Accents
Immigrants' rays of hope
Oakland, California--Filipinos in American soil weighed down by the overwhelming demands of the new territory need not dwell in misery and confusion. Caught in the vortex of the intimidating air of continental America, the Pinoy immigrant finds relief and welcome in the Filipinos for Affirmative Action, or FAA for short.
Firstly, what is Affirmative Action? The term has been bandied about by a number of minority segments in the United States in pursuit of their goals. Generally, affirmative action refers to public policies and initiatives designed to help eliminate past and present discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. As Mortimer J. Adler pointed out in his Philosophical Dictionary, "All human beings are equal in their humanity." Thus, the absence of bias--opening possibilities to the individual regardless of race, etc.
Based on the foregoing areas, has the Pinoy immigrant been discriminated, or does he feel discriminated in any way? Look no farther for help. Rays of hope shine through the overcast clouds of the U.S. of A. Help is on the way via the FAA.
Filipinos for Affirmative Action was founded in 1973 by a group of Filipinos said to have made it in the United States. Having realized the American Dream for themselves, they wanted to make the same a reality to incoming kababayans. Success, fame, wealth were theirs through hard work, courage and determination, and they wanted it known by their example that the dream was attainable. With the vast possibilities of pursuing the American Dream getting narrower, the FAA is needed more than ever.
The spirit of our Bayanihan culture (Filipinos helping each other) comes vibrant in the FAA vision: a Filipino community with the power to advance social and economic justice, and to realize democratic and human rights for everyone. The vision materializes in the faithful performance of its mission: To build a strong and empowered Filipino community by organizing constituents, developing leaders, providing services, and advocating for policies that promote social and economic justice and equity.
Last week Rudy and I got to sit down with the FAA's Newcomer Counselor Eduardo Valladares in the FAA office in Oakland, California. Ed hails from Bacolod and we all felt very comfortable conversing in our beloved Ilonggo dialect. He explained how the FAA provides "a bayanihan transition for Filipino newcomers to the American setting," to wit:
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Employment Assistance. Newcomers are assisted to be self-reliant in their job search and to stay employed.
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Immigration Assistance. Assistance is provided in filling out forms and following through to successfully hurdle the naturalization process.
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Information and Referral. Newcomers are provided information and referral to help them adjust to life in the U.S.
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Home-buying Information. Informational fairs provide assistance to First-Time Home Buyers to attain their dream of homeownership.
The strong bayanihan spirit permeates into the whole gamut of FAA services as shown by the active/proactive support from the community that makes the FAA thrive. Through volunteerism and donations, the successful Filipino reinvests in the community because of the bounties he/she has received from that community. Thus, says Ed Valladares, the needs of the most vulnerable in the community are addressed by a proliferation of caring individuals.
Ed himself typifies the American Dream realized. He taught at Silliman University's Dept. of Philosophy and Religion after finishing his masteral there. Finding his job inadequate for the family, he migrated to the States in 1989, got a work permit from the United Church of Christ as an outreach worker helping victims of the great earthquake of '89, and moved on from there. His three children have graduated while two are still in college. His wife Lilian, a former schoolteacher, works in the Union Bank of California.
A question we knew was out of the mandates of the FAA, but we asked anyway: Can the FAA help trim down the huge pool of unemployed in the Philippines? Ed says the FAA comes in only once the Pinoy steps into U.S. soil. Lowering the unemployment statistics in the homeland is, of course, the concern of the Philippine government.
The FAA is imbued with the passion to be of service to the kababayans in U.S. terra firma. That passion to serve is greatest in Ed Valladares, designated counselor for the Pinoy newcomer.
(Comments to lagoc@hargray.com)