FILAM July 2019

Issue 17, July 2019

More stories on the web @ TheFilAm.net

FilAm Pride celebrates an LGBTQ Ambassador, a Lawyer of Color, and a Playboy Playmate p7 Brian Bulatao: The man who will modernize the State Department p5 Cherry Marmes Smyth: Mother of KIDS Philippines p10 Photo by Rolan Gutierrez

Letter from the Editor

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A matter of law, order and compassion

he fear and sense of panic is palpable.

When President Donald Trump announced a nationwide crackdown that would capture and throw out tens of thousands of immigrants, an overwhelming sense of dread has spread within the Filipino American community. Immigration lawyers and community organizations began to crank up Know Your Rights (KYR) conversations and distribute information on ‘What to do if ICE shows up at your door.’

The ICE raids would have begun at dawn of June 23, a Sunday when families should be preparing for Mass or enjoying the weekend. Instead, the day begins literally with a knock on the door. It is unthinkable that a kind of tactic used by the Nazis against the Jews or the Japanese Kempeitai during World War II will make an appearance in the Land of the Free.

The information put out by immigration rights advocates is that in the event of a knock on the door, families should: -demand to see a warrant; -request to speak to a lawyer; -refuse to sign or provide any document unless advised by a lawyer; -remain silent; -insist on having a friend or family member come with you to an ICE facility.

One has to wonder whether immigrants facing the power of armed government agents will have the presence of mind to remember the advice. Often, the first instinct would be to flee and hide in the hope of avoiding detection. TNT (‘tago ng tago’ or keep hiding) is a means of survival.

When Speaker Nancy Pelosi called the roundup “heartless” and “brutal,” she was putting it mildly.

Much more than that, actually. Trump’s planned roundup is ruthless and un-Christian. He urged deporting illegal aliens who have committed heinous crimes such as murder. What we have seen so far is how removal proceedings have applied as well to hardworking families who have followed U.S. laws, trying to survive and integrating with

Contributing Writers Tricia J. Capistrano Ludy AstraquilloOngkeko Joel David Mariel Padilla Wendell Gaa Maricar CP Lindy Rosales Hampton Danielle Vania Angelito Cabigao Bonus

Founding Editor Cristina DC Pastor Address P.O. Box 8071 New York, NY 10116

their communities. An immigration crackdown that appears to be a purge of Latino, Black and/or Asian immigrants.

Of the approximately 4 million Filipinos in the U.S., many more are undocumented -- and therefore uncounted. Instead of worrying daily about how they can legally emerge from the shadows, they are burying themselves in work trying to earn a living and saving enough money for their families. Every crackdown that is announced sends them over the edge. Seeing how Trump appears to be serious about deporting foreigners, some of them are now looking desperately for lawyers who can help.

Some immigration lawyers in our community have been inundated by calls of alarm. They have heard from parents frantic about being sent home when they have young children still going to U.S. schools; from young people waiting for their student visas to be approved; from adult children awaiting the outcome of their petition for their elderly parents. In most cases these families have already spent large sums fixing their statuses.

The situation is nerve wracking and tense.

Immigration reform may be a matter of law and order but it also about never abandoning our sense of compassion. The values we hold dear make us embrace immigrants from all corners of the world. Many bill proposing smart pathways to legalization are languishing in Congress. Let’s have our lawmakers give them a serious look.

The vitality of American life is bolstered by our immigrants.

E pluribus unum. Out of many, one.

Contact Thefilamny@gmail.com

The FilAm is a publication of A&V Editorial THE FILAM |

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Panic, anxiety over closure of USCIS office in Manila

By Cristina DC Pastor

The decision of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to shutter its office in Manila on July 5 is causing ripples of panic among Filipinos who have pending applications to the U.S.

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any are openly wondering whether their applications will be delayed indefinitely or whether they will need to follow up their papers by long distance.

“What happens to my case? I’m planning to get married in October?” asked a Filipino on Facebook. Another wondered if her sister’s pending petition for their mother would be affected.

Immigration lawyers interviewed by The FilAm predicted delays in pending and future petitions as the immediate effect. They also believe the larger motivation behind the decision to close USCIS field offices in 23 countries, including the Philippines, is the Trump Administration’s attempt to curtail the entry of foreigners to the U.S. “Whenever any office tasked with handling immigration applications/ petitions close, work will have to be displaced elsewhere. In this case applications will now have to be sent to the U.S., possibly increasing waiting times,” said Edward Carrasco, who has a law office on 34th Street near Penn Station. “How much time this will add has yet to be determined.”

Licelle Cobrador of Cobrador & Associates PLLC in Long Island City explained further. “USCIS will be redirecting Form I-130 or the Petition for Alien Relative to the USCIS Lockbox in Chicago,” she said. “Processing times will be longer with the current estimate of 12 to 18 months instead of less.”

The USCIS has 23 field offices around the world employing about 70 personnel, according to its website. It plans to close all field offices – including those in Mexico, China, Germany, South Korea, and Italy — by 2019-20 to reduce the backlog of cases.

Lawyer Lara Gregory of Gregory Advocates said the impact of the decision will be felt by among others, U.S. citizens petitioning their relatives, permanent residents applying for naturalization, and relatives of World War II veterans applying for parole under the Filipino World War II Veterans Parole Program.

“Perhaps among those significantly affected by the closure are individuals seeking a benefit under the Violence against Women Act as an abused spouse or child or parent,” she said. “These survivors, who usually do not have a lot of resources have no other option but to file the self-petition in the Vermont Service Center in the U.S.” Nick Caraquel, who has a private practice in Queens, said the closure is creating “confusion and concern.”

“The biggest misconception is that the U.S. Embassy is closing, with people asking, ‘What will happen to my pending petition? Where will I appear for interview?’” He has reiterated on his website that the embassy will remain open and will assume responsibility for certain services currently handled by the USCIS. He cited examples: A widow or widower of a U.S. citizen who files a petition for Amerasian, widow(er) or special immigrant (also known as Form I-360) visa or a permanent resident who has lost his or her green card and/or reentry permit.

“However,” Caraquel continued, “New petitions for alien relative must now be filed by mail with the USCIS Lockbox facility in Chicago. Filipino war veterans also must now file a petition for certain family members with the same facility.”

