This episode's guest is Virginia B. Johnson. Virginia is a costume designer and the owner of gather here in Inman Square, which is in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

In the interview, we dive into her journey from a naval base in the Philippines to Greater Boston, her career in costume design, and the origins of her shop, gather here. We also talk about the importance of community to Virginia and her work, and her recent Emmy nomination. 

Stay in touch: 

• BOSFilipinos - IG: @bosfilipinos, Email: infmailto: [email protected]

• Virginia B. Johnson - IG: @vee.bee.jay for behind the scenes pics, cats, food, gardens // LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/virginiabjohnson
• gather here - IG: @gather_here for what's happening at the shop // Threads: @gather_here // https://gatherhereonline.com

For the full transcript, head to BOSFilipinos.com/blog

Trish Fontanilla, BOSfilipinos co-founder and host of the podcast, welcomes cultural practitioner Ellie Tiglao and artist Lani Asunciòn to discuss their new project. Their upcoming event, "Transmuting Imperialism: A Visual and Culinary Exchange," features Filipino communal dining, projection mapping, and multi-disciplinary performance exploring cultural identity and resistance. 

Stay in touch: 

• BOSFilipinos - IG: @bosfilipinos, Email: [email protected]
• Ellie - Email: [email protected]
• Lani - IG: @lani.asuncion
• Kwentu - IG: @makingkwentu
• Event tickets - https://bit.ly/pagkakaisa-solidaridad

Kaitlin Milliken hosts her final episode of the show. In it, she shares a personal essay on her Boston experience.

BOSFilipinos is turning 5 this year! In this episode, we’ll look ahead and share what you can expect from our group in 2022. Trish Fontanilla, who runs BOSFilipinos, joins us for this episode.

For many Catholic Filipinos, religious life means celebrating the ways that their heritage and religion intersect. Father Alex Castro discusses Filipino religious traditions and the  Filipino Apostolate of the Archdiocese of Boston. 

Aldrin Agas, chef and owner of Kuya’s Cooking, joins us to talk about his own culinary journey and tips for improving your kitchen chops. That includes how he launched his catering and popup business, where to get ingredients for your Filipino pantry, and how to get your hands on recipes. 

In this episode, we discuss when Filipinos first came to Massachusetts, as well as the organizations that create communities to bind them together. Guests include Richard Chu of University of Massachusetts Amherst and Mary Talusan of California State University Dominguez Hills.

IP is the longest continuously running Filipino cultural school in the US. Today, the completely volunteer run program serves students between pre-K all the way through high school with a variety of cultural programming. That includes language, cooking, dance, and a rondalla music program. 

We are joined by three of IP’s volunteers to discuss the program’s history and how to get involved.

September 1st is when most of the leases in Boston begin. People across town are making their apartments and brownstones feel like home — including many who are moving here for the first time. In this episode, Michele Garlit shares tips for moving, apartment hunting, getting settled and making friends. Michele is a law student at Suffolk University. Listen for more. 

Paulina Mangubat moved to Boston in February of 2021. She’s spent her career working in the political sector and relocated to the city to work on a high profile race: Boston’s upcoming mayoral election. Paulina is the Digital Director on the Michelle Wu campaign. During our conversation, Paulina shared why she was drawn to the Wu campaign and what got her started in politics.