PinoyBuilt — Stories of Filipino America

Don’t write to be liked. Don’t write to be right. Don’t write to be understood. Write to become emotionally literate, accepting of yourself, and free. Write to move a culture. Write a philosophical change. Write to revolutionize your pain. – Tanya Markul Reposted from my Facebook Memories. January 16, 2024.   Soul Over Matter Podcast: The Healing Power of Writing with Tanya Markul In this episode, I chat with writer and author, Tanya Markul, about the transformative and healing nature of writing. Michelle the Mystic

I am a writer, and I have always been inclined to writing ever since I have learned grammar in school. For someone whose first language is English, it is not surprising to be a writer; but having published a book for children and to be asked the question in the U.S., "Did you write it in English or in your language?" surprises me. Most Filipino writers I know, write in English - and proficiently. Unless one had a further degree in Filipino language , then this is another unique story. Anyone who grew up in the Philippines and finished a degree through the country's educational system,  can totally relate to this blog.  The country, being so diverse in its culture has 8 major languages and over 170 dialects. Small archipelago as it is, the neighboring townspeople do not speak the same language as the other, nor their dialects/languages come similar as Portuguese would be to Spanish . So as an Ilocano , I spoke Ilocano in my daily life, except in formal instructi...

Young Filipino-Americans in STEM and Medical Professions Most of my family members have occupations in the STEM fields or medical field or health care professions. STEM includes science , technology , engineering , and mathematics . When I was younger, my family pushed for me to go into these types of fields. I pushed back, saying that I wanted to go into the arts . They pushed back too. My dad would constantly remind me that “the money ” is in more “practical jobs”, urging me to look into becoming a computer engineer or a doctor . I knew that those types of jobs weren’t for me. While my eldest sister was pursuing a higher education at UCLA , she declared pre-med right after high school . It wasn’t until the end of her third year that she realized she did not have a passion for medicine . She switched her major to International Development and received a certificate in Interior Design. My family was disappointed when she decided not to pursue a medic...

Another Filipino first: Filipina Editor Michi Trota wins Hugo Award This year's Hugo Award for Best Semiprozine went to Uncanny Magazine , edited by Lynne M. Thomas, Michael Damian Thomas, Michi Trota, Erika Ensign and Steven Schapansky. With Uncanny Magazine's win, Chicagoan Michi Trota became the first Filipino or Filipina to win a prestigious Hugo Award. Michi Trota is all smiles at 74th World Science Fiction Convention, MidAmeriCon II in Kansas City, Missouri. Photo Credit @geekmelange Watch 'Uncanny Magazine' editors win the 2016 Hugo Awards for Best Semiprozine Michi Trota's acceptance speech is on her website GeekMelange.com .  The full list of this year's winners are on TheHugoAwards.org . 2016 Hugo Awards Acceptance Speech from MidAmeriCon II https://t.co/2Lqctc8xEv pic.twitter.com/R0Iy2TRXeJ — Michi Trota (@GeekMelange) August 21, 2016 From Wikipedia: The Hugo Awards are a set of awards given annually for the best sci...