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MARCH 25-31, 2021 Volume 32 - No. 12 • 12 Pages

T H E F I L I P I N O A M E R I CA N C O M MU N I T Y N E WS PA P E R

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USA

DATELINE FEMA to reimburse funeral expenses for some COVID-19 victims FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

THE U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has announced its plan to offer funeral assistance to families who have lost loved ones to COVID-19.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has brought overwhelming grief to many families. At FEMA, our mission is to help people before, during and after disasters. We are dedicated to helping ease some of the financial stress and burden caused by the virus,” the agency said on its website.

Under the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021 and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, FEMA has earmarked $2 billion to reimburse individuals and households for COVID-19 related funeral expenses incurred after Jan. 20, 2020.

“We are working with stakeholder groups to get their input on ways we can best provide this assistance, and to enlist their help with outreach to families and communities. FEMA will begin to implement COVID-19 funeral assistance in April,” said FEMA.

Las Vegas AAPI community, Metro PD address ‘credible threats’ of hate

by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

THE Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department is addressing growing safety concerns within the local Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community following the recent violent attacks across the country.

During a press conference on Thursday, March 18, LVMPD Spring Valley Area Command Capt.

Nick Farese said: “In light of the many recent events that occurred throughout the country, targeting Asian Americans, topped with a horrific shooting in Georgia that targeted massage parlors where innocent people lost their lives, there is a legitimate safety concern for our Asian community here in Las

THE U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday, March 18 overwhelmingly passed a pair of immigration bills designed to overhaul the American immigration system, including creating a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants brought to the country as children.

Commonly known as DREAMers, these undocumented immigrants would earn permanent resident status that would lead to naturalization, according to the American Dream and Promise Act, one of the bills passed on Thursday that was previously approved by the House in 2019.

The American Dream and Promise Act passed 228-197 with all Democrats and nine Republicans voting in favor of the bill.

The second bill that the House passed — called the Farm Workforce Modernization Act — would allow farmworkers and their

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Filipino Americans mobilize to combat anti-Asian hatred across United States

by KLARIZE

MEDENILLA AJPress

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House passes two immigration bills, sets pathway to citizenship for undocumented youth

Vegas.”

“Even though we have not had any documented crimes against this community related to recent events, we understand as people the fear that is being discussed today is real,” he added.

Farese highlighted the increased police presence in Chinatown Plaza, the center of the AAPI commu-

Leaders from the Las Vegas Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community and representatives of the Metro Police Department on Thursday, March 18 discussed the growing safety concerns in the city amid a slew of attacks across the United States.

Photo courtesy of Bamboo Bridges

FOR Asian Americans across the country, the events that unfolded on Tuesday, March 16 at three Asianowned spas in Atlanta punctuated a mounting fear: the community isn’t safe.

A 21-year-old man entered three different massage parlors in the greater Atlanta area and gunned down workers and patrons, killing eight people in total, including six Asian women.

The event was shocking and reverberated beyond the Asian American community. #StopAsianHate began trending on Twitter. Celebrities and public figures of all races began echoing party lines of unity and stopping racism.

But a week after the Atlanta shooting, the outrage over anti-Asian racism is beginning to fizzle out in the mainstream. A grocery store shooting in Boulder, Colorado — which claimed the lives of 10 people — on Monday, March 22 reignited the broader issue of gun

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CALIFORNIA’S FIRST FILIPINO AMERICAN ATTORNEY GENERAL

Rob Bonta nominated to serve as state’s top prosecutor

by CHRISTINA

M. ORIEL

AJPress

CALIFORNIA is set to have its first Filipino American attorney general.

Assemblymember Rob Bonta (D-Alameda), who became the first Fil-Am in the state Legislature, is making history again after Governor Gavin Newsom nominated him to be the next chief law enforcement officer on Wednesday, March 24.

“Thank you, Governor Newsom, for the privilege and honor of a lifetime,” Bonta

said on Wednesday, speaking from International Hotel Manilatown Center in San Francisco, surrounded by his family. “I’m so humbled in the trust, faith and the confidence that you placed in me.”

His nomination is subject to confirmation by the California State Assembly and Senate within 90 days, according to the governor’s office.

“Rob represents what makes California great — our desire to take on righteous fights and reverse systematic injustic-

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HISTORIC APPOINTMENT. Assemblymember Rob Bonta (3rd from left) was nominated by Gov. Gavin Newsom (center right) to serve as California’s next attorney general. The announcement was made on Wednesday, March 24 at International Hotel Manilatown Center in San Francisco, the site of the 1977 International Hotel Eviction and the city’s historic Manilatown neighborhood. Joining Bonta and Newsom in photo are Chet Canlas, production manager, Bonta’s mother Cynthia Bonta, Manilatown Heritage Foundation Executive Director Caroline Cabading, foundation boardmember Eleanore Fernandez, and Johnella Fernandez-Payne.

Photo courtesy of Jibril Alvarez/Manilatown Heritage Foundation

DOH: More than 500K vaccinated against COVID-19 in PH Report: 83 Filipino registered nurses

by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

MORE than half a million Filipinos have received the vaccine against COVID-19 since the Philippines kicked-off its national vaccination campaign in the beginning of March.

Based on the data from the Philippine Department of Health and the National Task Force against COVID-19 released Wednesday, March 24, a total of 508,332 individuals have been vaccinated against the virus.

“As of 23 March 2021, 6 p.m., A health care worker prepares to administer the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccine 1,759 vaccination sites are conduring the third round of San Juan City vaccination rollout for medical workers in public ducting COVID-19 vaccination hospitals and private clinics at the Filoil Flying V Centre (San Juan Arena) on Tuesday, March in various sites in 17 regions,” 23.

PNA photo by Joey Razon

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in the US have died of COVID-19

by CHRISTINA

M. ORIEL & RITCHEL MENDIOLA AJPress

OVER 80 registered nurses of Filipino descent have died from the coronavirus, making up 26.4% of total RN fatalities in the United States since the beginning of the pandemic, according to a new report.

The National Nurses United on Thursday, March 18 released an update to its September 2020 “Sins of Omissions” report, finding that at least 329 RNs have died of COVID-19 and related complications since the beginning of the pandemic.

The data collection tracked deaths up until February 11, 2021, and also found that at least 3,233 health care workers, including RNs, have died from the virus.

Of the 329 deaths, 83 individuals were of Filipino descent, the report found.

“Eighty-three (26.4%) of the 314 registered nurses, for whom race/ethnicity data is available, who have died of COVID-19 and related complications are Filipino. They make up 4% of registered nurses in the United States,” it said.

Among the 170 RNs of color who have died, nearly half (48.8%) have been Filipino. The data comes from 314 registered nurses for which race and ethnicity data is available.

Other highlights of the report include six states — New York, California, New Jersey, Illinois, Texas, and Florida — account for 176 (53.5%) of the 329 total registered nurse fatalities.

The NNU documented the deaths using news

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http://www.asianjournal.com • (702) 792-6678

march 25-31, 2021 • LaS VEGaS aSIaN JOUrNaL

From The FronT Page

Las Vegas AAPI community...

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nity in Las Vegas, in response to the recent Atlanta spa shootings that left eight people dead, six of whom were Asian women.

“Upon learning of the events in Georgia, we immediately increased our patrols in the area and provided outreach to business owners and patrons, ensuring they are safe and letting them know they do not need to live in fear,” said Farese.

“We continue to communicate directly with established stakeholders to share information, which in turn they share within their communities,” he added.

According to Farese, the department is committed to keeping the Asian community in Las Vegas safe.

“While this fear is understandable, it is important to stress that LVMPD is committed to the safety of our community and we will not allow a specific group to be targeted or attacked,” he stressed.

He also urged the public to look out for their neighbors and report any suspicious activity they might see.

“I ask for the community’s support in reporting any and all suspicious activity. Being a good witness and looking out for your neighbor are paramount to the success of Las Vegas,” Farese said.

“Our Asian community plays a crucial role in our city, and they need and they deserve the support of all of us to move past hate and ignorance and to live safe and free in this place we all call home,” he added.

Sonny Vinuya from the Asian Chamber of Commerce called for the Asian community to unite and watch out for one another.

“First and foremost, hate crimes against any race should never be tolerated. We are very fortunate, as reports show, that we have not had any incident here in Las Vegas. I do urge everyone to stay safe and be vigilant, but moreso, this should be a time for the AAPI community to unite and watch out for one another,” he said.

“It is time for us to build cultural unity. A community that protects each other, respects one another, faces hard times like this

together and uplifts the members of our community,” he added.

Ending the press conference, Farese maintained that cultural barriers would not be a hindrance for the police department in keeping Las Vegas safe.

“Regardless of your status in this country or what your beliefs are, the police department doesn’t take that into account.

Every victim is treated with the same empathy, dignity, and respect that they deserve,” he said.

Stop AAPI Hate, a national coalition that tracks anti-Asian American discrimination, reported on Tuesday, March 16 that from March 19, 2020 to February 28, 2021, it has received 3,795 firsthand incidents of racism and discrimination from all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Of that number, 503 incidents took place in the first two months of 2021 alone.

Chinese are the largest ethnic group (42.2%) that say they’ve STOP ASIAN HATE. From Fullerton, California (top) to New York City (bottom), communities came together on Saturday, March 20 to denounce the recent experienced hate, followed by shootings in the greater Atlanta area that left eight individuals, including six Asian women, dead and the nearly 3,800 anti-Asian hate incidents that Koreans (14.8%), Vietnamese have been reported since the start of the pandemic.

Photos courtesy of Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silva and Augee Francisco (8.5%) and Filipinos (7.9%), the group found.

Rob Bonta nominated to serve...

PAGE 1 es,” Newsom said in a statement. “Growing up with parents steeped in social justice movements, Rob has become a national leader in the fight to repair our justice system and defend the rights of every Californian. And most importantly, at this moment when so many communities are under attack for who they are and who they love, Rob has fought to strengthen hate crime laws and protect our communities from the forces of hate. He will be a phenomenal Attorney General, and I can’t wait to see him get to work.”

The 48-year-old Fil-Am’s ascension to the top post comes after outgoing Attorney General Xavier Becerra was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on March 18 to lead the Department of Health and Human Services.

“I stand here because of so many people who come before me, including people like the Asian Americans and Filipino Americans who assembled right here at the International Hotel on August 4, 1977,” Bonta said, crediting his activist parents Warren and Cynthia, who organized against evictions at the San Francisco residential hotel.

This is Newsom’s third historic appointment to a key post since January, following Alex Padilla being tapped to take over Vice President Kamala Harris’ Senate seat, and Dr. Shirley Weber, a former assemblymember, for secretary of state. Padilla became the state’s first Latino U.S. Senator, while Weber is the first African American in her role.

A grassroots campaign within

the Filipino American community — and the broader Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community — started in December in a bid to get Bonta appointed following President Joe Biden’s nomination of Becerra as health secretary.

