and it’s quite prominent in the art. Like Noel, I also grew up in the Philippines and lived in New York. The lettering I created is inspired by the hand-lettering found on public transportation in Manila and signage from Filipino American restaurants in Woodside, Queens.” Get Noel's poster as a gift with a donation to Hope Against Hate. Digital downloads start at $25 and printed posters start at $150. All contributions, regardless of amount, fund critical programs that keep Asian Americans safe in New York City and beyond. Go to the website of the Asian American
LOVE OF FOOD “I like trying other cultural foods. My coworkers and I will sometimes eat Lebanese, Polish and Thai food. We also tried tilapia at an African restaurant.” 13
The Marcos Dictatorship and the irreparable damage to a family, the Filipino experience
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By Joel David
he unexpected delight of my recent Pinoy reading experience was in realizing several positive properties (and then some) of the multiple-character text in the book, titled Subversive Lives: A Family Memoir of the Marcos Years. Listing Susan F. Quimpo and Nathan Gilbert Quimpo as authors, the Anvil publication actually comprises contributions from the Quimpo siblings and the widow of their brother. The Quimpos achieved fame (or notoriety, depending on one’s perspective) for having had several of them participate in the anti-dictatorship movement during the martial-law regime of Ferdinand Marcos. Since the only genuine opposition during most of this period was provided by the outlawed communist underground, the Quimpo family, by its association, underwent dramatic upheavals, acute heartbreak, and occasional but still-toorare moments of grace that would appear almost fantastic had the book been announced as a fiction. The fact that these events actually happened provides the reader with a sense of how irreparably damaging authoritarianism has always been for our particular national experience. Subversive Lives provides a panoramic chronicle of how the militarized dictatorship, profitable only to foreign and mercenary local business and religious interests, upheld the worst legacies of colonial education and magic-patriarchal morality: backward thugs armed, fed, and protected by the machinery of an irredeemably corrupted state were allowed to wield life-or-death mastery over the very people in whom, by virtue of their capacity to exercise discernment, creativity, and determination, the future of the nation would have resided. The Quimpo children, in this respect, may be regarded as representative of the country’s best and brightest, had they emerged in another place, another time. Starting out as stereotypical overachievers, the only source of pride of their financially distressed parents, they grew
‘Subversive Lives,” U.S. edition. Published by the Ohio University Press. 2016 up just when the storm clouds of tyranny were gathering; having moved to a cramped apartment near the presidential palace, they were initially witnesses, then active participants, in the increasingly violent protest actions then taking place in their neighborhood. One of the most powerful dramatic undercurrents in the book is how the Quimpos’ parents coped with the spectacle of several of their children giving up their scholarships, then their bright futures, by moving from school dropouts to wanted figures, hunted down THE FILAM |
and tortured by the military. One of the sons recollects his reconciliation with his father at the latter’s deathbed, and his story suddenly breaks free of the storytelling mode, addressing his father in the present as if he were still alive, and as if no reader would wonder: “Talk to me. I’m your son…. Why don’t you express all your heartaches, disappointments, and frustrations?” The siblings never shake free the realization that the paths they chose were not what their parents had hoped for them. If their parents lived long enough, 14
they would have seen that the Quimpo children had been able to attain impressive career trajectories, covering several continents and participating in impactful projects (of which the book serves as group memoir) that would have been the envy of the more privileged families with their utterly predictable and vision-impoverished choices. Even the sister who had opted for life as an Opus Dei numerary found inevitable parallels between her Order and the fascist system that her siblings were struggling against. The story of the retrieval of their brother’s body is hers to tell, and one would probably wind up smiling, in the face of the long-anticipated tragedy, at how she had managed to muster enough reserves of strength to confront and intimidate the military officers who felt like aggravating her and her grieving female companions, just for the heck of it. When, famished after the confrontation, one of them mistakenly brings one too many orders of Coke and the driver of their vehicle innocently asks whom the spare bottle is for, then they turn toward their brother’s body and cry all over again, I could not help turning as well toward the best moments in Pinoy cinema, where our film-authors are so casually able to incite these tender combinations of humor and warmth amid overwhelming sadness. Subversive Lives is sprawling, occasionally meandering, sometimes indulgent, and necessarily open-ended. It is also gripping, heartfelt, insightful, and forward-looking. The Quimpo children’s rebellion has made the country’s journey to a more meaningful present a trip for which we as their witnesses ought to be grateful. Joel David is professor for Cultural Studies at Inha University in Korea and was founding Director of the University of the Philippines Film Institute. He was this year’s recipient of the Writers Union of the Philippines’s Balagtas Award for Film Criticism. He has written several books on Philippine cinema, with his latest, a short manual titled “Writing Pinas Film Commentary,” available on his blog at https://amauteurish.com.
