Nyrene Monforte (AAST Minor '23) Publishes Article for The Yappie on Filipino Newsletter, Manila Mail

On Tuesday, March 26, 2024, Nyrene Monforte (AAST Minor ‘23), published an article for The Yappie with Isabella Cho titled, “How one of Filipino America’s last newspapers folded.” This story was first published via the Asian American Journalists Association’s Voices program.

In the summer 2020 issue, a Filipino resident of Leesburg, Virginia—a suburb of Washington, D.C. —and a father of two daughters who participated in a silent march in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement said: “We are proud of our daughters for wanting to engage with the harsh and uncomfortable realities of our country … It was very emotional for us to be there together.”

For 30 years, Manila Mail provided about 65,000 Filipino immigrants and their descendants in the greater D.C. metropolitan area a platform for discourse and connection.

Often found in restaurants and businesses, the paper covered a full spectrum of topics from the experiences of Filipino nurses in the COVID-19 pandemic to the policy changes between Philippine presidencies. However, the paper was also hyperlocal—focusing on community events such as golden weddings, graduations, and birthday celebrations. 

But printing stopped in late 2021, during the throes of the pandemic.

You can read the full article here.