We got a sneak peek of the new Gossip Grill space and it’s sure to please regulars and new patrons alike. The tables feature iconic photos of female celebrities. You can now choose to sit and eat at the Angelina Jolie table. There’s a lot more space than the previous location including the highly requested dance floor. Stop by, have some drinks and dance the night away. There’s also an area just for smokers. For those of us who’d rather avoid being around smoke, there’s plenty of room outside and inside the restaurant/bar. In addition to the wonderful décor, fireplace and dance floor there are two bars. The women’s bathroom has … get this ladies, three stalls! The boys may not understand how exciting this is, but trust us, it is! To find out more about newly relocated Gossip Grill, visit thegossipgrill.com
Relief, Rebuild & Remember – a fundraiser for Typhoon Haiyan survivors in the Philippines
We went to WorldBeat Center for a fundraising event headlined by Afro-Latino rapper Immortal Technique with special guests Bambu and Odessa Kane. He paid for his own costs and brought along Chino XL and Poison Pen to perform. L.A.’s underground hip-hop group, the Visionaries were also in the house. It was an incredible night for hip-hop in San Diego with so much talent coming together for a great cause. Door and donation proceeds went to the grassroots relief efforts of Sagip-Tulong sa Pilipinas (STP) and The Association of Filipinas, Feminists Fighting Imperialism, Re-feudalization, and Marginalization (AF3IRM).
The damage from the typhoon has left many areas desolate. They are still in desperate need for basics such as food, clothing and shelter. AF3IRM National Chairperson Jolene Levid spoke to the audience about her first-hand experience in relief efforts. She recently went to the Philippines for a three-week trip to meet women, organizers and community groups in Leyte, Mindanao, Cebu and Manila in the aftermath of the disastrous effects of Typhoon Yolanda/Haiyan and militarism. During her trip, she started Phase 1 of AF3IRM’s sexual violence relief centers project with NAPIESV. She emphasized that charity must be followed by justice. For more info visit STP at https://sites.google.com/site/stprelief and AF3IRM at www.af3irm.org.
15th annual Kababayan conference: Ngayon – (re)Building Our Foundation
Kababayan at University of California Irvine held its 15th Annual Conference Feb. 15. The annual conference aims to educate its members and the community at large about Pilipin@/Pilipin@ American identity, hxstory, culture, and issues. This year’s theme, Ngayon: (re)Building Our Foundation, explored and encouraged the importance of knowledge within hystory, self, and identity of us as men, womxn, community members, students, people of color, Pilipin@s, and Filipin@-Americans. “Ngayon,” the tagalog term which translates into the English word “now,” challenges us through the foundation of voice, to ignite a passion and proactively make a positive change in our various communities.
The space was also an opportunity for Kababayan to expand on relationships with other external organizations like AF3IRM and provided a chance for KabaCon attendees to learn more about these networks, the work that they do, and how they can get involved.
Keynote speakers American Quarterly Managing Editor Nic Ramos, AF3IRM National Chairperson Jolene Levid and KmB Pro People Youth Chair Mark Ramos urged the attendees to continue the fight for equality and ensure that our voices are heard. Many of the issues that they thought we had already won in the past are being challenged right now. Levid also spoke about how critical it is for us, women, to be empowered and realize that our place is “not in the kitchen, not in the bedroom, but a woman’s place is at the head of the struggle.”
We chatted with several amazing people including Ivy Quicho (interim national organizing director of Committee of Interns and Residents: CIR/SEIU Healthcare and member of AF3IRM), Nic John Ramos, Dorothy Santos (SF Bay Area Chapter coordinator of AF3IRM) and Jolene Levid, whom we had also seen a week before at WorldBeat Center in San Diego. It was nice to finally connect with her; her speeches are very empowering as she speaks with passion and power. To find out more about Kababayan at UCI, visit kababayanuci.org
