Press Release
October 28, 2013

FACLA CALLS ON ANNUAL GENERAL MEMBERSHIP ASSEMBLY ON NOVEMBER 23

Los Angeles—The Filipino American Community of Los Angeles (FACLA) will hold its annual membership meeting on November 23, 2013 at 9:00 AM at FACLA Social Hall as mandated by its by-laws.

In this connection, FACLA is calling all its registered and bonafide members to attend and actively participate in the discussions at its general membership meeting to move FACLA forward for the next two years.

This was announced by FACLA President Austin Baul Jr. last October 23, 2013 and was approved by the Board of Directors on their monthly meeting last October 21, 2013

Order of Business

FACLA’s General membership meeting will have the following order of business: 1) Registration; 2) Opening Ceremonies; 3) Introduction of Board Members

More will be discussed in the following;4) Committee Reports 5) Treasurer’s Report; and the President’s Report.

The main agenda is the FACLA’s project and plans presentation and an open forum after the reports and presentations.

For more information please contact Clarita Julian , FACLA Manager at (213) 484-1527 or visit our website at www.newfacla,org at our facebook account at [email protected]

Press Release
Filipino American Community of Los Angeles(FACLA)
October 28,, 2013

FACLA FEATURES SMOKEY MOUNTAIN CHILDREN ON OCTOBER 18 ON PAHM

Los Angeles—As a second offering for the Pilipino American History Month (PAHM), the Filipino-American Community in Los Angeles (FACLA) presented the “Dance of the Poorest, Dance For the Forest” featuring the children who grew up in Smokey Mountain, Philippines on Friday, October 18, 2013 at 6:00 PM at FACLA

The cultural presentation was well attended with the Filipino-American community filled in the jam packed social hall.
FACLA 2nd Vice President Dr. Veronico Agatep welcomed the performers while Consul General Hellen- Dela Vega praised the performers for bringing the Philippines dances and songs to Filipinos in America.

The Smokey Mountain Children’s Group have presented in different places in the United States. They just performed in the San Bruno, Skyline College in Northern California and in Los Angeles, Montclair, Corona and Arleta before going back to the Philippines.

The Dance of the Poorest, Dance for the Forest

During the month of October the Filipino-American community celebrate its particularity called The Pilipino American History Month (PAHM) as a community in the United States .This is in unity with the diverse ethic groups that comprised the great nation, the United States of America. The US Congress declared the Philippine History Month (PAHM) as an official celebration in 2009.

The Smokey Mountain Dance Troupe presented the different Philippine dances from the Northern highlands to the Southern Mindanao. The original Filipino dances were curated by a cultural icon Ramon Obusan so it retained its authenticity and originality.

Unlike the Imelda Marcos blessed and patronized Bayanihan dance suites that altered the KAYA: Filipino Americans for Progress – Los Angeles dances to cater to foreign flavors and modernity.

By presenting the feature show “Dance of the Poorest, Dance for the Forest” FACLA assumes its role as a cultural center for the Filipino-American community and enhances its role in promoting Filipno culture and the children of Smokey Mountain.

For more information please call FACLA at (213)484-1527 for more information or email us at [email protected] or visit our website at newfacla.org.

PAHAYAGAN NEWS
October 06, 2013

The Filipino American Community in the United States
( Part 2)

By Arturo P. Garcia

Immigration reform law of 1965

In the 1960s, a new immigration reform law was passed. Concomitant to the law was the family reunification law that allowed families from Asia to come to the United States. This started the “brain drain” phenomenon that happened in the Philippines and the rest of Asia.

More than 350,000 Filipino/a professionals—doctors, nurse, teachers, engineers—migrated to the United States, Canada and other parts of the world. The cream of the crop emigrated to the United States.

Thus it was called “Brain Drain” in the Philippines,

The declaration of martial law in the Philippines in 1972 and the installation of a fascist dictatorship hastened more migration to the United States. More than 5,000 Filipinos, mostly political refugees, sought protection from the Marcos dictatorship by immigration to the United States, but less than 1 percent got political refugee status.