Groups, including Fil-Am advocacy organizations and lawyers associations, sent endorsement letters to Newsom’s office and organized virtual press conferences amplifying Bonta’s work in the legislature.

“Mr. Bonta has demonstrated himself to be one of the most effective and capable leaders in the legislature during his tenure. He has an excellent track record of authoring bold, ground-breaking legislation and building strong coalitions,” a group of over two dozen past and former Fil-Am elected officials wrote in a letter to the governor.

They argued that his experience would be a fit to address the state’s challenges, which include recovery from the COVID19 pandemic, civil rights movement against systemic racism and the rise in hate crimes, including against the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community.

The endorsements also came from notable unions and caucuses, such as the California Faculty Association and the Latino Caucus of California Counties.

High-profile activists and personalities, from CNN’s Van Jones to “Orange is the New Black” actor Diane Guerrero, similarly were vocal in support of the Fil-Am lawmaker on so-

cial media.

On a representation level, advocates argued Bonta’s appointment would be a win as California is home to the largest AAPI population in the U.S. with over 5 million. Fil-Ams are among the top two largest Asian ethnic groups in the state with a population of over 1.6 million.

“It’s rare for me [to] make any political endorsements, but I’ve admired @RobBontaCA for years: his support for criminal justice reform and immigrant rights, the multiracial coalition he builds and attracts,” wrote Jose Antonio Vargas, author and immigration activist, in a Feb. 18 tweet. “Representation matters, especially since Filipinos are often underrepresented in America’s civic life. Filipinos are the largest Asian group in CA––the first Filipinos landed in what is now CA in 1587.”

“Rob makes me proud to be Filipino American in California,” Vargas added.

In recent weeks, following a slew of attacks on Asian Americans, particularly elders, in the state, AAPI lawmakers and activists doubled down on the need for Newsom to appoint a representative from the community.

Of the nearly 3,800 incidents of hate and discrimination since last March, 1,691 (44.5%) were reported in California, according to Stop AAPI Hate. “[Bonta] understands as the son of immigrant parents what it’s like to come to this country when English is not your first language, for example, when there is mistrust of law enforcement,” state Treasurer Fiona Ma said during a press conference on Wednesday, March 17, a day after the Atlanta shooting that claimed the lives of eight individuals, six of whom were Asian women.

Ma, along with other elected officials, said an AAPI attorney general could help mend fears and tensions between immigrant communities and law enforcement.

The state’s API Legislative Caucus, which is comprised of lawmakers in the state Assembly and Senate, came out in support of Bonta after initially recommending four AAPI candidates.

Assemblymember Evan Low, who serves as vice chair of the caucus, said that through the appointment, Newsom “has once again shown his commitment” to the AAPI community.

“Hate crimes targeting the API community have skyrocketed over the last year, and we need a champion who will make the pursuit of justice for these victims a top priority. I have full faith AG Bonta is the right person to meet this moment,” Low said.

Bonta was reportedly among the contenders for attorney general in 2017 when Harris was elected to the U.S. Senate.

Becerra, then a congressman representing the 34th congressional district in Southern California, was ultimately selected by former Gov. Jerry Brown.

The Fil-Am lawmaker in November 2020 was reelected for a fifth term to represent the state’s 18th Assembly district, which covers the East Bay areas of Oakland, Alameda, and San Leandro. He currently serves as the assistant majority leader, and sits on several committees, including appropriations and health.

Amid the protests over the summer, Bonta introduced a PAGE 5

Filipino Americans mobilize to combat...

PAGE 1 violence in America.

But the Asian American community doesn’t have the luxury of treating the Atlanta shooting and the disturbing rise in anti-Asian violence as last week’s news.

Just as Black Americans haven’t halted their goal in mitigating police brutality because “Black Lives Matter” isn’t trending or Central Americans who continue to advocate for humane practices at the southern border, the fight for racial justice and undoing dangerous misconceptions for the Asian American community doesn’t stop because it’s not the headline of the day.

Since February 2020, members of the Asian American community — and the greater Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community — have been acutely aware of the rise in antiAsian harassment, violence and bullying with the onset of the coronavirus crisis.

According to the Stop AAPI Hate tracker, between March 19, 2020 and Feb. 28, 2021, there have been 3,795 reports of discrimination and assaults toward the AAPI community. Physical assaults comprised the thirdlargest category of all incidents and women are 2.3 times more likely to be harassed and/or assaulted, as the Asian Journal previously reported.

The virus was reported to have stemmed from China, so an erroneous relationship between the virus (which has taken millions of American lives and continues to disrupt millions more) and anybody who appears remotely Chinese was forged.

As such, Chinese were the largest ethnic group (42.2%) to report to the Stop AAPI Hate tracker, followed by Koreans (14.8%), Vietnamese (8.5%) and Filipinos (7.9%).

The statistics and number of reports are jarring and present a warped and dissonant view of the country that many Asian immigrants who relocate to the U.S. saw as a beacon of opportunity and upward mobility.

Political leaders, particularly Democrats like President Joe Biden, have argued that events like Atlanta are un-American.

Biden made a point that his administration would combat hate and violence toward Asians, signing a measure proclaiming such on his first week in office.

“But for all the good that laws can do, we have to change our hearts. Hate can have no safe harbor in America. It must stop.

And it’s on all of us — all of us, together — to make it stop,” Biden said in remarks on Friday, March 19.

Early reports from Big Media outlets — e.g. CNN, the New York Times and the Washington Post — framed the mass shooting as merely a mass shooting; the race and gender of a majority of the fatalities were a mere footnote, and it wasn’t until Asian Americans called out the incident as part of the longer string of attacks toward the community.

Taking a deeper look at the finer distinctions of anti-Asian racism, especially the details of each hate incident reported over the last year, represents a startling reality: historically and presently, racism and the experience of being a minority in America are seemingly inextricable.

Derogatory rhetoric promulgated by the previous administration and misnomers, such as the “China virus” and the “Kung-Flu,” has led many within the Asian American community to directly connect such expressions to the violence.

But while the hateful language may have spurred the thousands of reported incidents, they merely punctuate a dark and grimy history of anti-Asian attitudes that have made their mark in policy and society — a phenomenon that led to the persecution of Chinese, Filipinos, Japanese and South Asians that began in the 19th century.

For Tiffany Joy Garnace — an Atlanta-based Filipino American organizer who was born and raised in the American South — and the robust AAPI activist community in the region, the effort to combat anti-Asian racism didn’t begin with the Atlanta shooting, but it punctuated the scope of the problem.

“The Atlanta incident finally woke up the AAPI community that it can occur here and it’s frustrating for me as a community organizer. Prior to the shootings, we were trying to find community solutions,” Garnace told the Asian Journal.

She and Atlanta AAPIs have been trying to brainstorm preventative measures that could have helped recent victims like Thai American Vicha Ratanapakdee of San Francisco, Filipino and Chinese American Danilo Yuchang of San Francisco, Chinese American Pak Ho in Oakland and the numerous elderly AAPIs who’ve been targeted at alarming rates for the last two months.

“It felt like a responsibility and

indeed it felt like we failed our communities to keep them safe,” Garnace said.

“The sad thing is that there is this preconceived notion [that] in the South, especially in Georgia, these incidences happen only in areas with high Asian American populations like ‘California or New York’ or ‘cannot empathize because it has not [happened] to me or my family’ just to quote some people that I have heard in my spaces,” she added, noting that the AAPI community in Atlanta is “a beautiful conglomeration of all of these groups that people tend to forget [are] here and have been here.”

In the wake of the Atlanta shooting, vigils and demonstrations honoring the eight victims took place across the country.

The rally in Atlanta on Saturday, March 20 brought together hundreds to the Georgia state Capitol to demand action and social and political change, particularly in the state.

Garnace was one of the many residents of all races who attended the vigil and rally which gave her “absolute chills.” But she was most astounded by the volume of Asian women who attended and what that represented.

“It is like we have been validated, seen and heard, for the first time,” Garnace remarked. “A lot of Asian women came out to the rally because they did not want to be seen as weak and fearful; having so many women come out to fight the intersection of race and misogyny was empowering.

Also seeing the different groups of people that were not Asian there with us in support — I honestly teared up.”

The shooting also put a spotlight on how anti-Asian attitudes foment in ways that may not be as clear as discrimination toward other minority groups. Individuals from all Asian backgrounds shared how seemingly innocent things — like name-calling — fuel the fire of broader anti-Asian sentiments.

Garnace noted that seeing so many Asian American women in particular ignited the nuances of racist misogyny and “the fetishization of Asian women by non-Asian men.”

Filipino American Augelyn “Augee” Francisco — the indigenous Filipino owner of Kabisera Kape in New York City — shared with the Asian Journal how complex anti-Asian racism is and how a lack of education and cultural empathy can induce trauma that doesn’t really ever go away.

“Growing up, I had the same struggle, being Igorot,” Francisco shared. “My mother and the rest of us were targeted and bullied. That was my struggle when I was young and up to this day, I experience being called Chink, Ni-Hao, Virus, and looked down upon because of my slanted eyes and skin color.”

Francisco shared that recent events have reignited those memories, saying that, “I should not feel like that is ok. Because that is not ok. But I’ve lived with it for years in my life. This fight is for me and all my Asian sisters and brothers [a]nd for the future generation, there will be no more fight for equality and no more pain.”

Francisco was inspired to attend a vigil in New York City last weekend honoring the victims and rallying for the end of antiAsian violence. Though many members of the Asian American community are pushing back against the stereotype of the docile Asian, Francisco sees gentleness as a strength and resistance tool for the AAPI community.

“We, Asians, are trained to be Tiffany Garnace, southern region secretary for the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA), participated in the Georgia rally with a sign sharing the names of Asian polite and obedient. We don’t American victims of hate attacks and crimes.

Photo courtesy of Tiffany Garnace PAGE 5

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Dateline USa

LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • mARch 25-31, 2021

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House passes two immigration bills, sets pathway... A tribute to Emily Higby, a woman for all seasons PAGE 1

immediate families to earn legal status through their employment; it would also revamp the h-2a agricultural guest worker program and set a pathway for eventual naturalization. the Farm Workforce Modernization act cleared the chamber with a significantly bipartisan 247-174 vote. “this is a very special day for us,” house speaker nancy Pelosi said ahead of the vote. “We are making a very big difference in how we respect the beautiful diversity of america, how we respect the fact that immigration is the constant reinvigoration of america.”

Like the american Dream and Promise act, the Farm Workforce Modernization act had been approved by the house in previous years but was voted upon again now that Democrats hold majorities in both chambers of Congress.

“Millions in this country live in fear, holding their breaths every day, that they could be deported

to faraway lands that are not their homes,” house Majority Leader steny hoyer (D-Md.) said thursday after the vote. “Because america is their home. For Dreamers, it has been their home since their earliest days. and today, this house is going to take action – as we did last Congress – to help them breathe easier.”

