FIL AM · FILIPINO

San Diego, California • April 2026. San Diego State, A.B. Samahan, and Fall 2026: What Filipino-American Families Need to Know. sdsu admissions 2026, ab samahan, filipino american college, san diego state university, california university admissions, fil-am students sdsu, socal, national city filipino community. EDUCATION • CALIFORNIA • APRIL 2026 San Diego State, A.B. Samahan, and Fall 2026: What Filipino-American Families Need to Know SDSU is not a backup. It is home to one of the oldest and largest Filipino-American student organizations in the country — and for many Fil-Am families, it is the right school for reasons the rankings will never capture. April 2018: Nica's senior year in high school. My kids Francesca, JianCarlo & Veronica pose in front of Hepner Hall with Diego, an SDSU student (and son of my next door neighbor in the Philippines). Every spring, Filipino-American families in Califor...

Fremont, CA • January 31, 2026. Half a Decade of Growth: A Senior Year Reflection: Five years after the Mission San Jose Invitational, we reflect on the grit of the Fil-Am journey and building a future on Turtle Island. wrestling, benicia, high school, student-athlete, turtle island, fil-am, heritage, january 31 Fremont, CA • January 31, 2026 Half a Decade of Growth: A Senior Year Reflection Five years after the Mission San Jose Invitational: Building grit on the mat and a future on Turtle Island. Looking at this photo now, I don't just see a wrestling match; I see a pivotal moment in the journey from student-athlete to adulthood. In the Filipino-American experience, we often talk about "building"—building a life, building a legacy, and building a future on Turtle Island . "Wrestling is a metaphor for our collective experience. It’s about finding your footing, staying grounded, and facing ev...

Maligayang Pasko Kapamilya at Kababayan! 🎄 2025 December 25: Vallejo, California. In the front are Paige Hardegen & Nica (they were classmates in Wardlaw School), Jian, Keo, & Chesca. In back are: Dominic, our host Melvin & Dino. Melvin and the next generation. Generation X (Gen X) and Millennials (Gen Y) are distinct demographic groups, with Gen X generally born 1965-1980 and Millennials 1981-1996, bridging the gap between older Boomers and younger Gen Z; Gen X are independent latchkey kids of the 80s/90s, while Millennials are digital natives known for tech-savviness, shaped by the turn of the millennium.   Thank you everyone for the delicious food/drinks, as well as the games and entertainment. Maraming salamat, kapamilya! 💛 Explore Filipino American heritage, culture, and stories! Join our Fil-Am community to connect, comment, celebrate, and share experiences. Mabuhay! 📌 Follow  PinoyBuilt Instagram 👍 Like  PinoyBuilt Facebook ✍️ Follow...

One of my favotite photos of JianCarlo that I took. The boy was already a kuya . But Baby Chesca was left with Mama, while we attended a birthday party in Blue Rock Springs Park one October Saturday in Vallejo, CA. Ate Nica had just turned 4, and Jian was almost 2 years and 9 months old.

Flashback: August 7, 2004 Family is forever. Every now and then, it’s nice to open the old photo albums (or scroll through our hard drives -- and back them up before you drop them!) and relive moments that shaped who we are. Today’s flashback takes us to Outside Lands 2004  — when that meant Mama & Papa's front lawn (with the new added bonus of a water slide I bought). Jian and Keo attended Outside Lands Day 1 in Golden Gate Park yesterday, so I'm just playing off that. They've got two more days with their Benicia buddies. Enjoy. Jian, Nica, Keo & Kuya R Tita Gigi was in town to help care for Baby Chesca. This flashback is a reminder that no matter how much time passes, the moments we share with loved ones are priceless. Whether it’s a holiday, a family vacation, or just an ordinary day that became extraordinary — they all deserve to be remembered. 💬 Your Turn! Do you have a favorite family fla...