The lawyers believe the discontinuation of USCIS services in foreign offices may have a deterrent effect THE FILAM |

The downscaling of the U.S. Embassy in Manila began on July 5.

Immigration lawyers (from top left clockwise) Edward Carrasco, Lara Gregory, Licelle Cobrador, and Nick Caraquel: ‘Expect delays. and stem the flow of immigrants to the U.S. The Trump Administration has adopted a hardline policy against immigrants, including those who enter the country legally. Donald Trump famously said “our country is full” and there is no more room for immigrants.

“It certainly looks like part of a larger plan to reduce immigration— even legal immigration,” said 3

Carrasco. “You can restrict immigration through legislation or through roadblocks, designed to make the current process more cumbersome. This seems to be the latter.”

Echoed Gregory, “Indeed, the closure is part of the policy of the executive branch of the government to reduce immigration.”

When in Chicago,

check out Billy Dec’s new place Dr. Angie Cruz and myself were in Chicago recently to visit our friend, immigration lawyer Maricar Madrid-Crost. She invited us to lunch at this upscale Filipino American place called Sunda New Asian Restaurant located in 110 West Illinois Street in the River North District.

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unda, named after a Southeast Asian Island, has an impressive, stylish and elegant decor.

We were more impressed to be joined by no less than the owner of Sunda, Billy Dec, a serial entrepreneur who recently opened a Sunda Restaurant in Nashville, Tennessee. Billy is best known in the Filipino American community as a member of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans & Pacific Islanders during President Obama’s administration.

He told us the story of how his grandmother would cook those delicious Filipino dishes when he was growing up. When she died in the Philippines, he was dismayed that he wasn’t able to film his grandmother as she cooked those dishes that he loved.

Aside from being a nightclub and restaurateur (in the past 20 years with his now ex-co-founder Brad Young), Billy is also a television personality, an attorney, a philanthropist, the Podcast host of “The Meal Of Your Life,” and recently, a film producer under Elston Films.

In fact, Billy is raising funds to present his recently concluded documentary of his two oldest living aunts, including the 103-yearold last remaining Filipino tattoo master.

The film will be called “Food. Roots. Philippines” and will air on PBS-TV. Back to Sunda Chicago. We ate ravenously the specialty Crispy Brussels Sprouts, Pork Adobo Fried Rice, Miso Glazed Sea Bass, Lemongrass Beef Lollipops, Chicken Chicharon and Pancit Canton. Of course, we had Halo-Halo for dessert which we all shared, having eaten so much.

Dinner with Billy Dec, owner of Sunda; lawyer Maricar Madrid-Crost; and Dr. Angie Cruz.

Wagyu beef skirt steak.

Most interesting was the special First Thursday of Every Month offering called Kamayan Feast. In one long table on banana leaves are the traditional Filipino dishes of Lechon Kawali, Crispy Soft Shell Crab, Shrimp and Chicken Adobo Skewers, Whole Crispy Snapper, Longaniza, Purple Cauliflower, Crispy Pork Pata, and more.

These goodies are shared family-style and eaten with hands, no fork, spoon or knife!

That is why it is called “Kamayan,” meaning “with hands.”

No worries for diners unfamiliar or unsure about eating with no utensils. The friendly waiters will teach you how to eat with your fingers.

Sunda is open every day for breakfast, lunch, dinner and late supper.

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A wide selection of dim sum.

Pompeo pal Brian Bulatao is confirmed

Under Secretary at the State Department Brian Bulatao, who was a guest of honor at the Philippine Independence Day celebration at Washington’s Kennedy Center, is the Under Secretary of State for Management. He was confirmed by the U.S. Senate in May, making him the highest ranking Filipino American in the State Department and one of six under secretaries considered close advisers to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

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y dad was an immigrant from the Philippines and my mother’s parents immigrated from Greece and from Poland,” he said in a statement to the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations during his confirmation hearing. “They came to this country in search of the American Dream.”

He said his parents, Agapito and Brenda Bulatao, encouraged him to pursue “all the opportunity this country affords.”

Bulatao grew up in a small rural town in north central Pennsylvania and studied in the 1980s at West Point. It was while studying to be a soldier that sparked his “enthusiasm for public service.”

After West Point, he served as an activeduty Infantry officer for seven years, deployed during Operation Just Cause in Panama, and Operations Desert Storm and Desert Shield in Iraq. After serving as an airborne Ranger, he went to Harvard Business School and joined the consulting firm McKinsey and Company on graduating.

‘My parents came to this country in search of the American Dream.’ Photo: State Department

||Friend of Mike Pompeo At West Point, he became friends with a classmate named Mike Pompeo. It was that enduring friendship that brought them and other “trusted West Point” friends to co-found Thayer Aerospace in Wichita, Kansas, a company that started small and later grew to become a maker of structural components of aircraft for companies, such as Boeing, Cessna, Gulfstream, and Lockheed-Martin.

Pompeo, a former congressman from Kansas, would later join the Trump Administration as director of the Central Intelligence Agency.

When he stepped down to assume the position of State Department Secretary, he plucked Bulatao from the private sector and asked him to join him

Under Secretary Bulatao commends the people-to-people relations between the U.S. and the Philippines during the Independence Day celebration at Kennedy Center.

Photo: US Philippines Society at the CIA as the Chief Operating Officer.

As recounted in his column by Philippine Ambassador to the U.S. Jose Manuel ‘Babe’ Romualdez, who knows Bulatao, “It’s obvious that they have remained close because one of the first things that Mike Pompeo did when he became Central Intelligence Agency Director

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in January last year is to bring along Brian Bulatao, first as a senior adviser and then as chief operating officer.”

Bulatao recalled how applying his management experiences at the CIA “energized” him. He joined the CIA at a time when it was undergoing its own reorganization.

“We focused on empowering the workforce and driving excellence across every process, even the most bureaucratic. We developed innovative technologies to better support our officers in the field and to modernize and strengthen our cyber security across the organization,” he told the Senate committee where he pledged to modernize the State Department and its organization of 12 bureaus and 76,000 personnel if confirmed.