Both these bills are tangential to the larger immigration vision set forth by President Joe Biden on his first day in office when he and his administration promised to review and revamp the stringent immigration policies and practices of the previous administration. it is important to note that both these bills are separate pieces of legislation from the Biden White house’s more ambitious legislation, the U.s. Citizenship act of 2021, a far more broad proposal designed to modernize the american immigration system top to bottom, as previously reported in the Asian Journal. (But the Biden administration expressed support for both these bills this week.)

But the chances of the senate approving both pieces of legislation are less likely. Democrats need at least 60 Republican senators to support the bills, but it gives an incentive to Democrats about ending the filibuster, which would allow legislation to pass with a lower vote threshold.

But Republicans have recently criticized the Biden administration for the influx of migrants crossing the southern border, including a spike in unaccompanied minors. according to interviews with these migrants, many believe that the Biden administration will be more welcoming than the previous administration. “it’s more than a crisis. this is a human heartbreak,” house Minority leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said at a news briefing this week. “the sad part about all this, it didn’t have to happen. this crisis is created by the presidential policies of this new administration. there’s no other way to claim it than a Biden border crisis.” (Klarize Medenilla/ AJPress)

Report: 83 Filipino registered nurses in the...

PAGE 1 articles, social media, obituaries, union memorials, federal and state reports, and its own internal reporting. “nnU believes many of these deaths would have been prevented if greater effort had been made to plan for and overcome the pitfalls of just-in-time supply chain management,” it said. “scaling up the capabilities for the stockpiling and rapid distribution of personal protective equipment (PPE) must be among the highest priorities of the hospital and nursing home industries and federal and state agencies going forward,” it added.

Zenei triunfo-Cortez, a Filipina american Rn and a president of the nnU, called the amount of nurse and health care worker deaths “unconscionable.”

“We call on the CDC to fully recognize aerosol transmission and to update and strengthen its CoViD-19 guidance to provide protection from inhalation of virus in the air,” triunfo-Cortez said in a statement. “it is unconscionable that so many nurses and health care workers lost their lives. We look forward to the impending issuance of an emergency temporary standard on infectious diseases by the occupational safety and health administration to pro-

vide comprehensive occupational health protections to nurses, other health care workers and all essential workers.” the union estimated that there have been 791,158 cases of CoViD-19 infection among health care workers as of Feb. 11, 2021, but believes that number is an undercount “because only 18 states are providing infection figures for all health care workers on a daily, semiweekly, or weekly basis.”

Kanlungan.net, a digital project started in May 2020 by transnational feminist organization aF3iRM, has been independently tracking all health care worker deaths of Filipino descent in and out of the Philippines. “how are we supposed to demand justice and talk about egregious working conditions when they’re not even naming our dead?

Without data, your campaign will only go so far,” Jollene Levid, a union organizer and member of aF3iRM’s transnational committee which spearheaded the project, told the Asian Journal in a May 2020 interview. according to its site, which is frequently updated using at least two sources, 189 health care workers of Filipino descent have died in the United states, compared to 44 health care workers in the Philippines, it found.

among the Filipino/Filipina american nurses who have died from complications related to CoViD-19 in the past year, as reported by the asian Journal include: • Rosary Castro-Olega, 63, a nurse who came out of retirement to join the frontlines, becoming the first health care worker in Los angeles taken by the virus on March 29, 2020; • Celia Lardizabal Marcos, 61, who was only equipped with a surgical mask when she responded to a patient suspected to have CoViD-19 at Cha-hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center. she died on april 17, 2020; • Maria Guia Cabillon, 63, the head nurse at Kings County Department of Emergency health in Brooklyn, died on April 26, 2020 after a month of battling the disease; • Joshua Obra, 29, a Disneyland aficionado and nursing supervisor at a Long Beach skilled nursing facility who died on July 6, 2020. in January 2021, Pinay nurses who have passed away include Amelia Agbigay Baclig, 63, who worked for almost three decades at West Covina’s Queen of the Valley hospital, and Rowena “Wendy” Miguel, 53, a licensed vocational nurse from Whittier, California. n

EMiLY higby, co-founder of the asian Community Resource Center (aCRC), passed away on Monday, March 22. she spent her life in service to others, always giving her time and money when it came to meaningful causes. her family, friends, and colleagues knew her as a kind soul who was both selfless and passionate.

Emily’s commitment to helping the disenfranchised and the marginalized was admirable. she made it her mission to help the voices of the vulnerable be heard. often, she spoke on their behalf. though she had a quiet demeanor, her actions were loud and resonant. through her charitable work, Emily aided and empowered others. she was particularly proud of the aCRC, which she launched with Frida tju in october 2012. the Center continues to carry out their vision of assisting members of aaPi communities in educating and advocating for successful integration, education, and economic development in southern nevada.

Emily was and remains an example to the community. While her passing comes as a tragic loss to all who knew her, the legacy she has left behind is sure to be lasting. (Contributed by Gloria T. Caoile)

Cortez Masto co-sponsors bill to address surge of anti-Asian hate crimes during pandemic Washington, D.C. — U.s. senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-nev.) joined bicameral legislation introduced by senator Mazie K. hirono (D-hawaii) and Representative grace Meng (Dn.Y.) to address the rise of hate crimes and violence targeted at asian americans and Pacific islanders (aaPi). the CoViD-19 hate Crimes act would assign a point person at the Department of Justice (DoJ) to expedite the review of CoViD-19-related hate crimes, provide support for state and local law enforcement agen-

cies to respond to these hate crimes, and coordinate with local and federal partners to mitigate racially discriminatory language used to describe the pandemic.

Last week, senator Cortez Masto joined aaPi community leaders from across nevada for a conversation on how to best support nevada’s aaPi and asian immigrant communities and combat racism, including this new legislation. “the violence and harassment asian and Pacific islander amer-

icans have experienced over the past year is deeply disturbing and we must work together to combat hate and ensure that all perpetrators are brought to justice. nevada’s aaPi community deserves to be heard and protected, and i’m proud to stand with the Biden administration and my colleagues in supporting this important legislation that will help our state and our nation fight intolerance and discrimination. i look forward to passing these protections into law.” n

FEMA to reimburse funeral expenses for some...

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to be eligible for funeral assistance, the following conditions must be met: • The death must have occurred in the United states, including the U.s. territories, and the District of Columbia.

• The death certificate must indicate the death was attributed to CoViD-19.

• The applicant must be a U.S. citizen, non-citizen national, or qualified alien who incurred funeral expenses after January 20, 2020.

• There is no requirement for the deceased person to have been a U.s. citizen, non-citizen national, or qualified alien. to apply for funeral cost assis-

tance, the following documents must be submitted: • An official death certificate that attributes the death directly or indirectly to CoViD-19 and shows that the death occurred in the United states, including the U.s. territories, and the District of Columbia.

• Funeral expenses documents such as receipts and funeral home contract that includes the applicant’s name, the deceased person’s name, the amount of funeral expenses, and the dates the funeral expenses happened.

• Proof of funds received from other sources specifically for use toward funeral costs as FEMa will not “duplicate benefits received from burial or funeral in-

surance, financial assistance received from voluntary agencies, government agencies, or other sources.”

FEMa will start accepting applications in april. those eligible for funeral assistance will receive a check by mail, or funds by direct deposit, depending on which option was chosen during the application process. “additional guidance is being finalized and will be released to potential applicants and community partners as soon as possible. in the meantime, people who have CoViD-19 funeral expenses are encouraged to keep and gather documentation,” FEMa said. (AJPress)

4

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LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • mARch 25-31, 2021

Rob Bonta nominated to serve...

PAGE 2

FOOD SUPPLY. Some Barangay Salvacion personnel distribute food packs to the houses in the village under granular lockdown along Don Manuel Agregado Street in Quezon City on Thursday, March 25. The city government has imposed the strictest localized enhanced community quarantine in some barangays to prevent the spread of the virus.

PNA photo by Joey O. Razon

‘These attacks feel more personal’: California’s Fil-Am chief justice responds to violence against Asian Americans

by Ritchel

Mendiola AJPress

CALIFORNIA Chief Justice Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye has condemned the violent attacks against Asians and Asian Americans in the United States.

In a statement issued on Friday, March 19, the Filipina American chief justice shared that the recent hate crimes felt “more personal” since she is a member of the community being targeted.

“Anti-Asian violence, like any violence based on prejudice, bias, or fear of the other, is reprehensible. Because of who I am as an Asian-Filipina, because of my parents, my aunties, friends, and connected communities of color, these attacks feel more personal,” said Cantil-Sakauye.

Nearly 3,800 anti-Asian incidents have been reported in all 50 states and the District of Columbia from March 19, 2020 to February 28, 2021, according to new data from Stop AAPI Hate, a national coalition that tracks such incidents.

Of that number, 503 incidents took place in the first two months of 2021 alone. Some of the attacks have also resulted in deaths like the case of 84-year-old Vicha Ratanapakdee, who died from injuries after he was knocked on the ground during a morning walk in San Francisco; and 74year-old Juanito Falcon who sustained a skull fracture injury after he was punched in the face in an unprovoked attack, as previously reported by the Asian Journal.

California Chief Justice Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye

Recently, a series of attacks in Atlanta left eight people dead, six of whom were Asian women.

Cantil-Sakauye, for her part, urged everyone to “do better,” noting the country’s inefficiency in addressing racism.

“We can and must do better.

We deepen our understanding by advancing diversity and respecting our differences. In respecting our differences, we strengthen our social contract. In strengthening our social contract, we abide by the rule of law,” she said.

“As we pass and approach many anniversaries relating to the pandemic, it is disheartening that while we have made progress on the virus, the disease of racism remains,” she added.

Cantil-Sakauye is the first Asian American and Filipina American and the second woman to serve as California’s chief justice.

She was nominated in 2010 by then-California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger for the state’s highest judicial office and was retained in office by voters later that year. n

DOH: More than 500K vaccinated against COVID-19 in PH PAGE 1 said the NTF. Data showed that at least 98% of the available vaccines or 1,105,500 doses have been distributed to various vaccination sites across the country.

“The vaccine of HCWs [healthcare workers] is being done in batches to ensure adequate staffing in health facilities, in light of possible adverse events,” said the DOH and the NTF. The health agency also noted that the “seven-day average of daily vaccinated individuals (is) 32,756.”

400K Sinovac doses The Philippines on Wednesday received an additional 400,000 doses of Sinovac doses donated by China to the country.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, along with Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian, testing czar Vince Dizon, and Senate committee on health chairperson Senator Bong Go, received the vaccines at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

“The arrival of these vaccines could not have occurred at a more opportune time considering the continued rise in cases, which in turn increases the need to inoculate more high-risk individuals as soon as possible,” Duque said.

