VIA Times – December 2017 Issue Vital News, Vibrant VIews for Asian Americans in Chicago & Midwest

By: Janice Dantes   I have lived in Chicago since the 1980s. Growing up in Jefferson Park, we were the only Filipinos on our block. I was also one of two Filipino children at my elementary school. Fast forward 30 years ...

By: Ryan Tejero   The University of the Philippines Alumni Association of Greater Chicago (UPAAGC) recently held its annual fundraising event, and was highlighted by a general membership meeting, election of officers and members of the board of directors, silent ...

By: Bob Boyer   The plan was to write this last article of 2017 as a review of the highlights from the articles of the past twelve months, starting with December, 2016. Quite to my surprise, four of the twelve ...

By: James DC   Two guys are bungee-jumping one day. The first guy says to the second. “You know, we could make a lot of money running our own bungee- jumping service in Mexico.” The second guy thinks this is ...

By: Cass Ingram   For centuries mankind has relied on the cannabis plant for its medicinal properties. Ancient Egyptian text from the 2nd century (called Fayyum Medical Papyrus) contains the earliest known record for the use of cannabis as a ...

By: Melody Dizon   And so variations of green, different shades of red, sparkly gold and shimmery silver linings are filling up my evening wardrobe, decoratvie lights shine brightly in people’s homes and the sound of holiday cheer is in ...

By: Christian L, ChaCha M & Xavier D   This is a time of year to remember things that are important to us. These are things I am thankful for this year: family, food, and shelter. The first thing I am ...

By: Victoria Smith   Before everything else, dear readers, I’d like to announce some signifi cant changes to this column in the coming year. Our always-supportive publisher and Editor-in-Chief, Veronica Leighton, has kindly agreed to my suggestions for innovations to ...

By: Jan Paul Ferrer   Although the offi cial tax planning season starts in January, there are year-end moves you can consider now to help cut your tax burden come April 17, 2018. Since the deadline for most strategies is ...

By: Nancy Abiera   Christmas is just around the corner. All of us have different mindsets and expectations during this time of celebration. I love to sing the song: “It’s the most wonderful time of the year!” I reminisced some ...