“The Filipino American community is very proud of Brian and his accomplishments,” said Romualdez. “People like him are a source of pride for FilAms because they help reinforce the positive image of Filipinos in the U.S.” – Cristina DC Pastor

Connie Montoya named among Best Lawyers of Color

By Cristina DC Pastor

Connie Montoya, a Partner at Hinshaw & Culbertson, was recently named one of the Nation’s Best Lawyers of Color, an award given to attorneys with at least 10 years’ experience.

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he recognition was a very pleasant surprise because I understand that Lawyers of Color researches the profiles and backgrounds of diverse lawyers on their own. Perhaps my work not only with the Asian American bar associations but also with the National Association of Women Lawyers and The LGBT Bar Association of Greater New York further enhanced my profile as a diverse attorney. “ The former president of the Filipino American Lawyers Association in New York or FALA-NY, Connie took up law at age 30. Her overprotective father, who was a corporate litigator in the Philippines, did not want her to be a lawyer in the U.S. because, he had warned, “you’re a woman, you’re not white, you’ll get into debt.”

In 2000, she graduated from the Brooklyn Law School and was thrust immediately into public service as a corporation counsel for the City of New York. She handled federal litigation, defending police officers, correction officers, and city employees being sued for civil rights violations.

“That’s where I got my training and experience. It was like trial by fire. It taught me everything I know,” she said.

At Hinshaw, ranked among the “top 100 firms for minority attorneys,” she is a member of the Diversity Committee. “I came of age as a lawyer when diversity was being embraced both in Corporate America and in law practice. In my firm, diversity mattered, and so it helped me,” she said.

Connie is the first Filipina American and out LGBT to serve on the board of the National Association of Women Lawyers, the oldest bar association for female attorneys in the United States having roots since 1899 and whose members include luminaries of the profession. She is also the first Filipina American to serve on the Board of The LGBT Bar Association of Greater New York.

“I love how I am able to raise the visibility of the many communities I represent by embracing my diverse identities,” Connie noted. “Having these multiple

facets that inform who I am, I’d like to think that I am better able to give a voice to those who are not normally part of the conversation or whose experiences are vaguely recognized.”

Besides her involvement with bar organizations, Connie – an experienced trial attorney -- has a growing practice in employment litigation and counseling and class action defense.

“Even when dealing with my clients, I always analyze their options from multiple perspectives in order to arrive at a result that serve and protect them best,” she said.

Montoya, an LGBT lawyer: ‘Time to emerge from the shadows.’

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Her father had warned her against becoming a lawyer because she is a ‘woman, not white, and will get into debt.’

|| The founding of FALA New York

Connie and nine other lawyers, would meet monthly for dinners at rotating Filipino restaurants, until they formally organized FALA New York. The members cover a wide range of professionals in private practice and in government, and they are “among the best,” she said.

“We are judges, educators, government employees and officials, corporate attorneys, in-house counsel, law firm partners, solo practitioners, trial lawyers, and international attorneys,” said Connie in a 2016 speech during the group’s induction of officers held at the New York City Bar Association building.

“It’s time that the FilAm community know who their lawyers are,” she declared. With that, she vowed that FALA New York members will bring their knowledge, skills, and experience to the community.

She stressed how FilAm lawyers are talented people, who need to articulate who they are and what they stand for. She said, “We’re united by culture, by heritage and by our common commitment to the Filipino American community.”

Chelle Lhuillier is one of LGBTQ Ambassadors for N.Y. Trans activist Chelle Lhuillier was named one of New York’s WorldPride 2019 Ambassadors, a search marking the 50th year since the Stonewall riots. She is the only Asian among the ambassadors, whom Gov. Andrew Cuomo congratulated for “leading the way for LGBTQ rights and showing others around the world what makes New York State so special."

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In her video, Chelle speaks about ‘equality for everyone.’

o much pride and honor yet a very humbling moment to be the only Asian Filipino who made it to the Finals and proclaimed one among the chosen winners of this huge competition,” wrote Chelle on her Facebook page. “By passing GENDA (Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act) and same-sex marriage we have proved to the world that we can make it. And we can provide equality for everyone.”

LGBTQ New Yorkers from across the state were encouraged to submit a video describing why they are proud of their municipality and state, and what in their town and region they would want to show off to LGBTQ visitors.

From Buffalo to the Adirondacks to Queens, the WorldPride Ambassadors demonstrate that LGBTQ communities are everywhere in New York State. The WorldPride Ambassadors are Angelique Piwinski, Ari Moore, Audrey De Jesus, Cecilia Gentili, Chelle Lhuillier, Drew Schiff, Judith Kasen-Windsor, Kelly Metzgar, Mohamed Q. Amin, Taylor, and Trenor Wilkins.

Chelle is the face of LGBTQ advocacy in the Filipino American community. She is a volunteer for the Human Rights Campaign of Greater New York. She spoke at a protest rally in front of the Philippine Consulate condemning the killing of transgender Filipina Jennifer Laude in Olongapo

City. U.S. Marine Private First Class Joseph Scott Pemberton from Bedford, Massachusetts was found guilty of homicide and is being held in Camp Aguinaldo In 2014, Chelle spoke to The FilAm about the perils facing a trans woman who is out to meet a stranger on a date.

“It’s hard,” she said with pain in her voice as she recalled the story of her friend who almost lost her life during a sexual encounter. “She did not divulge her true identity and she got beaten up with a beer bottle. I got a call from her asking to bring her to the ICU. It’s terrible.”

With Gov. Andrew Cuomo in 2018.

There are statements, both subtle and direct, that one can use, said Chelle. “You can say, ‘I am while conceding the Justice for Jennifer Laude not a genetic girl’ or ‘I am the best of both worlds.’ campaign has catapulted her in the public eye.

