PinoyBuilt — Stories of Filipino America

Vallejo, CA • March 2026. Happy Birthday, Einstein: A Theory of Relativity, a Six-Week Summer, and the Filipino Mind. Pi Day, Albert Einstein, Filipino STEM, Dado Banatao, UC Davis, Aeronautical Engineering, Filipino Americans in science. Happy Birthday, Einstein: A Theory of Relativity, a Six-Week Summer, and the Filipino Mind It's Pi Day. It's Einstein's birthday. And one Fil-Am Aeronautical Engineering major's brush with relativity in a blistering UC Davis summer became a lesson in tiyaga — and a doorway to a bigger story about Filipinos in STEM. By J.F.R. Perseveranda · PinoyBuilt · March 14, 2026 Filipino STEM pioneers share Pi Day with Einstein's birthday — honoring innovators like Dado Banatao who shaped Silicon Valley. 3.14159… Pi — the infinite constant 1879 Einstein born March 14 ~60% Fil-Am students less likely to choose STEM vs. o...

Indian Wells, California • March 2026. Filipina Alex Eala Cracks WTA Top 30: Indian Wells 2026 Run Recap. alex eala, fil-am, filipina, tennis, wta, indian wells, bnp paribas open, top 30, world no. 29, philippines, sports, coco gauff, linda noskova. Indian Wells, CA • March 2026 The Pride Remains: Alex Eala's Historic Indian Wells Milestone A Round of 16 finish and a leap to World No. 29 — Alex Eala leaves "Tennis Paradise" as a certified global force. The desert sun sets on a historic campaign. Filipina tennis ace Alex Eala saw her debut run at the 2026 BNP Paribas Open conclude in the Round of 16, falling to World No. 14 Linda Nosková in straight sets, 2-6, 0-6. But don't let the scoreline define the week — what Eala accomplished in the California desert was nothing short of extraordinary. From the moment she stepped onto the courts at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, Eala carried the hopes of ...

Orange County • October 22, 2022 Building with Chapman University Kapamilya: Friendship Games & Student Voices From the Bay Area to SoCal Navy towns, we are connecting the 1.5 and 2nd generation Fil-Am journey—one campus story at a time. Ladies of Chapman University Kapamilya. Friendship Games 37. CSU Fullerton. "Whether you're a first-generation immigrant, a second-generation Filipino-American, or like me—a 1.5-generation Filipino—you belong here." Salamat, Chapman University Kapamilya (@cukapamilya) —thank you for following @Pinoybuilt on Instagram and for reaching out about that photo! Every message reminds us why Pinoybuilt exists: to connect Filipinos across generations and celebrate our shared stories. Per your request on IG. I used a cropped 9x16 for my Instagram story; here's the full photo. I still have videos and photos to edit/post. I will post as time a...

Maraming Salamat to the UC Berkeley Pilipinx American Alliance! We’d like to give a big thank you to the UC Berkeley Pilipinx American Alliance (PAA) for following @PinoyBuilt on Instagram! Your support helps us continue to connect Filipino Americans — from students and alumni to creatives and professionals across the U.S. As a Filipino-founded media project, PinoyBuilt celebrates stories of identity, heritage, and community. We’re inspired by organizations like PAA that embody bayanihan — unity, cultural pride, and leadership within the Filipino American community. 📸 Flashback Feature: Friendship Games 37 Here’s a throwback to Friendship Games 37 , held on October 22, 2022 at California State University, Fullerton — a celebration of friendship, culture, and school spirit that continues to unite Filipino American students across generations. UC Berkeley’s PAA proudly represented the Bay Area with energy and pride! 📍 UC Berkeley PAA at Friendship Games 37, C...

Welcome to Our Fil-Am Community—Thank You for Connecting!  Hi there! I want to take a moment to personally welcome you to my Pinoy Built Facebook circle and, more broadly, to the growing online community of Filipino Americans who celebrate, share, and build Filipino identity, culture, and pride together. First and foremost, thank you for connecting! Every friend I add is more than just a Facebook connection—they are a part of a living, breathing, vibrant community. Whether you grew up here in the U.S., migrated recently from the Philippines, or are somewhere in between like me, your presence matters. As part of this welcome, I’d love to introduce you to the Pinoy Built Facebook Page and Pinoybuilt.com . If you like and follow the Facebook Page, you’ll get notifications of new stories, community posts, and features on the website, so you never miss the latest content celebrating our heritage. What is Pinoybuilt.com? Pinoy Built is more than a blog or a website—it’s ...

The photo attached to this post — my dad, Tito Maning, and Tito Ed smiling in matching Pacquiao shirts, proudly standing over a perfectly roasted slab of beef, corn in hand — captures just a sliver of the joy and meaning that Manny Pacquiao has brought into our lives. By J.F.R. Perseveranda | Pinoybuilt.com When Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao stepped into the ring on December 6, 2008, to face Oscar De La Hoya in what was billed as "The Dream Match," the world watched. But no group watched with more fervor, with more pride, and with more unity than the global Filipino community. For many of us, that night was more than just a boxing match. It was a celebration of identity, resilience, and excellence. And for my family, it was doubly special — it coincided with my dad's birthday just days earlier on December 2nd. That night, we hosted a Manny Pacquiao watch party, surrounded by friends and family, laughter, food, and an overwhelming sense of pride. The photo attached...

When I moved to Vallejo, California in 1979, I was just a shy kid trying to fit in.  Posted on: By: J.F.R. Perseveranda Coming from Chicago where my sister and I had first landed after immigrating from the Philippines, Vallejo was a different world. It was a Navy town, and most of our new classmates were kids of retired U.S. Navy men — born in the U.S., fluent only in English. By comparison, my sister and I still spoke Tagalog. We carried our culture with us — in our accents, our lunch boxes, and even in how we addressed each other. My younger sister Joy  used to call me “ kuya ” — until I asked her to stop calling me that at school. That’s when I first started hearing the word: FOB — “Fresh Off the Boat.” It was thrown around like an insult, often directed at Filipino immigrants who didn’t dress "right," didn’t speak "right," or who weren’t up to date on the latest American trends. It stung. Because I knew that if I wasn’t careful, that label wou...

🌈 Kumusta, mga kaibigan! 🇵🇭 This is a heartfelt invitation especially for our LGBTQ+ community — and even more especially for those of you already authorized as authors here on this site. 📝 We want to hear your story. Share with us your journey — your struggles, your triumphs, your celebrations. Whether it's a moment of coming out, a story of family, finding love, fighting for acceptance, or simply living life out loud... your voice matters . But it doesn’t have to be all serious — we’d love to see your world too: 📸 travel memories, 🥘 favorite Filipino dishes, 🎉 joyful moments, 🏳️‍🌈 Pride events, or just you being you. Tell us what it means to be both proudly LGBTQ+ and proudly Filipino. Let’s celebrate both Pride and Pinoy Pride . 🌍 Why It Matters Representation changes lives. Someone out there might see themselves in your story — and find courage, joy, or even a sense of home in your words or photos. ✍️ How to Contribute If you’re already an approve...