“We shall see to it that all of our healthcare workers, not just in the National Capital Region but in the whole country, are given the protection they need and deserve for being at the

forefront of the battle against the virus,” he added.

Meanwhile, Xilian expressed hope that China’s donation would help speed up the vaccine rollout in the Philippines.

“I’m happy to know that until now, more than 200,000 people have been inoculated with [the] Chinese vaccine. The vaccination is going smoothly,” he said in an interview at NAIA. “We hope we will contribute to speed up the mass vaccination in this country so that you win over the war against the virus and recover your economy at an early date,” he added.

To date, there are a total of 693,048 confirmed COVID19 cases in the country, with 13,095 fatalities and 580,062 recoveries. n

bill to classify racially motivated 911 calls as hate crimes. His legislation record includes a 2019 bill, which was signed into law by Newsom, to phase out the use of all private, for-profit prisons, including both prisons and immigration detention facilities in the state.

In response to the recent hate attacks, Bonta introduced AB 886, which seeks to fund community-based organizations that provide culturally competent mental health services for victims of hate violence and restorative justice programs, and to expand eligibility for victims of hate violence to access compensation funds even if they do not file a police report.

The measure also address prevention through “to proactively increase the likelihood that an individual who caused the harm would not do additional harm,” Bonta said, as previously reported by the Asian Journal.

On Wednesday, he said one of his top priorities as attorney general would be to build bridges with communities that have “been othered, that have been persecuted, that have been targeted.”

“That will be one of my top priorities — to make sure that we protect those who are facing the forces of hate and that we hold accountable those who perpetrate hate violence against others in our community,” he said.

Bonta, who was born in Quezon City, Philippines, immigrated with his family to California’s Central Valley, where his parents worked for the United Farm Workers of America, organizing Filipino and Mexican American workers.

“Those lessons stuck with me, and it became clear to me that an injustice against one is an injustice against all. It made me want to become an attorney to fight for people who’ve been wronged, who’ve been hurt, who’ve been harmed, who’ve been mistreated, and be their champion,” Bonta said on Wednesday.

He obtained a law degree from Yale Law School and clerked for Judge Alvin W. Thompson of the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut before moving to San Francisco law firm Keker & Van Nest.

Other candidates who were reportedly considered for attor-

ney general included Rep. Adam Schiff, California Supreme Court Justice Goodwin Liu, Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg, and state Sen. Anna Caballero.

If confirmed as attorney general, Bonta will serve through 2022 and will have to run for election. He said he knows “what it takes to win” and has the infrastructure in place” to launch a campaign.

With his momentous appointment, he joins another Fil-Am in a top state post — Tani Can-

ANG PAUNAWANG ITO AY NAGBIBIGAY NANG KAALAMAN na ang maagang pagboto para sa ika-6 ng Abril, 2021 Munisipal na Pangunahing Halalan ay magaganap sa Boulder City.

KINAKAILANGAN SA PANINIRAHAN Ang lahat ng botante na nagparehistro para bumoto sa Lungsod ng Boulder City ay karapat-dapat na bumoto sa halalan na ito.

PAGBOTO SA PAMAMAGITAN NG KOREO Ang kahit sino ma’ng rehistradong botante na karapat-dapat na bumoto sa halalan na ito ay makakatanggap ng isang koreong balota para sa ika-6 ng Abril, 2021 Munisipal na Pangunahing Halalan, humiling man o hindi ng isa. Ang mga lugar ng paghuhulugan ng koreong balota ay nakalakip sa pakete ng iyong koreong balota. Kung nais mo’ng bumoto nang personal sa halip na sa pamamagitan ng koreo, maaari mo’ng ibalik ang iyong koreong balota sa lugar ng Maagang Pagboto at bumoto nang personal.

MAAGANG PAGBOTO Ang mga karapat-dapat na botante ay maaari’ng bumoto sa lugar ng maagang pagboto na nakatala sa ibaba O sa Araw ng Halalan sa alinman sa mga Sentro ng Pagboto Lungsod ng Boulder City, na pumalit sa tradisyunal na lugar ng pagboto sa Munisipal na Halalan.

BOULDER CITY RECREATION CENTER 900 Arizona Street, Boulder City, Nevada Huwebes, Ika-25 ng Marso

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Pinetsahan: Ika-16 ng Pebrero, 2021 Tami McKay Pagganap Kawani ng Lungsod PUB: Ika-19 ng Marso at Ika-26 ng Marso, 2021, LVRJ Ika-18 ng Marso at Ika-25 ng Marso, 2021, Boulder City Review

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Filipino Americans mobilize to combat...

Hundreds gathered Saturday, March 20 at Atlanta’s Liberty Plaza, adjacent to the Georgia State Capitol, to demand justice for the victims of shootings at massage businesses four days prior and to denounce racism and misogyny against Asian Americans.

Photo courtesy of Tiffany Garnace

Forum, Asian American Advocacy Fund, and Asian Mental Health Collective, to name a few.

Members of the AAPI community who have experienced hate during the pandemic are

encouraged to report the incident at: https://stopaapihate. org/reportincident/. In addition to English, individuals can report in one of 11 languages, including Tagalog. n

APRIL 7, 2021 @ 10:00 a.m. via CONFERENCE CALL Microsoft Teams Meeting +1 323-406-1159 Conference ID: 801 973 443# Site Walk following the Pre-Bid Meeting at @11:30am Meet outside the office: HARRY LEVY GARDENS 2525 W. WASHINGTON AVENUE Las Vegas, NV 89106

PAGE 2 believe in using violence, but we know how to use our forces: our strength is our unity, our respect, and our loving care,” Francisco said. “Those are the tools I’m planning to share and show as my participation. To awaken our sisters and brothers to halt the silence, to care and show love to our elders who get targeted, to our sisters who get murdered.

Our respect to them doesn’t end at just paying respects at their wakes, but to pay respect to make sure that no more similar incidents will happen on our watch.”

Families of seven of the victims have organized GoFundMe pages, sharing the stories of their loved ones and raising funds for funeral and memorial expenses.

A fundraiser was also started for Marcus Lyon, a survivor to help with counseling and other resources.

Georgia’s AAPI community is also urging supporters to donate to organizations on the ground, namely Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Atlanta, the National Asian Pacific American Women’s

til-Sakauye, chief justice of the California Supreme Court.

“In California, we have created the most diverse state in the nation, and the most robust democracy in the world.

And while that sign may have said, ‘Positively No Filipinos Allowed’ in the 1920s, in today’s California, everyone is not just allowed, we belong,” Bonta said. “I will do everything in my power to make sure everyone continues to belong and that I fight for them.” n

PAUNAWA NANG MAAGANG PAGBOTO PARA SA LUNGSOD NG BOULDER CITY 2021 MUNISIPAL NA PANGUNAHING HALALAN

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Cost Proposal must be submitted in NGEMnv.gov; Hard copy proposal with the required documentation is due on the same date and time noted;

5

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Submit two (2) Hard copy proposals per IFB instructions.

All proposals are to be submitted in a sealed package or box.

6

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MARCH 25-31, 2021 • LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL

OPINION

Agency for disease control and prevention

FEATURES

IF the coronavirus pandemic has seared anything into the public mind, it is the fact that our public health system and health infrastructure are sorely lacking: 1) an agency to formulate, design and coordinate public policy to address a national health emergency or pandemic and 2) a central agency for disease control and prevention; similar to what most modern states have. as things stand today, the interagency task Force for the Management of Emerging infectious Diseases is too ad hoc, provisional and unprofessional to serve as our principal policy-making tool for managing a health crisis such as a pandemic. there is more policing than policy design and evaluation in its operations. the Department of health, as the regular department for health services in the executive branch, has a huge health bureaucracy to run and control.

We should not expect it to double up as an agency to handle disease control and prevention. it is imperative, we think, for the Congress to turn its attention now to passing a modern public health law that will address these concerns and create an institutional answer in time for the next health emergency.

We have today a score of health laws in the statute book, but none of these laws fill the need for both an effective agency for serious public health policy making and an agency to handle disease control and prevention comprehensively.

Congress spent time, resources and personnel to establish Malasakit Centers across the archipelago, yet the centers seem to have no role to play in fighting the pandemic. the real headaches we are encountering now are chiefly bureaucratic and lack of professional-

Editorial

The Fil-Am Perspective GEL SANTOS-RELOS insanitY, an old age says, is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.

“Pag gusto, may paraan. Pag ayaw, may dahilan” (If you want something done, you will always find a way. But if you refuse to do what needs to be done, you will always find an excuse), is a tagalog saying that sums up where we are in this national crisis. these sayings come to mind as again i write about gun violence in the United states for the nth time, following another mass shooting in the United states that killed 10 people in Boulder, Colorado on March 22, just six days after the senseless killing of eight, six of who were asians, in atlanta, georgia on March 16. have we become desensitized to gun violence in the United states? guns continue to kill 38,000 people in the United states every year, or about 100 every single day, the giffords Law Center reported. the giffords Law Center further stated these painful facts that reveal how insane our country’s approach has been to gun violence: • America has the weakest gun laws and the most guns — 393 million — of any comparable nation.

• The U.S. accounts for just

Commentary

ENRIQUE

DE LA CRUZ

thE fatal shootings in atlanta, georgia of six women of asian descent at businesses known to employ asian workers are frightful and terrifying. it marks an escalation in the level of violence associated with the spike in anti-asian aggressions during this pandemic. how can a minority group that was touted as a “model minority” turn into the object of hatred and violence? american ambivalence toward asian americans is not new. But which side becomes salient is often the result of historical events. Filipinos and Japanese americans were once the faces of the enemy during the Philippine american War and World

ism and expertise. it’s long been recognized that there is a huge difference between medicine and public health. Each has its own concern and area of

specialization. in very general terms, the field of public health focuses on health care as it deals with whole populations, more applied research and disease prevention. the field of medicine, in turn, is more localized and concerned with individual treatment, diagnosis and care.

Public health professionals work to improve the quality of life for communities and populations.

Rather than treating individuals and groups with direct medical care, they conduct research and disseminate information to the public in order to extend life expectancy, combat infant mortality and reduce the incidence of communicable diseases. Medical health professionals are also often administrators and advocates for policies that will further those points. some of the common job titles for people in this field include epidemiologist, health or medical center director, biostatistician and health communications specialist.

Medical professionals also want to improve life quality and combat disease, but they focus on the individual and treatment. seeing patients in order

ManilaTimes.net photo

to treat a specific ailment or repair a breach of the human body because of an accident are the hallmarks of this profession. a big difference between the two is that a medical public health professional cannot treat patients — in essence, he cannot “practice medicine.” only doctors can prescribe medicine and provide that level of care.