The man, if he is enlightened or educated, will Being called “activist” makes her uncomfortable, understand.” Unfortunately, she added, not all she said. men are open and accepting of diversity. Some, She has a degree in Biology from Far Eastern even after being told the truth, will get back at the University and some Master in Education credits trans woman, insisting he’s been “fooled.” from Philippine Normal University. She taught Chelle has truly transformed. A regular at Biology at O.B. Montessori in Greenhills before glamorous, Gatsby-esque charity balls and coming to the U.S. in 2003. fundraising galas, she is now lending her a voice She said her friends who knew her when she was in the campaign for gay rights in the Philippines working as a school teacher in Manila are proud and New York. In Manila, she supports an of her. “They’re so proud of me and they support organization that provides a home for aging gays. me,” she said. “They are used to seeing me She has given them financial donations, she said. glamorous at social events and fashion shows, but “I was already an advocate for gender equality they know I have a strong personality and I have even before (Jennifer Laude’s death),” she said, leadership.” – With Cristina DC Pastor

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Geena Rocero is Playboy’s

1st trans Asian Playmate Trans model and activist Geena Rocero will appear in an upcoming issue of Playboy magazine, the first trans Asian Pacific Islander to become a Playmate.

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n a statement to Out magazine, Rocero says, “As the First Trans Asian Pacific Islander Playmate, I feel that I’m making it possible for someone to reach for their biggest dreams just like the people who came before me…I am more inspired to unapologetically proclaim how proud I am of being a trans woman of color and an immigrant.”

For Rocero, who announced in 2014 she was a transgender model, ‘coming out’ appeared to have occurred in stages, one exhilarating episode at a time.

The first time was at age 15 when she won a beauty pageant in the Philippines, then at 19 when she underwent a reassignment surgery in Thailand. That surgery would pave the way for her to acquire a San Francisco driver’s license identifying her as Female with the name Geena spelled “with a double E” as in the actress Geena Davis.

“I remember looking at my California driver’s license,” Geena told a TED Talks presentation where she came out. “That was a powerful moment.”

The Philippine-born Geena came to New York in 2005 to fulfill her dream of becoming a top model.

She modeled for companies like Hanes, Target, Macy’s and Rimmel Cosmetics. She came out yet again before her NYC friends and colleagues, including her agent.

Under contract with Next Model Management, Geena said she came out because she’d like to lend her voice “to help others live their truths.”

Although she came to an early realization, at age 5, that she may

be more ‘girl’ than ‘boy,’ it would be at age 15 when she joined her first beauty pageant on the goading of a woman who promised to take care of her registration fee and gowns.

Geena won Best in Swimsuit and Best in Long Gown in addition to placing 2nd runner-up among 40-plus candidates in a Philippine province.

She would join more beauty contests wherever they were held – in the back of a truck or at a pavement near the rice fields — and found herself enjoying all attention and to a certain extent the validation of a long-held dream.

It was when she achieved success as a model that she decided to open up fully about her true gender

Rocero came out as transgender through TED Talks.

The Out Magazine announcement. A ‘pinch-me-moment.’

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identity. The death of Islan Nettles, a transgender woman from Harlem who was beaten to death and whose alleged attacker did not face charges, moved Geena to advocate for transgender individuals who face constant threats of hate and violence.

“Our suicide rate is nine times higher than the general population,” she said. Hate, she declared, ended Nettles’s life.

She said being a Playboy Playmate is “another moment that I will never forget.”

“I will always know that expressing my unapologetic love for my self, my body, my vulnerability, my journey, my dreams and my hustle is my ultimate power,” she wrote on Instagram. “I remember seeing Caroline Cossey on the cover of Playboy, I told myself that one day I want to be like her.” – Cristina DC Pastor

COVER STORY

Cherry Marmes Smyth: Mother of Brady and KIDS Philippines

By Danielle Vania Bonus

Throughout the world, we’ve come to know the Philippines as a wonderful travel destination where the locals are accommodating, friendly and its beaches come second to none.

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et with the influx of tourists contributing to the Philippine economy, the country still struggles to increase the standard of living in terms of income, health care and education.

With a heart for children, Cherry Marmes Smyth, former Mrs. Philippines America, set off on a mission to create KIDS Philippines, also known as KPI, a 501 (c) (3) non-profit charity which focuses on increasing access to education, health care and other critical resources for elementary school children.

The idea revealed itself to Cherry during her reign as Mrs. Philippines America 2013 where she set off on a humanitarian mission to her hometown in Mindanao. Not too long after her arrival, Cherry -- and her husband, Pete Smyth, a Senior Budget Analyst for Electric Boat Corp. in Groton, Connecticut -- saw a serious need to get children in school. Their hearts moved, they both decided to fund 20 public school students in Cherry’s hometown in Tubod called Barangay Poblacion, in the province of Lanao del Norte. The couple helped deserving children with educational needs such as tuition, school uniforms, school supplies and any other student fees.

Based on the 2017 Annual Poverty Indicators Survey (APIS) 9 percent

Cherry and Pete met in 2005 and wed the following year.

‘Wonderfully supportive husband.’ and eventually into the Visayas. With KPI’s other active chapters in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New York and New Jersey, Cherry has a lot on her plate. Thankfully, the diligence in her work is something she prides herself in and her passion continues to Pete and Brady attend a PACCAL gala where Cherry move her forward. was one of the honorees. Photo by Magic DJ As if Cherry didn’t have Entertainment. enough going on in her life, she also manages her of children and youth (3.53 out of in-house boutique, CMS Collections.

39.2 million) in the Philippines The former beauty queen loves from ages 6-24 were not attending clothing and has accumulated a school. KIDS Philippines believes it glamorous collection of dresses that has a chance to lower that rate with she keeps in her basement and sells its expansion into the Luzon region them at an affordable price.

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Throughout the KPI effort, Cherry’s husband has been wonderfully supportive and dedicates his time to the cause as the KPI Treasurer. He also organizes the Annual KIDS Philippines Charity Golf Tournament in Connecticut.

This is a major fund-raising event for KPI and will be held on July 20, 2019 at Pequot Golf Club, Stonington.

KPI’s headquarters is in CT which neighbors the states the other chapters are in, also making the Smyth residence a close distance to their other chapters. Together, they work beautifully as a team.

