The State of Undocumented Immigrants

Note from the Editor: This post was submitted by emerging leader, Adinah Lagud. Adinah will be attending the upcoming State of Undocumented Immigrant Rights and Resources at the Philippine Consulate on April 18 at 6PM. Click here for more information about the event, to which you are invited to attend. The immigration debate, in recent weeks has garnered a substantial amount of attention in Congress. Though not a new issue, this increased attention was brought about by a bipartisan group in Congress known as the “Gang of Eight”. These members have been working on an all-inclusive immigration reform plan to present to Congress. With the rekindling of this national argument, I believe that it is particularly important for young leaders in the New York community, i.e. college students and Filipino organizations, to become actively engaged and cognizant of an issue that directly impacts the future of the Filipino and Fil-Am community.

As a leader in my own Filipino organization at Stony Brook University, I’ll readily admit if I was asked about my views on immigration a year ago today, I would have shrugged my shoulders in indifference. Not because I didn’t care about those struggling around me, but because I did not take the time to educate myself in order to formulate an opinion. I had ignorantly viewed “illegal” immigration as a matter pertinent to the west coast and their undocumented workers. After all, growing up in a conservative Southern town, that was dialogue surrounding me. I didn’t realize that the Philippines came in second (only after Mexico) in the number of annually distributed family based visas. These are the same visas that some members of Congress are looking to decrease. Not to mention that some petitions dating back to 1990 are still backlogged, so Filipinos have been waiting over twenty years to be reunited with their families.

In regards to undocumented immigrants living in the United States, people who relocated here as minors are able to apply for President Obama’s “Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals” but only a little over 3,000 undocumented Filipinos have applied nationwide. To put this into context, 2009’s estimated amount of unauthorized immigrants from the Philippines was 270,000. It’s safe to assume, many are not taking advantage of the resources available to them. Whether it is caused by fear, shame, misunderstanding, or pride, immigration reform is not a topic limited to other minority groups, we Filipinos are standing at the forefront of this issue.

I urge young adults, students, and Filipino clubs to take this up as an important issue to be educated on. We need to support organizations and institutions in our community who are working towards creating a viable way to distribute information and resources on immigration. If we collectively become informed and engaged on this debate, we have the power to thwart incorrect assumptions on undocumented immigrants and the immigration process as a whole within the Filipino and New York community.

UniPro's People Power Anniversary Panel 2013

The People Power Revolution (sometimes referred to as the EDSA Revolution) is considered one of the most pivotal events in Pilipino history, marking the end of Ferdinand Marcos’ 20-year authoritarian reign and the return of democracy to the country. The movement was sparked in 1983 by the assassination of Ninoy Aquino, a senator and leader in opposition of Marcos’ governance. A campaign of nonviolent protests and demonstrations continued over the course of three years, culminating in February of 1986 with a demonstration of over 2 million participants, including civilians, military and religious groups, notably led by the Archibishop of Manila, Cardinal Sin.As part of the State of Pilipino American Advocacy Series (SoPAAS), UniPro will be hosting a panel to commemorate the 27th anniversary of the People Power Revolution on February 19th, 2013. The panelists will speak on the history of Pilipino and Pilipino-American advocacy work through the story of the 1986 Revolution. They will discuss the importance of the revolution in Philippine and world history, and its relevance to today. The event will take place at the Philippine Consulate (556 Fifth Ave.) from 6:30 to 9:00 PM, with a suggested donation of $5 for entrance (donations to UniPro are tax deductible). It will be a great opportunity to learn and engage in discussion about this pivotal and historic event that has shaped the Philippines. Here is a little bit about our panelists:

Luis H. Francia is an award-winning author and poet, who also teaches Philippine-American literature at Hunter College, and Philippine language at New York University. His books include A History of the Philippines: From Indios Bravos to Filipinos, and his memoir Eye of the Fish: A Personal Archipelago, which won both the PEN Open Book Award and the Asian American Writers award.

Isabelita Sombillo was the Secretary General of SELDA, an association of former political prisoners in the Philippines. She studied at the University of Philippines, Los Banos and worked in the progressive movement against Marcos’ governance in the years before the revolution began. She was held as a political prisoner from 1983-1986 by the Marcos regime. She has been a 1199SEIU Union organizer since 2000.

Baltazar 'Bal' Pinguel is the former national director of Peacebuilding and Prevention of Conflict Program for the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC). For his activism, Bal was detained twice, tortured and involuntarily 'disappeared' by the Marcos Dictatorship. Upon his release from his second detention in 1985, Bal became a founding member and officer of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan or BAYAN, the largest anti-dictatorship grassroots coalition in the Philippines. Aside from serving as BAYAN's Deputy Secretary General, Bal was also the Director of the Popular of Struggle Commission of BAYAN. It was BAYAN's Popular Struggle Commission that developed the strategy of 'welgang bayan' or people's strike which was ultimately embraced by the Filipino people in the non-violent overthrow of Philippine dictator, Ferdinand Marcos, in 1986.

The Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act of 2012 (RH Bill) is Passed

I had been following the progress (and stagnation) of the Reproductive Health Bill since 2011, when I wrote part of my college senior thesis about the proposed law. My paper covered the main points of the bill - that it would provide access in the Philippines to maternal care, sex education and contraception, but it would not legalize abortion. I also discussed the controversy surrounding the issue. The majority of the population, along with President Aquino who endorsed the bill were long at odds with the Catholic Church, itself a potent political force within the country. That May, having completed my thesis and received my diploma, I went to the Philippines with my family. The three-week trip was a graduation gift from my parents, and I couldn't wait to explore the country again, this time with a good friend who joined us for the first ten days. While visiting Bohol and Quezon City, we noticed a certain trend: there are so many kids here, we thought. It wasn't an observation I can remember having on any other family vacation. There were small children literally everywhere. They approached us with wonder on the beach, they hung onto their parents at the malls - and they languished on the streets, begging for money. Our thoughts turned often to the RH bill.

I read an article from the Los Angeles Times this past summer that delved into the RH Bill and its implications, while also painting a portrait of a woman named Yolanda Naz. At the age of 36, “she had more children than teeth, common for poor women after repeated pregnancies and breast-feeding.” This mother of eight recounted sermons she had heard at Mass, when priests emphasized the sinfulness of taking birth control pills. But she explains, "What is more sinful is to have more children than I can afford to feed." The RH Bill is for women like Yolanda, who struggle every single day to feed their many sick children.

On December 19, 2012, the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act of 2012 enacted by the 15th Congress of the Philippines. The law guarantees Pilipino citizens access to various contraceptives and fertility control. The public will have access to sex education and methods of family planning. Women are guaranteed maternal care and will have more control over their own bodies. This is a major milestone in the Philippines, where the median age is 23.1 years and the birth rate is 24.98 births/1,000 population (compared to 37.1 years and 13.7/1,000 in the United States).

Human life is precious, and that is exactly why I am glad the bill was passed into law. We should value the lives of children by allowing them to have as much opportunity as possible. Too often they are forced to work instead of going to school; tey become ill or they face death because their parents can't afford the luxuries of education, clean shelter and food. Because of this new law, children in the Philippines - this is the hope, and it will take time - will have a better shot at living healthier and happier lives.