By the 1990s, Filipinos became one of the largest Asian migrant populations in the United States—more than one million strong. Los Angeles became the home of the largest Filipino population outside of the Philippines numbering more than 300,000.

World War II veterans’ issues

On July 27, 1941, the 120,000-strong Philippine armed forces under the commonwealth government were conscripted by the United States through a military order of President Roosevelt. They formed the bulk of the United States Armed Forces in the Far East (USAFFE).

When World War II broke out and after the USAFFE surrendered in May 1942 to the Japanese, Filipinos and some American officers formed their independent guerilla forces to fight a three year war of resistance against the Japanese invaders.

Their guerilla armies all over the archipelago ballooned to more than 250,000 under American and Filipino officers.

One of the largest guerilla army was the Hukbong Bayan Laban sa Hapon (HUKBALAHAP) or the People’s Anti-Japanese Guerilla Army based in Central Luzon and Southern Luzon. It was under the leadership of the Communists. It numbered more than 10,000 of whom 7,000 were armed and were organized into squadrons ( oversized companies.).

All in all, more than 500,000 Filipinos served under the US Army but still on Feb. 18, 1946, after the war ended, the 79th U.S. Congress passed the Rescission Act. Of whom only 250,000 were recognized under the US Army List as “American Veterans”.

When the Recission Act of 1946 became a law did not recognize the military service of Filipinos during World War II. It denied them veterans’ benefits.

They are not recognized as American veterans and have lived in poverty. But as senior citizens and naturalized American citizens they were given Social Security Incentive (SSI). Still may Filipino Veterans were able to come to the united States by family petitions of their families.

Together, the core of this Filipino Veterans and their families together with their friends and advocates started the movement for equity and justice. The poverty and neglect is similar to that of their fellow American veterans, many of whom are homeless and destitute in the United States.

But in 1984, the Filipino veterans and the community started to organize, demanding recognition and full benefits.

By 1984, one of the first Filipino Veterans organization led by anti-martial law activist was formed in Los Angeles- The United Filipino American Veterans (UFAV). They and their American allies started to lobby in the US Congress and demanded naturalization for Filipino Veterans in the Philippines as promised by American president Franklin Roosevelt.

By 1991, President Bush assigned the Special immigration Law that gave the Filipino veterans the right ot be naturalized. ore than 30,000 Filipino WWII veterans had come to the United States by 1991.

They acquired automatic citizenship due to the immigration reform act of 1990. Only 11,000 are still in the United States today. They are still discriminated against.

By 1993, mass actions started led by the December 7 Movement (D7M) in Los Angeles. The movement gained momentum. By 1998, the Justice for Filipino American Veterans (JFAV) was formed.

Today, after 67 years and after 21 years of continued advocacy, hopes are brighter for the passage of an equity bill that will give military pensions to the remaining 41,000 Filipino veterans and their survivors both in the United States and in the Philippines.

( end of Part 2)

***

Press Release

FACLA
October 14,, 2013

AS PAHM 2nd OFFERING, FACLA FEATURES SMOKEY MOUNTAIN CHILDREN ON OCTOBER 18

Los Angeles—As a second offering for the Pilipino American History Month (PAHM), the Filipino-American Community in Los Angeles (FACLA) in collaboration with MOTHER presents the “Dance of the Poorest, Dance For the Forest” featuring the children who grew up in Smokey Mountain, Philippines on Friday, at 6:00 PM at FACLA, 1740 W. Temple St. Los Angeles, CA 90026.

The Smokey Mountain Children’s Group have presented in different places in the United States. They just performed in the San Bruno, Skyline College in Northern California.

During the month of October the Filipino-American community celebrate its particularity called The Pilipino American History Month (PAHM) as a community in the United States .This is in unity with the diverse ethic groups that comprised the great nation, the United States of America.

FACLA. The oldest and the still existing nonprofit organization in California was organized by a group of farm workers in Los Angeles on April 26, 1945. The event will be held in its 48 year old building were FACLA is located today at 1740 W. Temple was built way back in1965.