Their journey as a couple started as an online connection back in 2005. Pete courageously flew to the Philippines after only knowing Cherry for a short while. Pete instantaneously knew he was in love

and married Cherry in 2006. On June 17, 2018, Cherry gave birth to her first son, Brady. She has now devoted her life to be a super mom, caring for Brady, KPI and other ventures. Though, her main focus is to raise Brady as a loving and generous person. Brady recently celebrated his first birthday by sponsoring a feeding program under his name as his birthday gift to the children of Cherry’s hometown in Tubod. The mission is set to launch on December 10 and go throughout Christmas and New Year’s Eve. He’ll be travelling with mommy and daddy for the first time to the Philippines this December to see his parents’ birthday wish for him come true.

If you would like to contribute to KIDS Philippines, their “Sponsor the Kids” program is an annual donation of $120 that allows KPI to assist other kids in need throughout the whole year. Any amount is welcome; visit the KPI website at www.kidsphilippines.org.

Children from Sergio Mata Elementary School in Tubod, Lanao del Norte receive their backpacks and school supplies.

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||July 14

Calendar

of Events

||September 14

7th Annual Summer Potluck Picnic for Young FilAm Families Contact info@filschool-nynj.org or call 774.257.4669 for location

KZ Tandingan: Supreme the World Tour Melrose Ballroom, Long Island City, Queens

||July 14-21

||September 21

Very Important Pinoy/2019 Ambassadors Tour

9th Annual All About Downtown Jersey City Street Fair Grove PATH Plaza 319 Grove St, Jersey City

||July 15

Cruises, Boats, & Yacht Parties Sailing around downtown harbor right by the Brooklyn Bridge, The Statue of Liberty, etc. www.NYCDailyEvents.com

||September 23 ||September 8

2019 Outstanding Foreign Workers Awards Night Astoria World Manor 25-22 Astoria Blvd., Queens

||July 15

Philippine Landscapes and Waterfalls: Raul Tangco Photography Philippine Center 556 Fifth Avenue, NYC

||July 25

Diane Paragas’s ‘Yellow Rose’ to open the Asian American International Film Festival Asia Society

||July 28

1¢ Days at the Museum American Museum of Natural History Central Park West & 79th St., NYC

||August 3

I Love Rock n' Roll: Music Under the Stars | West Point Band Trophy Point Amphitheater, 117 Washington Rd. West Point, N.Y.

||October 11

Medicare For All & Its Competitors: Comparing Democratic Plans The Murphy Institute - CUNY School of Labor & Urban Studies 25 West 43rd St., 18th floor, NYC

||October 12

||July 21,

12:30 p.m.

Ilocano Gala 2019 Leonard's Palazzo 555 Northern Blvd, Great Neck, New York

San Gennaro Feast Little Italy

Create Your Own Social Media Filter Pioneer Works 159 Pioneer St, Brooklyn

||August 18

||October 26

Super Tekla and Donita Nose in ‘Laughing all the way to the USA concert’ Granby Theater Norfolk, Virginia

9th TOFA Awards Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall 154 W 57th St, NYC

||November 2

||August 30 – September 2

UP Alumni Association of DC, MD, VA Sapphire Ball Fairview Park Marriott Hotel & Conference Center, 3111 Fairview Park Dr, Falls Church, Virginia 22042

20th Grand Reunion and Convention, University of the Philippines Alumni Association in America, Inc. Crowne Plaza Hotel at San Francisco Airport, Burlingame, California

||September 3 to October 20

Maia Cruz Palileo solo show Katzen Arts Center at American University 4400 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C.

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||2020 ||September 14 JCI Queens 6th Annual Bayanihan Festival Queens, NYC

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July 1 Filipino American National Historical Society Metro NY Chapter National Conference Waikiki Marriott Beach Resort & Spa, Hawaii

Summa cum laude grad from Fordham honors his family One of about 30 graduates who marched down Kalayaan Hall on June 8 during the 7th Philippine Graduation ceremony (PGrad) was Jonathan Coronel, who was awarded summa cum laude by Fordham University.

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oronel, who graduated with a degree in Global Finance and Business Economics, shared before fellow graduates his struggles as a transfer student from Ateneo de Manila University coming to Fordham. “For all the times when you feel like you don’t belong here, remind yourself of this day when you emerged victorious.

It’s only going to get tougher from here but I look forward to seeing all of you again and share new chapters of our stories of survival,” he said in his remarks.

His “tale of survival” he wrote about on Facebook. “My story is for the people behind me who have worked tirelessly to make this dream a reality. To my parents who gave up everything they had for my education, to my four younger siblings who had to live far less beyond what they deserve… and to all people who walked with me along this journey, this story of survival is yours.”

This year’s academic achievers were led by two summa cum laude economics graduates, Coronel and Gabrielle Magallanes from St. John’s University. They were joined by magna cum laude graduates Jason Louie Singson (BA in Education, City College of New York) and Iris Dumaual (BA in English, St. John’s University); and cum laude graduate Blizelle Marie Tormis (BSBA in Health Services Management, Berkeley College).

Consul General Claro Cristobal welcomed the PGrad Class of 2019 and honored their scholastic achievements in various fields ranging from business, finance, economics to medical, law, social sciences, education and technology. He expressed how proud he was of the accomplishments of these graduates in raising the image of Filipinos in the U.S. northeast.

Engr. Gil Quiniones, president and CEO of New York Power Authority, delivered the keynote address. He related his journey as a mechanical engineering graduate from De La Salle University in Manila starting out at a small energy consultant firm in New York, working at Con Edison for 16

Jonathan Coronel graduated with a degree in Global Finance and Business Economics. Facebook photo

years, and later on serving in several capacities in the public sector, telecommunications and energy industry in New York. He reminded the graduates that in whatever path they take, they need to stick to their principles, continue to innovate, and remember that “the ultimate measure of success is not the titles that you have, but what you do with those positions to make a difference in your community.”

The graduates were awarded with PGrad diplomas and medals by Consul General Cristobal and Quiniones and certificates of merit from the Office of New York State Assemblyman Brian Barnwell.

Aries dela Cruz, Manhattan Regional Representative for Governor Andrew Cuomo, presented the Northern Star Award to Coronel on behalf of the governor.

For this year’s PGrad, the Philippine Consulate has introduced a mentoring program to connect the graduates with prospective mentors who are experts in the graduates’ chosen fields. Cristobal expressed hope that the one-year mentoring partnership would not just help the graduates enhance their skills and boost their careers but also strengthen their community engagement.

