Ensuring that the family is financially stable is a shared sentiment among most Filipino immigrant parents with American-born children. With this in mind, these Filipino American children are often not encouraged to pursue a career outside of STEM, or Science Technology, Engineering, Medical fields. This push, in particular, often steers Filipino children away from their own interests. For example, becoming a voice actor or even pursuing this particular path is not usually on

Amongst the innumerable books to be read and enjoyed, there are a few that shake our core, that cause us to question and savor our own stances and the experiences that shaped these viewpoints. Ocean Vuong’s On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous is an exploration of concepts such as masculinity, race, sexuality, refugeeism, and motherhood and how one’s perception of these concepts are affected growing up in the primarily white, American town of Hartford, Connecticut. On Tuesday, Jun

There is a surge of artists of all backgrounds, specifically within marginalized populations, establishing themselves in the art community. It is an exciting sight seeing these artists collaborate and find confidence in their work. One in particular is local, half-Filipino artist, Max DeHart. He is a self-taught acrylic painter who focuses on natural settings and creatures utilizing realism techniques with an urban abstract texture. He began his art journey painting when he w

The conversation between the Filipinos who left the island and those who stayed is ongoing and as passionate as ever. The subject of the Filipino identity is one way this heated dialogue continues: what is it that defines the essence of “Filipino-ness”? Having survived colonization and WWII, some argue that Filipinos don’t have an identity that is not influenced by colonizers. However, why is it that we are so quick to limit the definition of this identity to solely one? The

Coco is a recent art graduate from Laguna College of Art + Design and has a passion for telling stories through her colorfully, whimsical art style that may be viewed on her online portfolio. As a Filipino-American, she paved her way into the art scene and continues to grow every day through her wonderful style. Drawing since a young age, Coco took art more seriously around the 4th grade and pulls inspiration from her childhood, whether it's celebrating it or depicting growth

Amanda Pascual is a recent graduate of Sacramento State University. Through her love of painting and printmaking, she wishes to represent her Filipino American culture through her idea of home. She wants the diverse Asian American population to be better represented in the art scene. She is also the current Art Editor for both Chopsticks Alley Pinoy and our sister organization, Chopsticks Alley Art. Like most Filipino Americans, her decision to become an artist was not immedi

Taiko drums reverberated through the neighborhood. The smell of fish sauce wafted through the streets of Japantown. The scent and sound greeted excited guests at the gates of Art Object Gallery to celebrate the exhibition opening of Salt Stained, Chopsticks Alley Art’s inaugural exhibition. It was the first time Filipino, Vietnamese, and Japanese artists collaborated in San Jose, CA. Salt Stained is a testament to the vibrancy of Vietnamese, Filipino, and Japanese culture tha

Kenneth Tan Ronquillo is a San Jose based Filipino artist whose beginnings started with an unconventional move: he left Southern California, homeward bound, to help care for Crescenciana Tan, his grandma, or “lola” in Tagalog, when she turned ninety-four. In our recent interview with Kenneth, he shares that he wanted to find a way to make the most of their time together, by coming up with the idea of collaborative art. His lola makes the paintings, and his promise is to finis

Throughout my studies as a studio art major, I envied my Chinese and Latina friends who had easy access to an abundance of resources on artists to study and look for inspiration. Being Filipino American, I did not have the same kind of access to references like other cultures. In the Asian American community, many of our art sources stem from major countries such as Japan, China, and Korea. Although their art is inspiring and altogether amazing, I craved the connection to my

Vietnamese parents are strict when it comes to education. They have good reasons to be strict when it comes to their kids. Many parents do not want to see their kids go through what they went through as immigrants. They don’t want their kids to know what it feels like to be truly poor. Education is an important factor; without an education, parents believe their children would not be able to get good jobs. Without good jobs how will kids support themselves in the future? On t

The opening reception will take place on June 25 from 2 p.m.-4 p.m. at the Cultural Heritage Center. Refreshments will be available and it open to all. The photography exhibit expresses the beauty of Vietnam and the merging of the photographer's culture into the American culture. It is a rich, colorful and black and white portrayal of his heritage and identity through the lens of his camera. Purchase his photographs to support the children from disadvantaged family and disab