We need a good public health law that can point

the nation to a public health system and infrastructure that can provide good public health policy making and effective and timely services to combat and eradicate disease a dedicated agency for disease control and prevention will be a good start and an excellent investment. it will make plenty of difference and make our country a better place to live in. (ManilaTimes. net)

Gun violence in the US: An epidemic politicians beholden to the NRA and gun-addicted Americans might not want to ever go away 4% of the world’s population but 35% of global firearm suicides. americans are 25 times more likely to be killed in a gun homicide than people in other highincome countries.

• Nearly every American will know at least one victim of gun violence in their lifetime.

• Over 1 million Americans have been shot in the past decade, and gun violence rates are rising across the country • In 2017, gun deaths reached their highest level in at least 40 years, with 39,773 deaths that year alone.

• Suicides, homicides, police shootings—gun violence takes many forms, often dictated by who and where you are.

• Gun access triples suicide risk. the majority of suicides - 51 percent - involve a gun.

• Gun homicide has a disproportionate impact on underserved communities of color in american cities.

• Roughly half of all gun homicides take place in just 127 cities comprising less than a quarter of the total U.s. population.

• Black men make up 52% of all gun homicide victims in the U.s., despite comprising less than 7% of the population.

• Unarmed Black civilians are five times more likely to be shot and killed by police than unarmed white civilians.

• Domestic violence victims

are five times more likely to be killed when their abuser has access to a gun. nearly 1 million women alive today report being shot or shot at by an intimate partner.

• Women in the United States are 21 times more likely to be killed with a gun than women in other high-income countries.

• 3 million children are directly exposed to gun violence each year, resulting in death, injury, and lasting trauma. and yet, tragedy after tragedy, the lawmakers of this nation do nothing to really address this crisis, other than offering “thoughts and prayers” to the victims and their bereaved family. this inaction comes even as facts and data show just how active mass shootings have escalated in recent years involving the use of assault rifles and highpowered magazines by civilians, weapons intended to be used in war zones only. the powerful and moneyed gun lobbyist, the national Rifle association (nRa), would always have the last laugh after each tragedy and litany of “thoughts and prayers” because nothing would happen to change gun laws significantly to make a difference. the nRa has infused a lot of campaign contributions to former President Donald trump,

and mostly to Republicans in the past years. the nRa used to be much more bipartisan, but now it’s mostly just a wing of the Republican Party, as most of its supporters identify with it, according to a report by Cnn. the New York Times reported that just the last five years, there have been at least 29 shootings with four or more fatalities, based on the data compiled by the Violence Project. among them: March 16, 2020: a gas station in springfield, Missouri aug. 31, 2019: Drive-by shootings in Midland and odessa, texas aug. 4, 2019: an entertainment district in Dayton, ohio aug. 3, 2019: a Walmart in El Paso, texas July 28, 2019: a festival in gilroy, California May 31, 2019: an office in Virginia Beach, Virginia Nov. 7, 2018: A bar in Thousand oaks, California Oct. 27, 2018: A synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania June 28, 2018: a newsroom in annapolis, Maryland May 18, 2018: a high school in santa Fe, texas Feb. 14, 2018: a high school in Parkland, Florida Nov. 5, 2017: A church in sutherland springs, texas Oct. 1, 2017: A concert in Las Vegas Jan. 6, 2017: An airport in Fort

Lauderdale, Florida July 7, 2016: Downtown Dallas, texas June 12, 2016: the Pulse nightclub in orlando, Florida Many more were allowed to happen before that. the Times chronicled: “the san Bernardino, Calif., and Charleston, s.C., in 2015; newtown, Conn., and aurora, Colo., in 2012; Virginia Tech in 2007, among them.”

“Each new attack is a reminder of all of the others that came before it, as the nation has been unable to curb an epidemic of gun violence that far outpaces other countries. these are just some of the horrors that have traumatized the nation,” the Times reported.

Following a shooting that left 10 people dead in Boulder, Colorado, Robyn thomas, giffords Law Center’s executive director, testified on tuesday, March 23 in front of the senate Judiciary Committee to demand action on a gun safety agenda. as the giffords Law Center reported, “some of the proposals she highlighted include universal background checks, prohibiting gun possession by those convicted of domestic violence crimes, waiting periods, and enacting extreme risk protection orders.” “our gun violence crisis is a uniquely american problem,” said Robyn thomas said in her

opening statement. “it’s a problem that plagues our country in countless different ways and exacts a devastating toll on our communities. But it’s a problem with solutions. While one single law will never stop all gun violence, we know strong gun laws save lives.” the giffords Law Center pointed out that earlier this March, “the house passed h.R. 8, the Bipartisan Background Checks act, with bipartisan support. neither h.R. 8 nor its senate companion legislation, s. 529, the Background Checks Expansion act, has yet been considered in the senate. the senate hearing was an important step in moving forward with meaningful gun safety reforms.”

What aRE thEY Waiting FoR? *** The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.

*** Gel Santos Relos has been in news, talk, public service and educational broadcasting since 1989 with ABS-CBN and is now serving the Filipino audience using different platforms, including digital broadcasting, and print, and is working on a new public service program for the community. You may contact her through email at gelrelos@icloud.com, or send her a message via Facebook at Facebook.com/Gel. Santos.Relos.

A challenge and an opportunity against hate, misogyny & gun violence

War ii, respectively. at the turn of the last century, Filipinos resisted the United states’ efforts to impose colonial rule over the Philippines, since Filipinos had just declared independence from spain in a revolutionary uprising. their resistance led to the Philippineamerican War, which we lost. at the start of Philippine-U.s. relations, Filipinos were the enemy, and we were depicted as snakes, dogs and filthy savages in american media of the period. after the Japanese attack on Pearl harbor, Japanese americans, despite being native-born americans, were imprisoned in concentration camps together with their immigrant parents, for looking like the enemy.

Chinese were vilified too, soon after they completed work building the railroads that connected the West Coast with

most of america; they flocked into major cities where their presence felt threatening. this led to the Chinese Exclusion act of 1882.

During the civil rights struggles of the 1960s and 1970s, asian americans were transformed from being the enemy into america’s darlings, its “model minority.” asian american successes in education and business were held up as a convenient foil against african american demands for racial justice and equality. the idea homogenized differences and challenges among the different asian american communities, while serving as a racial wedge between asian americans and african americans.

As late as 2017, this well-worn trope was invoked by new York Magazine’s andrew sullivan to minimize african american demands for racial justice and

equality.

From america’s darlings half a century ago, we, asian americans, have wrongly become the face of the coronavirus, an ordinarily invisible microbe responsible for over half a million american deaths. this pandemic has brought a dramatic spike in hate crimes and racially motivated aggressions against asian americans. the latest report by stop aaPi hate, a group that collects reports on hate aggressions against asian americans nationwide, states that between March 2020 and February 2021, it received reports of 3,795 incidents, though the actual number could be higher since many more go unreported. now we have this dramatic and unnerving escalation in the level of violence that targets women, indicating racialized misogyny where racism and sexism are intertwined with

gun violence. Women are common targets of gender discrimination and sexual harassment. the recent accusations against new York’s governor Cuomo are only the latest examples, and speak to the persistence of this problem despite efforts to address it in recent years. in addition, women of color are doubly oppressed through their race and gender. this has proved to be a very lethal mix for the six murdered asian american women who worked at health spas in atlanta, where the spike in anti-asian attitudes intersects with three seemingly intractable problems in american society: racism, misogyny, and gun violence. the intertwining of these three social problems creates a challenge and an opportunity in our fight against anti-asian aggression.

our struggle against antiasian aggression is fundamentally a struggle against racism and white privilege in america. it is a fight where we have a common cause with Black americans and other communities of color. We have common cause with women — and men — in the struggle against sexism, not just in our communities, but everywhere. the #Metoo movement has underscored its pervasiveness. We have common cause, too, with many, many communities in opposing gun violence. these are groups that have come together in response to the Columbine, sandy hook and stoneman Douglas school massacres, to mention a few. Within our Filipino american community, we have a decades-long campaign by the ileto family against gun violence in response to the u PAGE 8

The views expressed by our Op-Ed contributors are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect the predilection of the editorial board and staff of Asian Journal.

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Dateline PhiliPPines

7

Pinoys less happy in 2020 – World Happiness Report

by Janvic

mateo Philstar.com

MANILA — Widespread lockdowns, disruptions and deaths due to the COVID-19 pandemic made Filipinos less happy last year, according to the 2021 World Happiness Report of the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network.

The Philippines ranked 61st, down from last year’s 52nd, out of 149 nations included in the rankings, which used three-year data from the Gallup World Poll.

This year’s report also focused on data from 2020 surveys to highlight the impact of the pandemic by comparing it to average scores from 2017 to 2019.

In the aggregate ranking, the Philippines is at 74th spot, far from the 42nd place out of 95 countries with new data from last year.

“Surprisingly there was not, on average, a decline in well-being when measured by people’s own evaluation of their lives,” said John Helliwell, one of the authors of the report.

“One possible explanation is that people see COVID-19 as a common, outside threat affecting everybody and that this has generated a greater sense of

solidarity and fellow-feeling,” he added.

According to the report, there has been surprising resilience in how people rate their lives overall despite the impact of the pandemic worldwide.

“The change from 2017-2019 to 2020 varied considerably among countries, but not enough to change rankings in any significant fashion materially,” it read.

“Emotions changed more than did life satisfaction during the first year of COVID-19, worsening more during lockdown and recovering faster… For the world as a whole, based on the annual data from the Gallup World Poll, there was no overall change in positive affect, but there was a roughly 10 percent increase in the number of people who said they were worried or sad the previous day,” it added.

Finland still topped the ranking, followed by Denmark, Switzerland, Iceland, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Luxembourg and Austria.

Found to be least happy were those from Afghanistan, followed

by Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Haiti, Tanzania, Yemen and Burundi.

Among Southeast Asian Nations, the Philippines ranked

third after Singapore at 32nd and Thailand at 54th.

The report noted that mental health has been one of the casualties both of the pandemic and the resulting lockdowns.

“When the pandemic struck, there was a large and immediate decline in mental health in many countries around the world. Estimates vary depending on the measure used and the country in question, but the qualitative findings are remarkably similar,” it said.

The pandemic also had significant effect on workforce wellbeing, particularly as a result of lockdowns and physical distancing.

“Strikingly, we find that among people who stopped work due to furlough or redundancy, the impact on life satisfaction was 40 percent more severe for individuals that felt lonely to begin with,” said author Jan-Emmanuel De Neve.

“Our report also points towards a ‘hybrid’ future of work, that strikes a balance between office life and working from home to maintain social connections while ensuring flexibility for workers, both of which turn out to be key drivers of workplace well-being,” it added. n

Duterte’s birthday wish: End of pandemic MANILA — President Duterte’s wish for his 76th birthday is the end of the COVID-19 pandemic and a return to normalcy, Malacañang said on Thursday, March 25.