PGrad 2019 with Consul General Claro Cristobal, New York Power Authority President and CEO Gil Quiniones, and speakers. Photo: Philippine Consulate THE FILAM |

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A Mother’s Day tribute at Musikalye concert

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apusong Pinoy Studio 7 Musikalye sa Brooklyn was one spectacular variety show with high-energy dance numbers, powerhouse vocal performances, and one heartfelt segment honoring Filipino mothers.

The Kapuso stars took the opportunity to celebrate Mother’s Day by serenading three outstanding mothers.

Cora Reyes, Menchu de Luna and Joyce Andes-Davis came on stage and received flowers from the performers.

The stars also dedicated song numbers to five community leaders who represented their organizations – Helen Kwong of CEBU, Inc., Theia delos Santos of Filipino Intercollegiate Networking Dialogue (FIND, Inc.), Eddie Manongsong of FALConn (Filipino Amateur League in Connecticut), Dulce Barangan of Ilocano American Association, Inc. (IAAI), and Fely Perez of Philippine Heritage Center. In this special segment, the Kapuso female artists wore elegant gowns designed by RC With a rose and a song, Kapuso stars serenade the Caylan, who is based in Michigan. community’s famous moms Cora Reyes, Menchu de Luna It was a lively evening that began with rondalla Sanchez, and Joyce Andes David. music — courtesy of Filipino Arts and Music Ensemble (FAME) — greeting guests arriving at Kings “We’re very fortunate dahil nadala namin yung Theatre in Brooklyn. saya ng Studio 7 sa international stage. Hopefully, Sinulog, a ritual prayer-dance honoring the Santo marami pang shows na dumating para mas marami Nino, was performed by Tribu Cebuano as the opening pa kaming mapasayang Kapuso abroad,” echoed act. A skit presentation by MUFACEA, a student group Julie Anne San Jose. Rayver Cruz, who joined his from Montclair State University and William Paterson first international roadshow as a Kapuso artist, University in New Jersey quickly followed. said, “Masaya kami na nakapagbigay kami ng The Studio 7 squad comprising GMA Network’s stellar ligaya dito sa Brooklyn.” Thankful for the opporperformers expressed their gratitude for making the first tunity to entertain Filipinos in the U.S., Kyline international Musikalye a “huge success.” Said singer Alcantara said, “Sobrang saya makasama ang mga Christian Bautista, “Thank you so much for spending Kapuso natin sa New York at hopefully, makasama time with us.” ko ulit sila soon.”

“Kahit nasa ibang panig man kami ng mundo, hindi nawawala ang mainit na pagtanggap ng mga Pilipino,” said singer Golden Cañedo, who is the first winner of reality show The Clash. One of the crowd favorites, comedian Betong Sumaya, said he was grateful to back in NYC for Musikalye.

“Amazing thanks sa inyong suporta, sa mainit ninyong pagtanggap, at sana po tuluy-tuloy lang po ang inyong pagsuporta.” Actor Alden Richards also shared how the moms he met during the concert made him feel sentimental in time for the Mother’s Day celebration.

From the community, Atty. Dulce Barangan of the Ilocano Association said she was pleased to see a show that recognized FilAm leaders. “Maganda, it was fun, well-attended, masasaya at magagaling silang lahat.” Lawyer Elizabeth Cueva said she enjoyed the concert. “It’s first-rate, I like it, it’s total entertainment.”

“We are glad to have brought the ultimate music tambayan experience of Studio 7 to New York,” said GMA First Vice President and Head of International Operations Joseph T. Francia. “It affirms our mission to bring our Kapuso abroad feel closer to home and provide them with great entertainment they deserve from no less than some of the network’s multi-talented performers.”

Musikalye sa Brooklyn was presented by GMA Pinoy TV in coordination with GMA Entertainment Group, under the supervision of Vice President for Business Development and Department III Darling de Jesus-Bodegon. The concert was directed by Mark A. Reyes V and in association with Synergy Production & Marketing Inc. headed by Grace Labaguis. – GMA Pinoy TV

PAL is Most Improved Airline in 2019: Skytrax

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hilippine Airlines (PAL), Asia’s first airline, won the 'World’s Most Improved Airline Award' for 2019, as the carrier that achieved the biggest leap in product and service quality among a survey of over 350 airlines worldwide.

The award was conferred by the global air transport rating organization Skytrax during the 2019 World Airline Awards held at the Paris Air Show on June 18 in the Musée de l'Air et de l' Espace, Paris Le Bourget Airport, France.

Skytrax also revealed that PAL is now ranked as the Top 30 Airline in the world, rising 19 spots from Top 49 in 2018, and a full 60 spots from Top 90 in 2013. PAL is also ranked high in other important categories:

1. Top 10 World's Best Business Class Comfort Amenities 2. Top 10 Best Airline Staff in Asia 3. Top 11 World's Best Cabin Crew 4. Top 11 World's Best Airport Services 5. Top 11 World's Best Premium Economy Class 6. Top 14 World's Best Economy Class THE FILAM |

Skytrax has also re-certified PAL as a 4-Star Global Airline based on comprehensive quality audits performed last December 2018 and January 2019.

The annual World Airline Awards, established by Skytrax in 1999, is internationally recognized as the "Oscars" of the aviation industry to 14

recognize the best-performing airlines. The winners are chosen through an extensive "World Airline Survey" of more than 20 million travelers, encompassing over 100 nationalities and 335 airlines to make up the largest passenger satisfaction survey in the world.

In 2018, Philippine Airlines garnered the first-ever "4-Star Global Airline" rating from Skytrax for a Philippine carrier, along with the "2nd Most Improved Airline" and "Top 30 cleanest cabin" awards from Skytrax.

These accolades were the result of the flag carrier's comprehensive top to bottom enhancements of aircraft, product and overall services across key performance areas. -- Philippine Airlines

Lourds Lane creates ‘SuperYou’ musical to empower women Renowned for its musicals, theatre, and artistic performances, New York City has once again added to its multicultural repertoire with “SuperYou the Musical,” which premiered on April 22 at The Players Club in Gramercy Park.

