FIL AM · FILIPINO

Vallejo, California • March 2026. Green Meets Gold: How Filipino Americans Celebrate St. Patrick's Day in America's Top Cities. fil-am st patricks day, chicago filipino american, boston filipino, san francisco parade, new york filipinos, irish filipino culture, diaspora celebration, autumn durald arkapaw. Culture & Community • March 2026 Green Meets Gold: How Filipino Americans Celebrate St. Patrick's Day in America's Top Cities From Chicago's iconic emerald river to San Francisco's West Coast parade, Fil-Ams aren't just watching—we're walking in it. "Kiss Me, I'm Brownish" — Filipino Americans embrace St. Patrick's Day with Pinoy Pride. 📷 PinoyBuilt Every March 17, seas of green flood America's streets in honor of St. Patrick's Day — a celebration rooted in Irish history but fully embraced by the multicultural fabric of the United States. For Filipino...

Chicago, Illinois • December 1978. Christmas Eve at Barr Tower, Apt 1202 — a Perseveranda family flashback from 856 W Nelson St. filipinos in chicago, fil-am family, chicago illinois, perseveranda, christmas 1978, barr tower, filipino diaspora, chicago filipinos. CHICAGO • DECEMBER 1978 Christmas Eve 1978: A Perseveranda Family Flashback at Barr Tower, Chicago Before California was even a twinkle in our minds — Jonjo, Nati, and Joy at Apt 1202, 856 W Nelson St, Chicago, IL. Jonjo, Nati & Joy • Christmas Eve 1978 • Apt 1202, Barr Tower, Chicago. Photo: Ronnie Perseveranda It was Christmas Eve 1978. The tree was up, the presents hadn't been opened yet — a Perseveranda house rule — and somewhere behind that camera stood our dad, Ronnie, capturing what would become one of the most treasured photographs in our family archive. That's Jonjo (me), Mom (Nati), and my sister Joy, in the living room of Apt 1202 at ...

Marikina Philippines Chicago USA 1976. August 19 Filipino immigration anniversary. Northwest Orient Airlines Manila Chicago Filipino American migration story Perseveranda family OFW diaspora. DIASPORA MEMOIR • AUGUST 1976 August 19: The Day We Left the Philippines A nine-year-old boy, his Lola, and his sister walk across a Manila tarmac — toward Chicago, toward their parents, toward a new life. Fifty years later, the journey still shapes everything. Manila International Airport (MIA), August 19, 1976. Lola Rosita, Joy, and Jonjo — three generations, one tarmac, one leap of faith. Photo by Tito Sonny (Marciano Perseveranda Jr.), who had airport access through his work at PAGASA. Every August 19, I go back to that tarmac. I am nine years old. My Lola Rosita has our papers. My sister Joy is beside me, probably already calculating whether she would be carsick before we ever reached Chicago. And somewhere ahead of us is a Northwest Orient j...

By J.F.R. Perseveranda 🚘 Driving Down Michigan Ave – A Nostalgic Ride Past Chicago’s Historic Landmarks | Chesca in Chicago (2022) A 30-second drive down The Magnificent Mile with my daughter in July 2022 — passing by Water Tower Place and the Chicago Water Tower , both powerful symbols of the city’s strength and my own Filipino-American memories. 🏙️ This short video carries deep nostalgia: In the 1970s , my family drove down this same street when we lived in Chicago — bundled up in winter coats to shop for Christmas at Marshall Field’s and Water Tower Place. In the 1980s , I drove these same blocks again with my girlfriend — now part of my past, but forever part of the city in my memory. And now in 2022 , I bring my youngest daughter here after her high school graduation — linking generations on this iconic stretch of Chicago. 📍 Chicago Water Tower (built 1869) survived the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, one of the few public buildings left standing, and became a symbol of ...

Playing #mahjong in Algonquin with cousin Bernadette & nieces Claudine & Alaina. Auto-shuffling table = expert vibes. But with balikbayan luck (& yes, I’m very competitive), I won in 5 mins. 🀄😂#FilAm #MahjongNight #PinoyBuilt via Instagram https://instagr.am/p/DL4-DEFxVby/ Testing IFTTT process that auto-posts reels from  https://www.instagram.com/pinoy.built/ to this website. The process worked, but it only posts the 'cover photo' from the Instagram reel.

By J.F.R. Perseveranda July 6. First night back in Chicago after years away—and what better way to spend it than playing mahjong with family in Algonquin. My cousin Bernadette’s place has a high-tech auto-shuffling table, so I assumed I was up against pros: my nieces Claudine and Alaina included. But in true balikbayan beginner’s luck… I won in under 5 minutes. 😂🀄 And yes—I’m very competitive. 😏 Chesca’s first night here, too. A perfect start. #MahjongNight #FilipinoFamily #BalikbayanFeels #FilAmStories #PinoyBuilt #MahjongQueen #FamilyTime #ChicagoFilAm #PinoyInChicago #AlgonquinIL #FilipinoCulture #ChescaInChicago #MahjongLife #FilipinoGames #1PointMahjong #BalikbayanChronicles #FilipinoTraditions #MahjongMasters #PinoyPride #FilAmVibes #PinoyBuiltStories Follow at https://www.youtube.com/@jfperseveranda?sub_confirmation=1

Flashback from March 28, 2004 when I flew to Chicago for Kadence's christening. HBD again cousin Marty! 🎉👊🏽 Check out cousin Edgar Allan Rivera in his barong . I got one on too as a ninong . Please click to follow our website/blog PINOYBUILT .