“I’m sure the President wishes an end to this pandemic and he wants all of us to return to our normal lives. That means going back to our high annual growth rate because he promised a comfortable life for all,” presidential spokesman Harry Roque said at a press briefing.

Duterte, the oldest person to be elected Philippine president, was born on March 28, 1945.

He noted the President had joked about his date of birth when he was given advanced birth-

day greetings. “When I greeted him ‘Advance happy birthday,’ he said ‘My birthday will fall in January.’ Of course we know his birthday.”

At the same press briefing, he revealed that Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian met recently with Duterte to greet him a happy birthday. Other issues, including the presence of 220 Chinese ships at the Julian Felipe Reef, well within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, were also discussed.

“It was a social call because of the birthday of the President. So, it was a personal visit between two very close friends,” Roque said.

Duterte was expected to fly to Davao City yesterday for his “no fanfare” birthday celebration with his family over the weekend.

Unlike his previous birthdays, though, he will not do his usual visit to the children’s cancer ward of the Southern Philippines Medical Center due to the imposed COVID-19 restrictions in the facility. Duterte had always spent his birthday bringing toys and food to cancer patients, his way of cheering them up.

The Chief Executive is expected to return to Manila Sunday night for Monday’s arrival of one million Sinovac vaccines—the first batch of vaccines the Philippine government bought. (Alexis Romero/Philstar.com)

DEVOTEES. Catholic devotees offer prayers to the images at the closed doors of St. Peter Parish: Shrine of Leaders along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City on Thursday, March 25 The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) has suspended mass gatherings, including religious activities, in Metro Manila and the provinces of Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal from March 22 to April 4 to curb the surge in coronavirus cases.

PNA photo by Joey O. Razon

EU adds voice vs China incursion in West PH Sea

by Bernadette

tamayo ManilaTimes.net

THE European Union (EU) on Thursday, March 25 joined other nations in expressing concern over the reported incursion of Chinese maritime militia personnel in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

The National Task Force on WPS on Sunday reported that Chinese fishing vessels were sighted moored in line formation at the Julian Felipe Reef on March 7.

The Chinese embassy in Manila has denied the alleged presence of Chinese maritime militia in the WPS. It insisted that the area it called Niu’e Jiao is part of its territory.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin on Sunday filed a diplomatic protest against the alleged presence of the Chinese fishing boats in the WPS and demanded China to withdraw its vessels.

EU Ambassador to the Philippines Luc Véron on Thursday tweeted, “At the EU-Asean ministerial, [EU High Representative] Josep Borrell said, ‘We cannot allow countries to unilaterally undermine international law and maritime security in the #SouthChina#Sea, thereby rep-

resenting a serious threat to the peaceful development of the region. EU stands by rules-based order”.

In a joint statement with United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken on March 24, Borell said the US and EU opened a new chapter in their relations, “marked by stronger cooperation on key foreign policy and security issues.”

“We agreed to launch the European Union-United States dialog on China as a forum to discuss the full range of related challenges and opportunities,” said Borell, the EU Minister for Foreign Affairs.

“We decided to continue meetings at the senior official and expert levels on topics such as reciprocity; economic issues; resilience; human rights; security; multilateralism; and areas for constructive engagement with China, such as climate change,” he said.

Borell added, “We share an assessment of China’s role as a partner, as a competitor and a systemic rival – as we are used to say here in Europe.”

The US State Department and the Japanese Embassy in the Philippines had engaged the Chinese Embassy in a “Twitter war” over the situation in the WPS.

US State Department tweeted, “The US stands with our ally, the Philippines, regarding concerns about the gathering of PRC maritime militia vessels near Whitsun Reef (Julian Felipe Reef). We call on Beijing to stop using its maritime militia to intimidate and provoke others, which undermines peace and security.”

The Japanese Embassy said, “The South China Sea issues are directly related to peace and stability and a concern for all. Japan strongly opposes any action that heightens tensions. We support the enforcement of #RuleOfLaw in the sea and work with the international community to protect the free, open and peaceful seas.”

However, the Chinese Embassy Manila, replied, “China is committed to managing differences through bilateral consultations and safeguarding peace and stability in the region. It is a pity that some Asian country, which has disputes with China in the East China Sea and is driven by the selfish aim to check China’s revitalization, willingly stoops to acting as a strategic vassal of the US. Such despicable behavior is inviting the wolf into the house, betraying the collective interests of the whole region and doomed to fail.” n

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Dacera mom, Makati cops face charges

by Ghio

onG Philstar.com

Jose Cardinal Advincula

CBCP photo

Pope names Advincula, cardinal from ‘peripheries,’ as new Manila archbishop

by Christian

Deiparine Philstar.com

MANILA — Pope Francis has named Jose Cardinal Advincula of Capiz as the 33rd archbishop of Manila, the Vatican announced on Thursday, March 25.

The appointment was made in Rome at 12 p.m. or 7 p.m. here in the Philippines, with the Manila Cathedral welcoming the news by tolling its bells after more than a year without an archbishop.

Advincula, 68, succeeds Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle, who was called to Rome as prefect of the powerful Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.

His new role all the more speaks of Francis’ inclination to name people from the “peripheries,” or from areas far from Manila and Cebu, long considered

as prominent centers of Catholicism in the country.

The prelate was made a cardinal in November 2020 after years as archbishop of the said province. He will be put to task to lead the archdiocese’s over three million Catholics, which also covers the cities of Makati, Mandaluyong, Pasay and San Juan.

His arrival comes at a time when the Manila archdiocese in particular is fighting to reopen churches — albeit at a minimum capacity — during the Holy Week, after government entirely banned religious gatherings due to the surge in COVID-19 cases.

Advincula told Vatican News last year when we has made a cardinal that the Pope “really wanted to communicate to the people in the peripheries, that they too are being attended to

by the Church.”

“I always thought that the Church has to be closer to the people,” he said. In it, Advincula also spoke of the situation in the Philippines, the Church should help in making sure that human dignity and rights are respected.

In December 2020, he was one of the Catholic bishops in Western Visayas who spoke out against the red-tagging and killing of nine members of the Indigenous group Tumandok in Panay. Advincula, in particular, was a member of the Commission for Indigenous Peoples within the Philippine bishops’ conference or the CBCP. The announcement of a new Manila archbishop coincides with the Catholic Church in the country marking the 500th year since Christianity arrived in 1521. n

MANILA — Five men accused of raping and killing flight attendant Christine Dacera yesterday filed charges against Dacera’s mother, Makati police officers and several others.

Lawyer Mike Santiago – representing Rommel Galido, John Pascual dela Serna III, Gregorio de Guzman, Clark Rapinan and Valentine Rosales – filed two sets of complaints with the Makati prosecutor.

He reiterated that his clients made “all legal steps to defend themselves and restore their honor and dignity in the community.”

Santiago asked the fiscal to charge Dacera’s mother Sharon, Dacera’s cousin Katherine Anne Facelo and Sharon’s friend and doctor Marichi Ramos Fong with perjury, libel, cyber libel, slander, malicious prosecution, incriminating innocent persons and intriguing against honor.

Dacera family spokesman and lawyer Roger “Brick” Reyes, Makati police acting chief Col. Harold Depositar, city police investigation unit chief Capt.

Danilo Oamil and Dacera case investigators Cpl. Louie Lopez and S/Sgt. Jun Alimurong were also charged with the same offenses.

In another set of complaints, Galido and Dela Serna charged Sharon, Fong, Facelo, Depositar, Oamil, Lopez and Alimurong with unlawful arrest, illegal detention, unjust vexation and grave coercion.

According to their 13-page complaint-affidavit, the five men

by Christia

Marie Inquirer.net

EMPLOYMENT

raMos

MANILA — The Chinese Embassy in Manila accused the United States on Tuesday, March 23 of “provoking confrontation” after the latter backed the Philippines in its protest of Chinese vessels in the West Philippine Sea. “The United States is not a party to the South China Sea issue. Fanning flames and provoking confrontation in the region will only serve the selfish interests of [an] individual country and undermine the regional peace and stability,” the Chinese embassy said over Twitter, tagging the official account of the U.S. Embassy in Manila.

China and the Philippines “are sovereign and independent countries,” the Chinese embassy added in a separate Sr. Fidelis Atienza Photo courtesy of the Religous tweet.

made her first profession in 1954, and her final profession in 1957.

SISTER Fidelis Atienza, the Atienza established the MarFilipina nun behind Baguio ian Bakery in the 1960s and City’s famous Good Shepherd made use of host cuttings for ube jam, has passed away at the the delicious “crispies,” the age of 102. forerunner of the angel cookies In a Facebook post, the Re- of today. ligious of the Good Shepherd According to the RGS, Atien(RGS) confirmed that Atienza za started making the beloved died on Saturday, March 20, at Good Shepherd ube jam during the Good Shepherd Community her assignment in Baguio City. in Quezon City “after 66 years “She was the original masterin religious life.” mind behind the ube jam, en“She never considered her- abling the congregation to send self ill or infirmed. Her hands thousands of youths to school,” were never weary, as she was it added. still helping turn plastics into Aside from Baguio, Atienza’s eco-bricks until her shoulders various ministries included dozached from too much pushing ens of community apostolates of plastic into the plastic bot- in Cebu, Quezon City, Manila, tles,” the RGS noted.

Hong Kong, France, Rome, and of the Good Shepherd In 1951, Atienza entered the Tagaytay.

Novitiate of the Good Shepherd In 2019, she was transferred nity in Quezon City where she in Los Angeles, California. She to the Good Shepherd Commu- dedicated “each moment of her day praying for the needs of the Church and the Congregation.”

“She would ask her caregivers to bring her to the oratory every day, spending most of her hours in quiet communion with the Good Shepherd whom she adored all her life,” the RGS said.

“The children in the compound were very fond of their oldest playmate; she was a delight and a source of joy to everyone whom she met,” it added.

Atienza’s remains are at the chapel of Good Shepherd Convent on Aurora Boulevard, Quezon City, but the wake and services will be private. Inurnment The Good Shepherd Convent in Baguio City, known for its ube jam, says farmers are having a will be at Good Shepherd Cohard time growing the purple yam, forcing them to make use of white yams. lumbary in Quezon City, to be Philstar.com photo announced on a later date. n

MenDiola AJPress

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with Sharon by inferring that Christine struggled before she died as shown in the bruises and abrasions even in her genitals, hence the likelihood of foul play and rape.

Galido, Dela Serna, De Guzman, Rapinan and Rosales alleged that Makati police officials and Reyes maliciously pushed filing charges of rape with homicide against 11 respondents, including them, despite earlier findings that showed Dacera died a natural death.