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reated by Filipino American Lourds TED Talks. “Two things made me comLane — who was raised by a Filipino pletely safe: music and my lola.” mother of modest means — the goal According to her website, Lourds of the musical is to empower women spent many years as the lead singer to rediscover their inner superheroes and songwriter of her own touring rock and to use those powers to create the world they band. With her kind of stage energy, envision. With inspirational songs like “Don’t she is known to jump on a table to belt Wait Create,” “I will Start the Fire Now,” and “We out vocals or wail on her electric violin. are Awake,” the musical is the journey of a female She had the distinct honor of being the comic book artist, who reignites the superhero in opening and closing speaker/performer her by encountering her superheroine creations. at the inaugural Forbes Women’s Summit With Vice Consul Tanya Faye Ramiro (center) and publicist Beatrice Huffington Post has described the musical as “a in 2013 where she galvanized Fortune 500 Kimmel, who is also FilAm. Broadway-bound game-changer…Finally, there is women executives to become a stand for a happy ending that shows girls how to fall in love service and community. “Lourds is thrilled with themselves.”

Also on the advisory board are sports icons, Olympito be writing the official musical anthem, as A Harvard honors graduate and classically ads, and Hall of Famers, including Jackie Joyner-Kersee, well as be invited onto the advisory board of The trained musician, Lourds Lane created “SuperYou Nancy Kerrigan, Nadia Comaneci, Bart Conner, Donna Aurora Games, the inaugural all-female Olympics the Musical” as an offshoot of her non-profit in 2019.” de Varona, Shannon Miller, and Chrissie Evert. organization, The SuperYouFUNdation, which she founded in 2013. Putting “fun” in this foundation is the SuperYou Curriculum, which “uses the language of superheroes” to inspire children to make a difference in their communities. The organization has been working with UNESCO to incorporate the program into its global curriculum.

Lourds, a two-time TED speaker, introduced herself to audiences as a musically gifted girl who grew up in a small house in Jamaica, Queens “where there was a lot of fighting and screaming.”

“Music created a perfect world that I could control and where I felt safe,” she said.

At age 3, she began playing classical violin and the piano, she said, and was regularly playing in front of large audiences before she was 7 years old.

“Back then since I was a prodigy child it was a totally big deal to my Filipino mom that the turbulence in my house remains in the house,” she said.

Aside from music, her grandmother had a profound influence on her life.

“My lola was my very best friend. She would watch me practice (playing instruments) for hours and I would watch her crochet a blanket Singing from the musical: ‘We have a voice, we have a choice.’ she was making especially for me,” she said at

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Brown U scholars research HIV stigma, other Filipino health issues A team of faculty and student scholars from the Brown University School of Public Health in Providence, Rhode Island, has launched a new initiative that will centralize research focused on improving health outcomes among Filipinos and Filipino Americans.

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he Philippine Health Initiative for Research, Service and Training will bring together the work of researchers from across the School of Public Health along with the University’s Warren Alpert Medical School and Global Health Initiative.

The initiative offers an opportunity to reinforce and expand upon a range of collaborative, communitybased work around Filipino health already underway at Brown, said Jennifer Nazareno, an assistant professor of behavioral and social sciences.

Historically, public health research about the Philippines and Filipinos has been marginalized, she said, or combined with research about other Asian populations — despite the fact that Filipinos comprise the second largest Asian American group in the United States.

“This is the perfect opportunity to highlight and underscore emerging research at Brown about a population that has not been historically centered in conversations about public health,” said Nazareno, a faculty director for the initiative. “This initiative will enable us to better exchange ideas about what we’ve learned in our respective research, which will in turn generate more work, more ideas, more collaboration and more visibility.”

The new Brown initiative builds on an already established partnership with University of the Philippines in Manila — funded by a National Institutes of Health grant — that has enabled frequent research collaboration between the two institutions, as well as with community partners in the Philippines. Much of the initiative’s research will center on the intersection of social science, policy and public health. Nazareno’s research focuses on the experiences and health outcomes of Filipino women healthcare workers who make up a large part of America’s nursing and long-term care work force. Her work also examines how immigrant Filipino women nurses built health and long-term care businesses as early as the 1970s.

The Philippine Health Initiative for Research, Service and Training was organized by Master of Public Health student Alexander Adia (left), shown here with Don Operario, a professor and associate dean for academic affairs at Brown University’s School of Public Health. Photo by David DelPoio/Brown University Don Operario, a professor and associate dean for academic affairs at the School of Public Health, will also serve as a faculty director. Other researchers involved in the initiative include Susan Cu-Uvin, the director of Brown’s Global Health Initiative, who with Operario, leads the Brown University and University of the Philippines Training Program for the Prevention of HIV in Vulnerable Populations; and Arjee Restar, a doctoral candidate in the School of Public Health who conducts research on how the HIV epidemic is impacting LGBTQ residents in the Philippines.

Though the initiative will be led by faculty, its creation was spearheaded by public health master’s student Alexander Adia, who worked closely with each of the researchers during a study on HIV stigma and discrimination in the Philippines. They examined health inequities facing Filipinos, particularly as they relate to HIV in the island nation, which faces the fastest growing HIV epidemic in the Asia Pacific region.

“There was this critical mass of research and researchers at Brown all interested in the Philippines in ways that intersected with one another,” Adia said. “I thought it would make sense

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to provide a central hub for all this work being done by Filipino-facing scholars at the School of Public Health that would also signal-boost other efforts across the United States and in the Philippines.”

The initiative celebrated its official launch at an event on April 22, but the robust collaboration it formalizes is already well underway. During the 2018-19 academic year alone Adia, Nazareno, Operario and Restar partnered with colleagues at the University of the Philippines on research ranging from HIV disclosure in the workplace and legal protections for Filipinos with HIV to the structural barriers that reduce access to contraceptives in the nation.

“The ultimate goal of these research projects is to help the people we are doing the research for and with,” said Adia, who recently received Brown’s annual master’s degree student award for outstanding academic accomplishment. “These projects would not be possible or relevant without the integration of community voices and goals, without really listening to people and community-based organizations in the Philippines.” — Brown University

New York’s legendary Madison Avenue, filled with the vibrant colors of the Philippines.