Flashback to our last Christmas in Chicago I just scanned this throwback from December 1978, our last winter in Chicago. Apartment 1202 in Warren Barr Tower. This was the living room, which was also my bedroom. I'll edit later and re-post. 🇵🇭 Please drop us a comment below in the comment box at the bottom. Login automatically into the Disqus box with your Facebook, Twitter or Google account. Follow Pinoybuilt . 🇺🇸 Let's create the #1 Fil-Am / Filipino-American website in California , if not the USA . Worldwide ? Please follow our social media accounts: www.instagram.com/pinoy.built www.facebook.com/pinoybuilt www.facebook.com/jonjo You have an open invitation to blog with me here. Posts here are auto-tweeted to my Twitter account (15,000+ followers) & auto-posted to the Pinoybuilt Facebook Page. So if you'd like assistance in marketing an event, yourself or your business, join me. Just send me your Gmail. Cheers. Please click to subscribe: my YouTube channel ww...

Edgar Allan Sarmiento Rivera November 16, 1970 - March 2, 2014 Sorry it's a little late. I meant to post this a couple days ago, but I'm still getting the hang of video editing.  We miss you Allan!

Throwback to when parking was free at the Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center We left the car for the week (even two or three weeks) and would have to shovel the snow around our cars to get out. Tita Myrna is on the left. My mom is in the middle with my sister Joy on the right.  

Mom looks warm & cozy in our apartment in Barr Tower. You can bet it was freezing outside in Chicagoland.

Flashback to your first Cubs game in Wrigley Field.

Nelly headlined at Taste of Chicago. He delivered. July 8, 2022. Grant Park. Chicago, IL Nelly headlining Taste of Chicago tonight was 🔥🔥🔥 Can you believe we get spoiled with FREE events like this in Chicago?! #ChicaGOandKNOW #TasteofChicago @TasteofChi @ChicagoDCASE pic.twitter.com/VBRmd2Boom — Choose Chicago (@ChooseChicago) July 9, 2022 Nelly in a @chicagobulls jersey performing at Taste of Chicago 👏 pic.twitter.com/UJh85ECQjk — Choose Chicago (@ChooseChicago) July 9, 2022 Come to #TasteofChicago presented by John Deere right now. It's real nice here. pic.twitter.com/LbOedbiVwS — Taste of Chicago (@TasteofChi) July 8, 2022 The new stage is beautiful and it's gonna get packed tonite! All three evenings viewing is wide open so come park yourself and enjoy (practically) wherever you want! pic.twitter.com/0MleL23NkP — Taste of Chicago (@TasteofChi) July 8, 2022

My 17yo daughter did not care if it rained on us at Taste Of Chicago in Grant Park. We were going to watch Nelly.

✈️ Around 10 PM, my son Jian drove Chesca and me to SFO to catch our redeye flight to Chicago. Jian, Chesca, and I at SFO – July 5, 2022 J.F.R. Perseveranda Tuesday, July 5, 2022 at 10:00 PM We were heading to celebrate my niece’s high school graduation—a joyful family milestone. 🎓 There’s something timeless about those airport send-offs: headlights on the freeway, the hum of goodbye hugs, and the quiet strength of family ties. This trip also marked the beginning of Chesc

Rest In Love Edgar Allan Sarmiento Rivera. November 16, 1970 - March 2, 2014. I miss ya cuz!   Buckingham Fountain, Chicago, IL Left to right: me, my sister Joy, Allan, Allan's girlfriend Christina, and his kuya Jun. Missing you both Jun & Allan! Quote of the Day: "Everything has been figured out, except how to live." - Jean-Paul Sartre — JF 🇵🇭🇺🇸🌊 (@JFPerseveranda) March 3, 2022

My childhood team versus my current local team. May the better team win. Thinking of my cousins Jun and Allan Rivera.   The #49ers haven't scored a touchdown against the #Bears since 2015. pic.twitter.com/SVFzjXUbnQ — Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) October 31, 2021 Let's get to work. 😤 @MotorolaUS | #SFvsCHI pic.twitter.com/4KfitHt78Y — Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) October 31, 2021 Whatever it takes 😤 #SFvsCHI pic.twitter.com/HEA0PvHjJW — San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) October 31, 2021

Thank you for everything Tita Lita! Yours was my home away from home in Chicago, and your sons were my brothers from another mother.  Maraming salamat po! The following two photos were taken in the Rivera home in December 1991 when Joy and I visited for a week or so. Photo: San Francisco, April 2010  

Flashback to December 1991 when Vince, Joy and I visited our Badiola cousins in Chicago. Hi Sister Charlene!  Wassup Richard Franco!

Erin go bragh St. Patrick's Day always reminds of me of Chicago . I can think of only one city in the world that dyes its river green -- Chicago ! It's close to my heart since that's the first place we lived in in the USA, from 1976-1979. After my family moved to California, I moved back in 1989.  Lots of fond memories. I'll have to find a photo from back-in-the-day partying on Rush St . Chicago River dyeing 2021: Green makes appearance for toned down St. Patrick's Day celebrations Chicago River Dyed Green - St Patrick's Day 2018 Drone Time Lapse From Wikipedia The city has many different Saint Patrick's Day celebrations, the most famous being the dyeing of the  Chicago River . Each year, the city hosts a parade downtown, which is preceded by the dyeing of the Chicago River. The dyeing of the river involves thousands of people lining the banks of the river and watching as a boat releases dye into the river and turns the river a kelly green color. ...