‘Spider-Man’ is best Marvel movie: Emotionally rousing and inspiring By Wendell Gaa
“Spider-Man: No Way Home,” the latest Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film and third solo outing for English actor Tom Holland as Peter Parker, is the best film adaptation of what I would have to say is Marvel’s greatest superhero ever.
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es, there are countless other superheroes in the Marvel Comics storytelling vault, each with their own unique backstory, but Spider-Man being the most humanly relatable of all stands out in a special way. I found this new movie to be totally inspiring and emotionally rousing while relevantly paying tribute to all the flawed yet determined traits which define Spider-Man as both a hero and human being, as well as paying homage to this popular character’s impact on modern cinema since he first struck big with the 2002 Hollywood blockbuster starring Tobey Maguire. It isn’t hyperbole to say that this is the best MCU movie since “Avengers: Endgame.” “No Way Home” picks up exactly where the previous Spider-Man film “Far From Home” leaves off. Spidey’s battle in Europe against the supervillain Quentin Beck aka Mysterio leads to a pyrrhic victory that ends up in the defeat of Beck, yet concurrently leads to the revealing of his secret identity as Peter Parker. With literally the whole world aware of who he is and suspecting that he is a cold-blooded killer responsible for Beck’s death, and the livelihood of his family and friends being threatened as well, Parker desperately turns to his friend and crime-fight-
Tom Holland’s Spider-Man romances girlfriend MJ Watson played by Zendaya.
Peter Parker’s crime-fighting friends with FilAm Jacob Batalon (far left) as Ned Leeds and Zendaya as MJ. ing partner from the Avengers team, Dr. Stephen Strange (British thespian Benedict Cumberbatch) the Sorcerer Supreme, for assistance. In an effort to protect his identity and his loved ones from further public and media scrutiny, he asks
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Dr. Strange to cast a mystical spell that will make everyone in the world forget that he is Spider-Man, save for his loved ones. Will the spell work? Supervillains and adversaries from different multi-verses suddenly
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reappear: Willem Dafoe, Alfred Molina, Thomas Haden Church, Rhys Ifans and Jamie Foxx all reprise their respective roles as the Green Goblin, Doctor Octopus, Sandman, Lizard, and Electro, all iconic Marvel enemies being seen together on the big screen for the very first time. It was real gripping to see how all these actors still retain their mastery of their characters even after so many years! Shocked and horrified with what his actions have led to, Peter must work with Dr. Strange, along with his girlfriend MJ Watson (Zendaya) and best friend Ned Leeds (Fil-Am Jacob Batalon) to find a way to return these supervillains back to their own home universes before they cause any further damage. It is this moral quandary which forms the crux of the movie. Holland has incontestably grown well into the role of Spider-Man, and much like his cinematic predecessors Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield, he has made the character his own. I am also so glad to see how the supporting cast have sprouted wonderfully in their roles which they have likewise reprised from the previous Spidey films, particularly Zendaya as a loving and resolute girlfriend in MJ, and our own Jacob Batalon as the ever-loyal best friend Ned, whose Filipino family home life is adorably displayed here for the first time! The combined chemistry of the young leads reflects both a universal love for Spider-Man, as well as the seemingly budding distinctive connection which this iconic hero now has with today’s coming-of-age Generation Z youth. I seriously wish that the late legend Stan Lee could have still been around to see this new film, an epic love letter to his greatest comic character for which he would have tremendously been proud of.