Celebrating Independence on Madison Avenue

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The NYPD’s Mounted Unit.

nce again, Madison Avenue experienced the color, cacophony, and culinary aroma of the Philippine Independence Day parade. Photographer Boyet Loverita made sure he captured much of the celebration through the images. The June 2 festival began with a morning flag ceremony, led by Ambassador Jose Manuel Romualdez, Consul General Claro Cristobal, and leaders of the organizing Philippine Independence Day Council, Inc. It featured a parade with spirited dancers and school bands, a street fair selling halo-halo and barbecue, and a musical program. It ended at sundown with Filipino Americans walking to their trains and buses pleased to have reconnected with their culture even if only for one day.

Same time, next year?

Organizations walk proudly with their banners.

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Graceful and colorful dancers from Cebu.

Consular officers and staff, led by the consul general’s wife Marilou Medina-Cristobal (in red shirt), do the happy jump.

Who is Justin Amash and why is he calling for impeachment?

By Ludy Astraquillo Ongkeko, Ph.D.

Arab American Amash has earned both respect and rebuke for his comments against Trump.

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tanding out as the sole Republican who has called for the impeachment of Donald Trump is 36-year-old Arab American Congressman Justin Amash from Michigan. He underscored to his supporters that Congress has a duty to “keep the president in check, regardless of their political affiliation.”

“I’ll do it whether it was a Republican president or Democratic president,” he told his supporters. “You elected me to represent all of you…I think we owe

it to the American people to represent them, to ensure that the people we have in office are doing the right thing, are of good character and aren’t violating the public trust.”

As a consequence of his action, Amash, known as a pillar of the House Freedom Caucus, quit the conservative organization after some members voted to “condemn” him for his comments. He insisted the decision to step down was voluntary.

Amash stressed how he has read the entire special counsel report by Robert Mueller and became convinced Trump engaged in “impeachable conduct.” He challenged his colleagues to read the report cover to cover.

Another strong statement from Amash accused Attorney General William Barr of “deliberately misrepresenting” the findings of the Mueller report concerning Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Although the Mueller findings did not establish that Trump’s campaign conspired with the

Russian government, Amash maintained Trump should be subject to an independent investigation.

He is expected to face a well-funded primary challenge from Michigan State Representative, James Lower who must have seen a possible political fallout from Amash’s impeachment comments.

Amash was born in Grand Rapids to Arab-Christian parents. Published reports state that his father is Palestinian Christian and his mother a Syrian Christian. They came to the U.S. in the 1970s. He received his bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Michigan and his juris doctor from the University of Michigan Law School. According to his website, he worked for his family’s business – an industrial tool company founded by his father — before he became a politician.

He was the corporate lawyer. He and his wife Kara, a former elementary school teacher, have three children. As a congressman, he is known for having

an exceptional attendance record.

The reactions to Amash’s comments have earned him both respect and rebuke from the public and the Republican Party.

Some have praised him for “doing his job and staying true to what he was elected to do, to uphold the oath of his office.” Still others thanked him for “having the courage some of his colleagues lack.”

On the opposite side, some of his party mates have criticized him for his remarks. Foremost among them was Trump himself who called Amash “a loser” and a “total lightweight.” Others said the man “wants attention” and nothing more.

As a member of Congress, he is known for having an independent mind who has crossed party lines when voting.

While he may be the first Republican to call for an independent investigation of Trump, he believes he won’t be the last.

The T Visa and why Filipinos got the most number in 2017

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Visa Human trafficking, also known as trafficking in persons, is a form of modern-day slavery in which traffickers use force, fraud, or coercion to compel individuals to provide labor or services, including commercial sex. Traffickers often take advantage of vulnerable individuals, including those lacking lawful immigration status.

The T visa allows certain victims of human trafficking and their immediate family members to remain and work temporarily in the U.S., typically if they agree to assist law enforcement by testifying against the perpetrators.

While relatively few T visas are issued, this visa is important to the Asian American community. In 2017, the majority of T visa recipients (246 individuals, 52 percent) were from Asian countries. The Philippines alone accounted for 40 percent of the global total of T visas issued in 2017, and India 5 percent.

A large portion of the Filipino nationals who received T visas were victims of labor trafficking. According to a United Nations study, Filipino workers are usually trafficked through illegal recruitment in which they pay high fees for the promise of nonexistent jobs or jobs that pay less than those promised. According to a Polaris report, Filipino workers on temporary nonimmigrant visas have the second-highest rates of human trafficking after Mexicans.

The Philippines recently was removed from the list of countries eligible for H-2 visas due to high rates of visa overstays and labor trafficking.

The Department of Homeland Security reported that the embassy in the Philippines issues the highest number of derivative visas for spouses and children of people granted trafficking visas. “The Trafficking Victims Protections Act was passed to encourage trafficking victims and survivors to come out of the shadows and report THE FILAM |

the crimes committed against them,” said Christopher M. Lapinig, a staff attorney in impact litigation at Asian Americans Advancing Justice—Los Angeles, which provides immigration and litigation services to victims of labor trafficking.

“The reasons that the Trump administration has offered for removing the Philippines from the H-2B program are troubling. It effectively penalizes Filipino workers for reporting their human trafficking experiences and threatens to deter workers of all nationalities from doing the same. The removal of the Philippines from the H-2B program runs counter to the goals of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act.” This segment on Trafficking is excerpted from the report “Inside the Numbers: How Immigration Shapes Asian American and Pacific Islander Communities” published by the Asian Americans Advancing Justice. AAJC is an affiliation of five organizations 19

advocating for civil and human rights for Asian Americans. “Over 12 million Asian immigrants and 220,000 Pacific Islander immigrants live in the U.S., yet they are often overlooked in domestic policies and immigration policy,” said Jeffer Giang, Research Analyst at AAJC – Los Angeles. “This report will help policy- and decision makers to better understand the needs and contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in this country.”

Issue 17, July 2019

Brown University is studying PHL health issues p17 PHL breaks record in trafficking visas p19

Photo by Boyet Loverita

Celebrating Independence Day in Manhattan p18