Galido and Dela Serna also cried foul over the actions of Sharon, Facelo, Fong, Depositar, Oamil, Lopez and Alimurong to charge them with rape with homicide, to keep them under police custody from Jan. 1 to 6, and for releasing their cell phones only on Feb. 3. n

Mike Santiago asked the fiscal to charge Dacera’s mother Sharon, Dacera’s cousin Katherine Anne Facelo and Sharon Dacera’s friend and doctor Marichi Ramos Fong with perjury, libel, cyber libel, slander, malicious prosecution, incriminating innocent persons and intriguing against honor.

Philstar.com photo by Boy Santos

China warns America against ‘provoking confrontation’ after comment on Chinese ships

Good Shepherd nun behind famous ube jam dies at 102 by ritChel

accused Sharon of “shaming, embarrassing and ridiculing” them by asserting that they gave illegal drugs to her daughter Christine and raped her before she died on New Year’s Day. She kept declaring this to the public and in her statement filed before the city police even if the medico-legal report declared that she died of a ruptured aortic aneurysm, the men said.

Sharon repeatedly claimed foul play in her daughter’s death even if pieces of evidence her camp filed before the fiscal – including footage from the City Garden Grand Hotel where Christine and the five men, among others, held a New Year’s Eve party – showed otherwise, according to the complaint.

The men also accused Facelo and Ramos-Fong of conspiring

The Philippines lodged a diplomatic protest on Sunday, March 21, against more than 200 boats, believed to be operated by Chinese maritime militia personnel, at the Julian Felipe Reef in the West Philippine Sea. Following the protest, the Chinese embassy denied on Monday the alleged presence of Beijing’s maritime militia at the said reef, which China claimed to be part of its territory.

It, however, said that “some Chinese fishing vessels” have recently taken shelter at the reef “due to rough sea conditions.”

Earlier Tuesday, the US embassy said Chinese boats have been mooring in the area for “many months in ever-increasing numbers, regardless of the weather.”

Further, it accused China of using its maritime militia

“to intimidate, provoke, and threaten other nations, which undermines peace and security in the region.”

The Philippines has already demanded that China immediately withdraw its fishing vessels and maritime assets from the West Philippine Sea. Manila also called on China to “direct its fishing vessels to desist from environmentally destructive activities” in the area.

The Philippines, China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei all have overlapping claims over the South China Sea. In July 2016, the Philippines won a landmark victory over China before the United Nations-backed Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, Netherlands, which invalidated China’s nine-dash line claim, a ruling that Beijing refuses to recognize. n

A challenge and an opportunity against hate...

PAGE 6 t

shooting death of their brother, Joseph Ileto, a postal worker murdered by a white supremacist, while delivering mail.

The escalation of aggressions against Asian Americans into the level of gun violence presents a triple opportunity for Asian Americans. Our struggle against anti-Asian aggression is an opportunity to strengthen alliances and working relations with #BlackLivesMatter and similar groups. We as a community must intentionally engage in the struggle against sexism since our communities carry baggage from the patriarchal societies we immigrated from. Likewise, we can join the Ileto family to build alliances with groups against

gun violence, and in favor of gun control.

The tragedy in the wake of the Atlanta murders of Asian American women is an opportunity for Asian Americans to meaningfully add our voices to the fight against sexism and misogyny, racism and white supremacy, and in the struggle to end gun violence through gun control legislation.

I am quite aware as I write this that many of our U.S. children — mine included — are actively engaged in these three struggles. But our communities, are still predominantly foreign-born.

My call is to those among us who are foreign-born: Be much more actively supportive of those who are actively engaged. Racism,

SERVICES

sexism and gun violence will not go away if we only see ourselves as victims. We need to see ourselves as warriors, actively engaged in eliminating these evils towards a more peaceful, just, and equitable society where one is judged — to borrow a phrase from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. — not by their skin color, gender or national origin, but by the content of their character. *** The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.

••• Enrique de la Cruz is Professor Emeritus of Asian American Studies at Cal State University, Northridge.

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inside

LifestyLe • Consumer Guide • Community • MARketpLAce

‘I’M repreSentIng FILIpIna, I’M repreSentIng BLack’:

Meet Leyna Bloom, the first transgender woman of color in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue

By Ritchel

Mendiola AJPress

LEYNA Bloom, a Black and Filipina American model, is making history as the first transgender woman of color to grace Sports Illustrated’s famed Swimsuit Issue.

The 27-year-old model and trained dancer’s feat comes after Brazilian model Valentina Sampaio, who became the first openly transgender model to appear in the magazine’s Swimsuit Issue last year.

In an Instagram post on Tuesday, March 16, Bloom expressed her excitement over the historic milestone.

“This is what it looks like to be in full bloom… My spirit has reached new levels. This moment is bigger than my wildest infinite dreams. In this moment, I am a representation of all the communities I grew from, and all the communities I’m planting seeds in,” she wrote in her post, thanking the publication for allowing her “to showcase my heavenly form.”

“Before my feet even touched the sand, you all wanted to celebrate the temple of my body and the deepest part of my spiritual universe. Your kindness has given me so much hope in the humanity of [the] entertainment industry,” she added.

Leyna Bloom was photographed by Yu Tsai in Tampa, FL wearing Dos Gardenias.

who falls in love with a lost drifter (Fionn Whitehead).

She was the only transgender model to walk the runway at Paris Fashion Week for Tommy Hilfiger x Zendaya’s Fall/Winter collection that same year.

Bloom told the New York Times that she was on the set for her Levi’s campaign in December when she learned that she would be in Sports Illustrated.

“I hadn’t gone to a casting, so when my agent called with the news, I felt mentally shaken. The idea that they were giving me this chance — I couldn’t take it in. Two weeks later I was on set,” she said.

According to Bloom, her feature on the publication’s Swimsuit Issue is her way of “promoting something that has been missing in the world: trans beauty in all shapes and all sizes.”

“I’m representing Filipina, I’m representing Black, I am representing people who have been immigrants. For them, I’m a vessel of change,” she told the NY Times.

For her part, Sports Illustrated’s editor MJ Day praised Bloom for her beauty and her “undeniable sense of self that shines through the minute she walks on set.”

“Leyna is legendary in the world of activism, strikingly gorgeous and has an undeniable sense of self that shines through the minute she walks on set. Her story represents one grounded in resilience and we couldn’t be more thrilled to help her tell it,” she said in a statement.

Photo courtesy of Sports Illustrated “Her presence as the first trans

Bloom made headlines as one of the first openly transgender models on the runway at New York Fashion Week in 2017. Later that year, she appeared as the first transgender woman of color in Vogue India.

In 2018, she went viral on Twitter for campaigning to be the first trans model of color to walk the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show.

Sampaio was later chosen to walk in the show in August 2019.

Bloom also became the first trans woman of color to headline a film at Cannes Film Festival in 2019. In “Port Authority,” directed by Danielle Lessovitz, Bloom plays a trans woman from New York’s kiki ballroom scene

Bloom was the only transgender model to walk the runway at Paris Fashion Week for Tommy Hilfiger x Zendaya’s Fall/Winter collection in 2019.

Photo from Instagram/@leynabloom

woman of color to be in our issue is a result of her lifetime dedication to forging her own path that has led to acceptance, love and change. She represents every person’s right to love themselves and be who they want to be,” she added.

Bloom was born and raised in Chicago to a Filipina mother, who is from General Santos, and an African American father.

In a 2019 interview with GMA News, Bloom said that she went to the Philippines to find her

mother.

“I grew up Americanized since my mom was deported when I was only two years old. I was raised by my American father, but four years ago, I found my mom online. I searched everywhere. I felt there was a piece of me missing,” she said.

Bloom noted that the food in the Philippines was “amazing.”

“The people are so vibrant and welcoming. I feel so welcome in the Philippines. I feel so connected and so unique,” she added.

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Q&A for third round of stimulus payments ‘I finally became comfortable in my own Tax skin’: Black Fil-Am rapper Saweetie Tips featured on the cover of Cosmopolitan HERE are simplified Questions & Answers about the freshly minted third round of stimulus payments under the new American Rescue Plan Act of March 2021.

1. How much is the third Economic Impact Payment? $1,400 for individuals, $2,800 for married couples plus $1,400 for each dependent. You will get a payment for all your dependents claimed on a tax return (not just their qualifying children under 17).

2. Who are eligible for the third Stimulus Payments?

U.S. citizen and resident aliens who are not a dependent of another taxpayer and have a valid Social Security number with adjusted gross income (AGI) that does not exceed: • $150,000 if married and filing a joint return or if filing as a qualifying widow or widower.

• $112,500 if filing as head of household.

• $75,000 if single or married people filing separate returns.

3. Payments will be phased out or reduced above those AGI amounts:

• $160,000 if married and filing a joint return or if filing as a qualifying widow or widower.

• $120,000 if filing as head of household.

• $80,000 if single filers and married people filing separate returns.

4. How will IRS determine who are eligible?

The IRS will use information of people who: • Filed a 2020 tax return.

• Filed a 2019 tax return if the 2020 return has not been processed yet.

• Did not file a 2020 or 2019 tax return but registered for the first Economic Impact Payment.

• Received Social Security and Railroad Retirement Board benefits, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Veteran benefits in 2020.

5. How do I find out if the IRS is sending me a payment?

Check the status of your third payment at “Get My Payment” tool on IRS.gov.

6. How will the IRS know where to send my payment or if I changed bank accounts?

• Taxpayers with direct deposit information on file will receive the payment via direct deposit.

• Those without current direct deposit will receive the payment as a check or debit card in the mail.

7. Active Military: If you or your spouse is an active member of the U.S. Armed Forces at any time during the taxable

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Small Business Administration is increasing the maximum amount small businesses and non-profit organizations can borrow through its COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program.

Starting the week of April 6, 2021, the SBA is raising the loan limit for the COVID-19 EIDL program from 6-months of economic injury with a maximum loan amount of $150,000 to up to 24-months of economic injury with a maximum loan amount of $500,000.

“More than 3.7 million businesses employing more than 20 million people have found financial relief through SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loans, which provide low-interest emergency working capital to help save their businesses. However, the pandemic has lasted longer than expected, and they need larger loans. Many have called on SBA to remove the $150,000 cap. We are here to help our small businesses and that is why I’m proud to more than triple

the amount of funding they can access,” said SBA Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman.

Businesses that receive a loan subject to the current limits do not need to submit a request for an increase at this time. SBA will reach out directly via email and provide more details about how businesses can request an increase closer to the April 6 implementation date.

Any new loan applications and any loans in process when the new loan limits are implemented will automatically be considered for loans covering 24 months of economic injury up to a maximum of $500,000.

This new relief builds on SBA’s previous March 12, 2021 announcement that the agency would extend deferment periods for all disaster loans, including COVID-19 EIDLs, until 2022 to offer more time for businesses to build back. In order to shift all EIDL payments to 2022, SBA will extend the first payment due date for disaster loans made in 2020 to 24-

Victor Sy, MBA, cPA (retired)

year, you will receive up to $2,800 (even if only one spouse has a valid SSN).

