This Filipino American Life

Episode 248 – Community Care with Kalaya’an Mendoza

https://thisfilipinoamericanlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/tfal-episode248.mp3 In this episode of the podcast, Kalaya’an Mendoza returns to talk with the crew about community care.  This episode is dedicated to the folks in Minnesota and beyond who are grieving, protesting, and resisting ICE kidnappings and intimidation. The crew reached out to Kalaya’an again to check in on how we can support each other in these times of unrest. Take a listen as the crew talks about how we are all coping and providing care for our communities in our own ways. Listen or download the episode through the embedded player on ThisFilipinoAmericanLife.com, or subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever your favorite podcasts are found. For more resources on how to support your community check out these ig accounts! View this post on Instagram View this post on Instagram View this post on Instagram

Episode 247 – Seafood City Late Night Analysis

Over the last few months, the hottest night out can be had at a Filipino supermarket. If you’re lucky enough to live near a Seafood City, you might have seen or experienced the multi-generational viral dance party conceptualized by JP Breganza back in August 2025. What is this phenomenon all about? Why does it attract so many people (especially younger Millennials and Gen Zers)? How long will it last? In this episode of TFAL, the crew breaks down their experiences at these “Late Night Madness” parties and their larger impact on the Filipino American community.  The crew dives into the Seafood City Party phenomenon, corporate responsibilities of large Filipino American businesses, and how the ethos of these parties relates to the recent H-Mart controversy. Listen or download the episode through the embedded player on ThisFilipinoAmericanLife.com, or subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever your favorite podcasts are found. For more info on the Seafood City Party phenomenon, check out these articles: Disarray Magazine KQED LA Times Seattle Times NY Times Photo Credit: Disarray Magazine

Episode 246 – Scientific Dragons | Flowers for Dom Magwili

https://thisfilipinoamericanlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/tfal-episode246.mp3 Dom Magwili is a prolific actor, writer, and educator who has graced his presence on stage and screen for years. Most importantly Dom has played a role in our lives when he guided Kat as  she was PCN coordinator at UCLA and gave Elaine a boost of confidence when she was an emcee for the Festival of Philippine Arts & Culture. In this episode the TFAL crew gives Dom his (metaphorical) flowers. Dom shares his journey as an artist and gives us a lesson in how to create your own work when you do not see yourself in the media landscape presented to you. The crew discusses Dom’s career and how it led him to his latest project Scientific Dragons! Scientific Dragons : The Adventure of Ensun Castle is a steampunk adventure that follows an expatriate from the Philippines, an immortal female pirate, and a Japanese American spy as they battle to keep a small European kingdom from falling to a global shadow government and their airborne fortress. Watch the trailer for Scientific Dragons and then head to Amazon and pick up the book: Buy Scientific Dragons! Listen or download the episode through the embedded player on ThisFilipinoAmericanLife.com, or subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever your favorite podcasts are found.

Episode 245 – Filipino American Anthems

What is the Filipino American anthem? Is it Bebot by the Black Eyed Peas? P.T.I. by Carl Angelo? Lemonade by Jeremy Passion? Us by Ruby Ibarra? Do You Miss Me? by Jocelyn Enriquez? Todo Todo by Daniela Romo (you know who chose that one!)?? In this TFAL episode, we look at so-called Filipino American anthems over the years and discuss how much of an anthem they really were to our community. One criterion though: if Producer Mike hasn’t heard of it, it doesn’t count! FYI, we recorded the episode before the launch of Carl Angelo’s #PTIchallenge so we missed the larger impact of that anthem. Pasensya na! Listen or download the episode through the embedded player on ThisFilipinoAmericanLife.com, or subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever your favorite podcasts are found. Did we leave a song out? Is there an anthem yet to be composed? Let us know! Leave us a voicemail at (805) 394-TFAL or email us at thisfilipinoamericanlife@gmail.com. This is episode was Joe’s bright idea, so any hate mail can be addressed to him directly. =)

Episode 244 – F*ck Cancer with Arthur Yu

https://thisfilipinoamericanlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/tfal-episode244.mp3 In this episode the TFAL crew has a conversation with Arthur Yu. Arthur Yu was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia in 2023. Arthur did all the things you needed to do like rounds of chemo and looking for bone marrow matches. Arthur explored the National Marrow Donor Program (formerly Be The Match) for possible matches.  https://www.nmdp.org/ A match through NMDP wasn’t found, but a match through a distant relative in the Philippines was found. Instead of being joyful that a match had been found, a new battle came to a head when the relative in the Philippines was denied a visa to come to the States. This started the campaign for Arthur’s cousin to get their visa approved and how it came to the attention of TFAL.  Listen or download the episode through the embedded player on ThisFilipinoAmericanLife.com, or subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever your favorite podcasts are found. Want to share your experience with cancer? Are you registered with the National Marrow Donor Program? Leave us a voicemail at (805) 394-TFAL or email us at thisfilipinoamericanlife@gmail.com.