Filipino people

There’s a whole culture in the Philippines that’s evolved around people working on a New York time zone. They don’t just live on US time, they live in US weather, and US culture.

Schoolhouse Rock, the 1970s and 80s animated shorts that taught a generation of school kids about how a bill becomes a law and just what function a conjunction has, inspired Alex Timbers to blend history and music in his musicals. The young director is out with his latest mashup, Here Lies Love, looking at Imelda Marcos.

Filipinos make us the second largest group of immigrants to the United States. Many came after serving in the U.S. military during World War II. But because there are so many, getting visas to bring adult family members to the United States can be nearly impossible — with the wait for most stretching a dozen years or more.

For years, Filipinos have been largely absent from American politics, despite being the second-largest group of Asian- Americans. But, for at least two people in California, that’s starting to change.

With Congress poised to tackle comprehensive immigration reform, some are worried about what will be left out. In particular, there’s concern that a policy overhaul might eliminate some categories of family visas.