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White House engages Filipino American leaders
By Jason Tengco On March 14, the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (WHIAAPI) and the White House Office of Public Engagement brought together 175 Filipino American leaders at the White House to discuss key issues of importance to the community. Participants came from diverse sectors of society – non-profits, businesses, government, […]
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His birthday wish is to be reunited with his mother
By Cristina DC Pastor Jose Antonio Vargas is hoping this year will be the year it happens. “I want to see my mother,” he said to me, as we waited for guests to arrive at Jeepney for his 33rd birthday celebration. I was the first at the restaurant. We had a little chat over drinks, […]
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Filipino-run immigrants’ center in Queens fighting to stay open
By Cristina DC Pastor In the last six years, the Bayanihan Filipino Community Center in Queens has been a birthing place for breakout movements, a laboratory for progressive ideas. Today, this community stomping ground in Woodside, adjacent to Krystal’s Bakeshop, is approaching extinction. A fundraiser is being organized to keep it alive. “We face another […]
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Anakbayan NJ commends passage of in-state tuition law in New Jersey
Anakbayan New Jersey hailed the passage on December 20 of the In-State Tuition Bill, which was signed into law by Governor Chris Christie. New Jersey becomes the 16th state where undocumented youth may qualify for in-state tuition rates at colleges and universities. Originally nicknamed the NJ DREAM Act, the bill had initially opened tuition assistance […]
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‘No risk to applying for TPS,’ assures NYC councilman
By Cristina DC Pastor To understand Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and how it would benefit an undocumented immigrant, advocates told the story of a Visayan housekeeper working in the Upper Westside. “Carol” has been employed for 15 years as a domestic helper. Although undocumented, she was able to save enough to give her family in […]
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In the hysteria over TPS, choose lawyers wisely
By Jen Furer “Of course you can apply, but when you’re denied, you can be deported and banned from coming to America for 10-20 years.” These should be the first words immigration lawyers should tell every out-of-status immigrant. In the ongoing hysteria over the issue of Temporary Protected Status, this statement is often left unstated. […]
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The excruciating wait for TPS relief for undocumented Filipinos
By Lorial Crowder As the one month mark has passed since Super Typhoon Haiyan, there has been little word from the Philippine government to grant Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for U.S.-based Filipinos which could provide temporary immigration relief to some 500,000 undocumented Filipino immigrants. The questions have been: Why is President Aquino moving slowly on […]
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Open letter to President Aquino for TPS
By Atty. Rio Guerrero Since Typhoon Haiyan first wrought its devastation on the Philippines over a month ago, Filipinos and people all over the world have rushed to provide relief and recovery to the Filipino people. Here, in the United States, the movement to deliver valuable and lasting humanitarian relief to Filipinos began immediately and […]
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FILAMSPEAK: Can Obama stop deportations? ‘Absolutely,’ say immigration lawyers
By Cristina DC Pastor President Obama has said he can’t, but the immigration reform network believes he can but will not. Stop deportations, that is. A Korean immigrant student raised the challenge to Obama during the president’s recent visit to San Francisco. “I need your help,” yelled Ju Hong who was part of the audience […]