PinoyBuilt — Stories of Filipino America

Vallejo, CA • September 2026. H.E.R.'s Mom Is a Nurse. Her Dad Built Things. In Vallejo, We Know That House. h.e.r. jennifer hudson show, gabriella sarmiento wilson, h.e.r. filipino mom nurse, h.e.r. vallejo, forgotten island h.e.r., filipino american nurses, empire of care, the makings of curtis mayfield, cabanatuan nueva ecija, fil-am working class family, 9/25. Vallejo, CA • September 2026 H.E.R.'s Mom Is a Nurse. Her Dad Built Things. In Vallejo, We Know That House. On The Jennifer Hudson Show, the Vallejo-born star traced her art back to family and the Philippines. Behind the Oscar is a Filipina nurse from Cabanatuan, a construction worker who introduced her to Curtis Mayfield, and a story thousands of Fil-Am homes already know by heart. PinoyBuilt illustration: a stethoscope, a hard hat, and a guitar by the door of a working Fil-Am house. Not a still from the show. In my family, the white uniform...

Thanksgiving 2023 Benicia, CA. November 23, 2023. Mga apo ni Ronaldo at Lualhati. Grandkids. Please click to follow our website/blog PINOYBUILT.com .

The retired nurse & the granddaughter following in her footsteps Thanksgiving 2023. Benicia, CA. November 23, 2023. Nati is my mom's nickname. Her first name is Lualhati . Chesca's first name, Francesca, was chosen by her mom (which happened to be on my short list). Since I had given my first two kids three names (since I had three names JFR), Chesca's full name was supposed to be ' Natalia Joy Francesca .' Chesca was supposed to be my JF! 😁 Natalia was for my mom, and Joy was for my sister. But at the last second, I dropped the 'Joy' so it's not on her baptismal certificate. So Chesca, I named you after two nurses. And you're still my JF. That's why you're so awesome. 😂 Please click to follow our website/blog PINOYBUILT.com .

Turkey Day 2003 Vallejo, CA. November 27, 2003. At our old house on Overlook. Jian is still the baby. Left to right: Tito Maning, Tita Lila on her cell phone, Tita Gigi, Tita Puring, Dad, Tita Nene, Dad, Tito Ed, Joy, Keo, Nica, Rosanne, Tess, Jian, and Melvin. Please click to follow our website/blog PINOYBUILT .

Turkey Day 2003 Vallejo, CA. November 27, 2003. At our old house on Overlook. Jian is still the baby. Left to right: Tito Maning, Tita Gigi, Tita Puring, Tita Nene, Dad (Tito Boy), Tess, Jian, Rosanne.

Turkey Day 2003 Vallejo, CA. November 27, 2003. At our old house on Overlook. 

Mom & Dad visited us after I gave the kids a haircut May 3, 2003. Vallejo, CA: After months of not getting her way, my wife threatened to divorce me if I didn't shave our kids' heads. She believed their hair would be thicker if I did so. I really did not want to shave off my daughter's hair, but two and a half year old Nica was so cool about it. Mom & Nica Nica and her mommy Please drop us a comment below. Help us grow Pinoybuilt to be the number one Filipino-American online community in California, if not the USA. 🇺🇸 Please click this to follow www.pinoybuilt.com . Thank you! Maraming salamat po kabayan. 🇵🇭 

Flashback with this beautiful lady, my mom. I remember when we still lived in our first house. I was 13 so it was our first year in Vallejo. Mom was doing somthing in the kitchen. I was watching TV in the family room. Mom wasn't the "sit-down, let's talk" type of person like my dad.  As I sat on the couch in the family room, watching either sports or cartoons, she walked through the family room.  Right when she walked in front of the TV, she said:  "Go as far as you can in your education... and don't be promiscuous!" I got the first part; I totally agreed.  But the second part made me nervous. It was the first time I'd heard the word 'promiscuous.' When she had left the room, I jumped out of the couch to grab the dictionary. I quickly found 'promiscuous' in the dictionary. I thought to myself: "AWWW MOM!" That's my mom!  That's my superwoman!  Nati. Vallejo, CA. Edited with Photoscape.    Edited with Adobe Ligh...

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

MLB via Fox Sports: Marita d'Arnaud, Travis and Chase's mom, talks about watching her sons play together and how musically-inclined they are. d'Arnaud family photo courtesy of Marita d'Arnaud

Wearing my Indiana Pacers jersey due to another mass shooting at the Indianapolis FedEx facility 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

via Instagram

via Instagram

via Instagram

via Instagram

via Instagram

via Instagram

My mom, 1st on the left, and Tita Myrna (2nd from right) in Illinois Masonic Hospital. Chicago, IL. 1978 It’s World Health Day! Today, we celebrate the work of nurses & midwives by showing our appreciation for their bravery, courage & resolve in the global #COVID19 response. Tell us who your favourite nurse or midwife is . Of course, my mom is my favorite nurse. It’s #WorldHealthDay ! Today, we celebrate the work of nurses & midwives by showing our appreciation for their bravery, courage & resolve in the global #COVID19 response. Tell us who your favourite nurse or midwife is 💐. #SupportNursesAndMidwives ➡️ https://t.co/ZFkbyJFmG0 pic.twitter.com/02Skex6uW8 — World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) April 6, 2020 One in 8 nurses works in a country other than where they were born or trained. M y mom was recruited fresh out or nursing school to work in the USA.  From 1960 to 1962, she worked in Jersey City, NJ and Chicago, IL.  My dad...