The Dance of the Poorest, Dance for the Forest

By presenting the feature show “Dance of the Poorest, Dance for the Forest” FACLA assumes its role as a cultural center for the Filipino-American community and enhances its role in promoting Filipno culture and the children of Smokey Mountain.

“Smokey Mountain” referred to the dumpsite in Tondo Manila where the 30,000 poorest of the poor lived and made a living out of the garbage dump near Manila Bay. It was called as such because of the mountain of garbage and the smoke that comes out from constant burning of garbage in the area. Now, Smokey Mountain is no more.

The Philippine government decided to get rid of the garbage dump and eye sore during the administration of Fidel Ramos but the garbage dump was just transferred inland in Payatas, Quezon City. An affordable housing center was built in place of the “Smokey Mountain.”

For more information please call FACLA at (213)484-1527 for more information or email us at [email protected] or visit our website at newfacla.org.

FACLA BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS:
2013-2015

President- Austin Baul Jr.
1st Vice President- Manicito “Fender” Santos
2nd Vice President- Dr. Veronico Agatep
3rd Vice President – Leticia Reyes
Treasurer – Rosalinda Nery
Secretary –Arturo Garcia
Auditor – Aleli Abrigo-Neal

DIRECTORS:

Ben Basilio
Sigfred Balatan
Marc Caratao
Jerome Esguerra
Bernie Ganon
Paul Julian
Arthur Teodosio

OFFICE STAFF:

Office Manager- Claire Julian
Asst. Manager- Concordia Dos Pueblos
Receptionist; Avelina Hall
Isabel Duat

SERGEANT-AT-ARMS:

Oliver Sulit
Kim Cabanig

PAHAYAGAN NEWS
October 05, 2013

The Filipino-American Community in the United States ( Part 1)

By Arturo P. Garcia

October is Pilipino American history Month (PAHM) in the United States. We printed this article as a tribute to the Filipino-American Community in its struggles, tribulations and accomplishment in its more than a hundred years of existence in America.—author)

October is Pilipino American History month (PAHM). It is important to understand the more tha a hundred years history and the present situation of Filipino immigrants in the United States in order to understand what is the significance of the Pilipino American History month or PAHM.

The first known large-scale immigration of Filipinos started after the Philippines were occupied by the United States on August 13, 1898. The first Filipino migrant workers, 15 Ilocano peasants, were employed as sugar cane planters and cutters. They arrived in Hawaii in 1906. (At the time, Hawaii was a U.S. colony.—Ed.)

This is the first recorded historical note of Filipino migration to the United States. Thus, the Filipino American community celebrated the first century of Filipino workers’ migration to the United States last year.

Early History of the Fil-Am Migration to the United States

This differs from some historians’ romantic notions that Filipino immigration started when Filipino seamen in the galleons jumped ship and started Filipino settlements in the United States in place called Moro Bay in Northern California. It is a controversial subject that should be studied and discussed and proven by facts.

The Filipino population grew from 15 to 39,470 from 1910 to 1930 in Los Angeles. From 1920 to 1930, Filipinos established “Manila towns” in Seattle, Los Angeles, Chicago and San Francisco. Before the start of World War II, Filipino farmworkers, cannery workers and pensionados lived in America.

Some Filipinos thought all along that they all came from Manila, the capital of the Philippines ever since the Spanish period. Thus they tried to build their own villages called “Little Manila. So they tried to build villages in major cities in the Western Coast of the United States and fondly called “Little Manila” in Seattle, Los Angeles and in San Francisco.

“Little Manila” was the piece of land from Los Angeles river in the south to the Bunker Hill in the North. It is also bordered from 8th street in the west until the Sunset Strip to the East.
The area where Union Station is now was called “The Chinatown” while the financial district to the west where the Grand St is located was the called “The Japanesetown.”

“Little Manila” is no more. After the war, when the city government built the Civic Center. The 1o1 Freeway and declared the area as part of the CRA, the Filipinos were relocated. Later the area near the LA River was bought by the Japanese big business and was later called “Little Tokyo” It replaced “Little Manila that was erased in history.