Children of presidentiables: The gifted, the influencers, and the U.K. educated By Cristina DC Pastor
Whoever wins the May 2022 Philippine elections, Filipinos will be seeing a new family occupy Malacanang. Part of the package is a new batch of children who will provide some kind of national distraction, for good or ill.
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Vice President Leni Robredo and her late husband Jesse Robredo, secretary of the Interior and Local Government, have three daughters: Jessica Marie (Aika), Janine Patricia (Tricia), and Jillian Therese. Aika has an MA from Harvard University where she was accepted into the John F. Kennedy School of Government; Tricia is a doctor, a graduate of the Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health; and Jillian is still in college at New York University. Robredo has said that only one member of the family can serve in politics at a given time, her way of saying ‘never’ to political dynasties, a common practice among Filipino politicians.
ooking back…Because Ferdinand Marcos was in power for more than 20 years, two of his three descendants took turns grabbing news headlines for a very long time. There was the sensational kidnaping of Imee Marcos’ golfer boyfriend who was married at that time. There was also the student activist
Manila Mayor Isko ‘Moreno’ Domagoso and his wife Diana Lynn Ditan have five children: Vincent Patrick, Frances Diane, Joaquin Andre (JD), Franco Dylan, and Drake Marcus. Second son JD is said to be the child most interested in showbiz like their dad. He has a television series airing on GMA called “First Yaya.” Daughter Frances Diane who is entertainment material because of her striking good looks does not appear to be drawn to the limelight. THE FILAM |
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Senator Manny Pacquiao and wife Maria Geraldine ‘Jinkee’ Jamora have five children: Emmanuel Jr. (Jimuel), Michael, Mary Divine Grace (Princess), Queen Elizabeth (Queenie), and Israel. Jimuel wants to be a boxer like his famous father and has a stunning car collection as seen on Instagram. He graduated from Brent International School in Manila. Princess is active on TikTok where she shows off the latest dance moves and sometimes pranks her dad. She has said watching her father in the ring is “very stressful.” who was killed after he publicly questioned Imee’s appointment to a government youth council. There was Bongbong Marcos’ rumored romances with bold stars, and Calauit Island said to be transformed into his personal safari where he hunted African animals such as gazelles and giraffes shipped in from Kenya. Cory Aquino ‘s presidency gave us Kris Aquino who became an actress and TV personality and a serial scandal attraction. The public was treated to one salacious episode after another of Kris’ many romances with hunky athletes and actors. Joseph Estrada's two sons, Jinggoy (from wife Loi Ejercito) and JV (from long-time partner Guia Gomez), were constantly feuding, making a spectacle of who truly is his political heir. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s son Mikey Arroyo was hounded by tax evasion charges and an undeclared multi-million -dollar beachfront home in California. Should voters be concerned about the children of presidential candidates? We are publishing here some information about the children of presidentiables. They are all good-looking, and appear smart, getting educated abroad and working as dutiful professionals in management and health care. They are putting their best foot forward and helping with their parents’ campaign.
Former senator Bongbong Marcos and wife Louise ‘Liza’ Araneta have three sons: Ferdinand Alexander III (nicknamed Sandro), the eldest; Joseph Simon, the middle son; and the youngest William Vincent (Vinny). All of them went to the U.K. for their schooling and the first two completed their education there. Sandro graduated from the London School of Economics and Political Science. Joseph Simon graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration and Management from Oxford Brookes University. His LinkedIn states he works as an analyst at the Chaudhary Group where he learned about the “different aspects of setting up a hotel.” Vinny, the youngest, is said to be the one willing to follow in his elders’ footsteps in politics. THE FILAM |
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COVER STORY
Asis triplets: Three’s a champ
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ilipino American triplets, Gabriella, Kayla, and Abigail Asis, won the 3v3 Soccer tournament on November 28, making them national champions in the girls division for 10-year-olds. The Asis girls, all aged 10 and U.S.born, are the daughters of David Asis, IT Manager for the Federal Reserve System, and Marilyn, who worked until 2020 as supervisory manager for the Fed. The family lives in South Jersey with three other children: Michael, 11; Chloe, 3; and Ian, 6 months. David’s family is from Infanta, Quezon and Marilyn’s from Binmaley, Pangasinan. “One could make the argument that being triplets has its advantages, especially when it comes to sports,” said David, their father and coach. “It’s almost as if they have a special connection with one another on the field.”
