CHICAGO ILLINOIS FILIPINO

On June 3, 1979, my family sat outside Warren Barr Tower at 856 W. Nelson Street in Chicago for one final photo before beginning a five-day drive west; the destination: California.  We were leaving behind the only American city we knew. At just a few years into our lives as Filipino immigrants, Chicago had already given us a crash course in American living—and left a permanent imprint on our identity. Nearly a decade later, I returned. It was 1986, I was a little older—and in love. My girlfriend Liza Franco and I strolled downtown beneath Chicago’s iconic skyline and posed in front of “Duo” by Charles O. Perry , a vibrant sculpture at 55 E. Monroe Street. That photo reminds me how Chicago isn't just a city you live in—it's a place that lives in you. Its architecture, art, energy, and neighborhoods stay in your bones long after you’ve left. “Chicago raised us in a way Manila never could—it taught us how to be Filipino in an American world.” For many of us ...

Chicago Christmas Flashback December 25, 1978. Chicago, IL. Our last Christmas in Chicago as a family it would turn out. (I moved back in April 1989 by myself). Joy is in the 5th grade at St. Sebastian School in this photo. Our living room window faced Sheffield Ave .  I always loved how my mom had plants in our apartment. Too bad we don't have photos from Apt 805, our previous apartment in Barr Tower. Our window faced the back towards Sheffield Ave. APT 1202: Joy Scanned on my Lenovo laptop on Windows 11 at maximum resolution 1200 dpi. When I used to scan on my Macbook on the same printer, max resolution was 2400 dpi. I've got to fix my Macbook. Photo cropped in Photoscape and quickly edited in Lightroom Classic. Special Request Please support our Pinoybuilt website/community by leaving a comment below (Google account required). Thank you! Maraming salamat po!  

Police say they plan to pursue additional charges against a man accused of beating a woman and choking her with a zip tie during a carjacking in Harwood Heights, Illinois, on Wednesday Chicago Tribune: A 24 year-old Urbana man faces attempted murder and aggravated vehicular hijacking charges after he allegedly zip-tied a woman’s neck and stole her car in Harwood Heights, authorities said. A 24 year-old Urbana man faces attempted murder and aggravated vehicular hijacking charges after he allegedly zip-tied a woman’s neck and stole her car in Harwood Heights, authorities said. https://t.co/M7Mp0HKwZy — Chicago Tribune (@chicagotribune) September 3, 2023

Eighty-two-year-old Estrella Alamar made it her mission to preserve and share the history of Filipino Americans in Chicago.  

Crazy Rich Asians Official Soundtrack | Money (That’s What I Want) - Cheryl K | WaterTower Money, Money, Money I work all night, I work all day to pay the bills I have to pay Ain't it sad? And still there never seems to be a single penny left for me That's too bad In my dreams I have a plan So wrote ABBA in their 1976 song "Money, Money, Money." The song was used in the film " CRAZY RICH ASIANS " in 2018. I Have A Plan This website is my plan. Actually, this was my plan before Facebook came into existence in February 2004. Having seen the business potential and experienced the boom of AmIHotOrNot.com and Friendster, I wanted to build a website with my own Pinoy flavor. I met with cousin Melvin and his cousin Ress in January 2003 to bring up a site that would connect Filipino-American college students in California. The mission was to be the top Fil-Am site in California. With the hits and advertising revenue from just California, that should be rather l...