Racism against immigrants

Historical records show that there were at least 15,000 Filipino scholars who studied in the United States as pensionados. Many of them went back to the Philippines to serve as teachers, bureaucrats and loyal “U.S. nationals” in government, private and civil service jobs.

In 1934, the Tydings-McDuffie Act—the U.S. law that made the Philippines a commonwealth and promised independence after 10 years—restricted Filipino migration to 50 persons allowed to enter the United States each year. The limit was not repealed until 1946.

These policies were a product of anti-Asian sentiments that had brewed in the United States against Chinese and Japanese communities for some time.

Earlier the U.S. had passed the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, the anti-miscegenation law of 1905—that prohibited inter-racial marriage—and the National Origins Act of 1924, which prohibited Japanese migration.

Filipinos in the United States were subjected to lynching and anti-foreign riots until the 1950s and blatant racist actions.

World War II changed the situation. During and after the war, Filipinos gained citizenship by joining the U.S. Army and the Navy. Many Filipinos joined the 1st and 2nd US Army Regiment composed of all Filipinos. San Diego, Long Beach, Virginia Beach, Alaska and other places blossomed with large Filipino populations due to this military employment.

By World War II, there were at least 300,000 Filipinos in the United States. A significant step, four Filipino America leaders formed the Filipino Community of Los Angeles (FCLA) in April 26, 1945, the first non-profit organization of the Filipinos in the United States.

It is now known as the Filipino American Community of Los Angeles (FACLA) that still exist up to this day.

(End of Part 1)

****

Press Release
FACLA
October 05, 2013

FACLA/Bantay Pilipinas –USA Holds Town Hall Meeting vs PDAF

Los Angeles – While thousands of Filipinos held their Anti-Pork Rally in Makati, thousands of miles away, scores of Filipino-Americans led by the Filipino-American Community (FACLA) and Bantay Pilipinas-USA conducted a Town hall Meeting dubbed as “Talakayang Bayan” and discussed future actions against the corruption schemes in the homeland last October 3, 2013 ( October 4 in the Philippines)

The Town Hall meeting was the kick-of activity of FACLA for the Pilipino -American hisotry month (PAHM). The forum was opened with militant remarks from FACLA President Austin Baul Jr, “ The evils of PDAF hounded the county and gave the Philippines and our people not only the politicians a very bad image abroad “

He also cited Bantay-Pilipinas advocacy against corruption in the diaspora and in the Philippines and “” pledged that the groups gather will fight corruption wherever its exists.”

Town Hall Panel

USAP Coalition Convenor and FACLA Director Arturo P. Garcia. FACLA 2nd Vice President Dr. Venonico Agatep and journalist Larry Pelayo acted as the moderator for the Town hall meeting.

Garcia read the statement of the USAP Coalition and the ‘Million People March 2 I n the Philippines. This is the 3rd solidarity action in the Filipino American community in the United States with the Million People’s March 2 in Makati City. USAP Coalition statements were given away at the forum.

Larry Pelayo of Pinoy Watchdog also said, “the relationship of PDAF with political dynasties that ruled the Philippines is very clear. The more money they accumulate from PDAF, the more they build their dynasties.” He cited the cases of the Marcos in Ilocos, Rectos in Batangas, Revillas in Cavite, Pinedas in Pampanga and others.

Dr. Veronico Agatep., FACLA’s 2nd Vice President and also a former town mayor and a provincial board member, explained , “Not everyone in the government is corrupt and not everything in PDAF is bad. It is the crooked politicians who made the system bad.”

On one of the question from the crowd. “Is there hope for Filipinos after PDAF”, the panel members said” We are hopeful something will change. We have seen the administration file charges, conduct investigation and have shown some transparencies in the PDAF cases.

The community leaders and activists who attended the Town Hall meetings and FACLA promised to do more such discussions in the future to keep the issues alive and and community well informed on the developments on the PDAF scam.

For more information please contact FACLA at (213)484-1527 or email us [email protected] or visit our facebook/newfacla.

***