The girls in a prayer huddle.
||3 is the magic number Their quest to win the tournament started in July 2021 at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Championships in Virginia. They played 3v3 soccer within the 10 and 11 year olds division and were undefeated in all games. As the winner of that division, the triplets earned a “Golden Ticket” to qualify to the 3v3 National Championships tournament. Over the next four months, in between their club soccer training, schoolwork, and household chores, the triplets worked hard to prepare for the national championships. “The triplets worked on ball mastery, ball control, 1v1 attack moves, defensive moves, position transitioning, strength and agility, and speed training,” said David who trained the girls at home and at the park for the competition. On Thanksgiving Day, the triplets and their father flew to Palm Beach Gardens, Florida to face some of the top teams from across the country. The triplet’s team, known as Triple Threat Soccer, was the only team in
From left, Abigail, Kayla and Gabriella Asis, also known as the Triple Threat: National Champions in the 2011 Girls Division in soccer. THE FILAM |
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their age group (2011 girls) to represent the states of New Jersey and New York. Mom and other siblings stayed at home due to COVID concerns. The Triple Threat Soccer team consisted of just the Asis sisters while all the other teams that competed had as many as six players. This meant their team had no substitutes and that Gabriella, Kayla, and Abigail each had to play every single minute of every game. The only break they had to recover or grab a drink, was during halftime. The triplets were challenged early on during the group stage. They battled against several strong teams from Illinois and Florida. While other teams called it a day after their games and returned to their hotels to enjoy the pool, the triplets stayed behind to watch other games and refined their game strategies, said their father. “The triplets knew that when the time came, they had to play well or go home.” Before kicking off their semi-final match against a team from Pennsylvania, they huddled and told one
another, “It’s our time to shine!” The sisters quickly jumped to a 2-0 lead in the first minute of the game, and ultimately won the match 6-2. Although the triplets finished strong in the semi-finals, they wanted to finish stronger at the finals. Later that day, during the championship game, the triplets were tied 2-2 in the second half against a team from Louisiana. Despite the pressure, the triplets found their groove, scoring five more goals to secure the win 7-2. They had accomplished their goal, becoming National Champions of the 2011 Girls Division!
||No days off The triplets and their big brother Michael, who is 1 year older, have always enjoyed playing soccer. They touched a soccer ball since they were toddlers and started playing recreational soccer with their friends at 3 years old. They quickly made the transition from township recreational soccer to elite level, playing for soccer
Abigail, Kayla and Gabriella all dressed up for the holidays.
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clubs such as Player Development Academy (PDA) and South Jersey Elite Barons (SJEB FC). The triplets’ aspirations are to play Division 1 college soccer and ultimately play professional soccer at an international level. Said their father, “With their mantra of #NoDaysOff, the triplets know the dedication and commitment required to achieve their goals. While still early in their soccer journey, competing and winning the national championship is an amazing accomplishment.” The triplets are the top students in their 5th grade class. All three have 98 percent and higher grades across their core classes. Not only are they in the school’s Gifted and Talented program, but they are also in the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth program. “Outside of soccer,” said David, “the triplets enjoy singing and reading.” Readers can continue to follow the Triplets’ soccer journey on Instagram: @triplets.mic.soccer
Issue 47, January 2022
Children of presidentiables Gifted, foreign-educated, influencers
Asis triplets
Noel Quintana
His NYC story told in poster art
National soccer’s Triple Threat