8. Is any action needed by those who don’t typically file tax returns?

Most people who receive Social Security retirement, disability, railroad retirement, and veterans’ benefits in 2020 need not take any action to receive a payment.

9. Will I receive the 3rd stimulus if I didn’t file a 2019 or 2020 tax return and didn’t register with the IRS.gov non-filers tool last year?

Yes, if you meet the eligibility requirements. You won’t receive an automatic payment now but can get it when you file a 2020 return and claim the Recovery Rebate Credit.

10. Will people who receive a payment get a notice from the IRS? Yes, you will receive an IRS notice.

*** Victor Santos Sy graduated Cum Laude from UE with a BBA and from Indiana State University with an MBA. Vic worked with SyCip, Gorres, Velayo (SGV – Andersen Consulting) and Ernst & Young before establishing Sy Accountancy Corporation. *** He retired after 50 years of defending taxpayers audited by the IRS, EDD, BOE and other governmental agencies. He published a book on “How to Avoid or Survive IRS Audits” that’s available at Amazon. Readers may email tax questions to vicsy@live.com.

SBA to increase lending limit for COVID-19 EIDL program

months from the date of the note and to 18-months from the date of the note for all loans made in the calendar year 2021.

Questions about SBA COVID-19 EIDL and disaster loan payments can be emailed to DisasterCustomerService@sba.gov or directed to SBA’s Customer Service Center at 1-800-659-2955 (1-800-8778339 for the deaf and hard of hearing).

The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow or expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www. sba.gov. (SBA Release)

By Ritchel

Mendiola AJPress

BLACK and Filipina American hip-hop darling Saweetie is reclaiming her power after years of “dimming” her light.

In her latest Cosmopolitan cover interview, the “Icy Girl” rapper shared that she finally became comfortable in her own skin last year after her ascent to viral stardom in the summer of 2017.

“Last year was the year that I finally became comfortable in my own skin. I kind of figured out what my purpose was,” Saweetie told Cosmo. “I think it’s important to show little Black and brown girls that they can be successful in whatever they want to do. If I can do it, you can do it too.”

This development came after the infamous HOT97 interview in February 2018 where one of the radio hosts insulted Saweetie, calling her freestyle “basic” and implying she “had little to offer but her beauty,” as Cosmo writer Rawiya Kameir noted.

“It was a really dark point in my life. I went from being so loved so quickly because of ‘Icy Grl’ to, on my first promo run, well, you saw the interview.

The script flipped really quick, like night and day.

I was like, Wait…I had PTSD from that,” Saweetie admitted.

However, the rapper said she was “grateful” for the setbacks she experienced, as they helped her grow into the artist she is now.

“I’m really grateful for my start. Because the mistakes, the struggle, the grind — it allows me to appreciate the rewards that come now because I know what it feels like to sleep in motels, to drive and do promo, to be stressed out,” said Saweetie.

She shared that she perfected her stage presence by learning how to control her breath and pull off complex choreo and rap without missing a beat. She also took vocal lessons.

“Some of us have it naturally. And some of us don’t—like me,” Saweetie told Cosmo. “And that’s okay because I know that as long as I work hard, I’ll become one of the best.”

Saweetie, whose real name is Diamonté Quiava Valentin Harper, was born to an African American father and Filipina-Chinese mother.

In 2017, she went viral after posting a video on

Health@Heart PhiliP S. chuA, Md, FAcS, FPcS SINCE the first case of COVID-19 was officially reported by the local authority in Wuhan, China, on December 31, 2019, followed by the WHO declaration of this pandemic, medical centers around the world struggled to search for effective treatments, including vitamin-mineral supplements. No herbals have been found effective against this SARS-CoV2 virus.

The following March 17, 2021 report by Ryan Basen and Amanda D’Ambrosio of MedPage shows which treatments are in and which ones are out: Treatments currently in use Remdesivir Remdesivir, an antiviral, is currently the only FDA-approved therapy for COVID-19. It prevents SARS-CoV-2 from replicating by binding to RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, a key enzyme the virus needs to propagate. Authorization (EUA) has been revised to also allow for treatment of hospitalized pediatric patients under 12 who weigh at least 7.7 lbs.

NIH guidelines recommend the use of remdesivir in hospitalized patients who require supplemental oxygen, either on its own, or in combination with dexamethasone. For those requiring highflow or noninvasive ventilation, NIH recommends remdesivir only in combination with dexamethasone. Its scope was limited in December due to “lack of data showing benefit at this advanced stage of the disease.”

Dexamethasone Dexamethasone, a corticosteroid with potent anti-inflammatory effects, is ecommended for use in many categories of patients hospitalized with COVID19, but not for those with mild-tomoderate disease who aren’t in the hospital.

While it recommends against dexamethasone for those hospitalized but not on supplemental oxygen, NIH recommends it for those who need supplemental oxygen, high-flow or noninvasive ventilation, and mechanical ventilation or ECMO. The use of dexamethasone in those who required mechanical ventilation cut the risk of death by about 35% compared with usual care. Overall mortality also was lower in all hospitalized patients who received the drug.

Tocilizumab On March 5, the NIH updated its guidance regarding the antiinterleukin-6 (IL-6) monoclonal antibody tocilizumab for COVID19. It now recommends using tocilizumab in combination with dexamethasone in certain hospitalized COVID patients exhibiting rapid respiratory decompensation. That includes those who have been admitted to the ICU within the previous 24 hours who require invasive mechanical ventilation, noninvasive mechanical ventilation or high-flow nasal cannula oxygen, or – outside the

Hip-hop darling Saweetie is on the cover of this month’s Cosmopolitan magazine.

Instagram. The freestyle video later became “Icy Grl,” prompting a label bidding war that ended with Saweetie signing a deal with Warner Records.

Since her fame, she has released chart-topping hits including 2020’s “Tap In” and “Back to the Streets” as well as “Best Friend” with Doja Cat this year.

She also launched a nonprofit, The Icy Baby Foundation, with her grandmother to support single mothers, low-income communities, education efforts, and people living with autism.

“Money beats court cases, money buys medicine, money fixes potholes, money puts food on the counter, and money keeps the heat and electricity going,” said Saweetie.

“So if I can spread the wealth, that’s what I want to do,” she added.

Saweetie’s first studio album, “Pretty Bitch Music,” is set to debut this spring.

“It’s my way of taking back all those years where I feel I had to dim my light,” she told Cosmo.

COVID-19 Rx: In or out ICU – patients with rapidly increasing oxygen needs who require noninvasive ventilation or high-flow oxygen and have significantly increased markers of inflammation.

The agency says tocilizumab should be avoided for “significantly” immunocompromised patients. There’s no evidence for using other IL-6 inhibitors in COVID-19.

Anticoagulation The US-NIH recommends that all adults (including pregnant patients) hospitalized for COVID-19 who aren’t pregnant should receive prophylactic anticoagulation to prevent venous thromboembolism (VTE).

Convalescent Plasma Convalescent plasma has an FDA emergency use authorization to treat hospitalized COVID19 patients. Only high-titer plasma is now authorized. However, NIH guidelines state there are insufficient data to recommend for or against the use of convalescent plasma in the treatment of COVID-19.

Monoclonal Antibodies (one of the treatments President Trump had): Eli Lilly’s bamlanivimab, bamlanivimab/etesevimab combo and Regeneron’s casirivimab/imdevimab Despite the FDA authorizations, NIH doesn’t recommend the therapies in its COVID-19 treatment guidelines. “There are currently insufficient data to recommend either for or against the use of bamlanivimab or the casirivimab plus imdevimab combination for the treatment of outpatients with mild to moderate COVID-19,” according to an NIH statement.

One barrier to practical application is that they require intravenous infusion – most easily delivered in hospitals yet hospitalized patients aren’t eligible for them.

Failed or debated therapies Hydroxychloroquine Both the WHO and the NIH recommend against the use of hydroxychloroquine – with or without azithromycin – for the treatment of COVID-19 in both hospitalized and non-hospitalized patients. This was a spectacular failure in efficacy of this hypedup anti-malarial drug.

Findings from the RECOVERY trial showed that use of hydroxychloroquine did not reduce mortality among COVID-19 patients after 28 days, and in fact trended towards risk of death. Additionally, patients who received the antimalarial drug had a longer median hospital stay than those who received standard of care.

Another clinical trial based in Brazil found that hydroxychloroquine with or without azithromycin did not improve outcomes for hospitalized patients with mildto-moderate COVID-19 after 15 days.

Ivermectin In January, the NIH changed its recommendation from “against” use of ivermectin in COVID-19 to noting that there are “insufficient data” to recommend for or against the therapy.

The antiparasitic drug has shown some potential to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 replication in cell

cultures. However, according to the NIH, achieving the plasma concentrations necessary to achieve the antiviral efficacy detected in vitro would require doses up to 100-fold higher than those approved for use in humans.

Vitamin C NIH states that there are insufficient data to recommend for or against the use of vitamin C (ascorbic acid) in COVID-19.

A randomized controlled trial of vitamin C and zinc showed no impact of either supplement on the course of symptoms in patients with mild illness.

Vitamin D NIH states that there are insufficient data to recommend for or against the use of vitamin D in COVID-19.

In February, a large randomized Brazilian trial published in JAMA found no difference in length of hospital stay for those with moderate to severe COVID19 given high-dose vitamin D or placebo.

Zinc NIH states there are insufficient data to recommend for or against the use of zinc in COVID19. It also recommends against zinc supplementation above the recommended dietary allowance for the prevention of COVID-19, except in a clinical trial.

Protease Inhibitors The NIH recommends against using lopinavir/ritonavir and other HIV protease inhibitors to treat COVID-19 in hospitalized and non-hospitalized patients because clinical trials have not shown clinical benefit in COVID patients.

Colchicine Neither the NIH nor WHO have any guidelines concerning this oral anti-inflammatory drug often used to treat gout. The colchicine arm of the RECOVERY trial was recently halted because an independent data monitoring committee found the drug wasn’t helping hospitalized patients with COVID. However, top-line results from the COLCORONA trial announced in January showed improved outcomes for patients with mild illness from COVID-19. *** The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff. *** The main objective of this column is to educate and inspire people live a healthier lifestyle to prevent illnesses and disabilities and achieve a happier and more productive life.

Any diagnosis, recommendation or treatment in our article are general medical information and not intended to be applicable or appropriate for anyone. This column is not a substitute for your physician, who knows your condition well and who is your best ally when it comes to your health. *** Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, a Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus based in Northwest Indiana and Las Vegas, Nevada, is an international medical lecturer/author, a Health Public Advocate, and Chairman of the Filipino United Network-USA, a 501(c)3 humanitarian and antigraft foundation in the United States. Visit our websites: philipSchua.com and FUN8888.com Email: scalpelpen@gmail.com

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