Something I thought was interesting I found in my inbox concerning a protest for Filipino veterans at the Federal Building this afternoon...
I understand there has been some confusion on why there will be protest (given that the recently passed stimulus bill would give our veterans money) so I'm going to share a couple things.
The veteranos have been fighting for the following, for full equity:
1) Recognition from the US Government for their services during WWII
2) Lifetime Pension Benefit
3) Family Reunification
4) Financial support for widows, sons, daughters, and legal heirs of the veteranos
5) Full equity
Although the recently passed stimulus bill is giving Filipino WWII Veterans in the US $15,000 and Filipino WWII Veterans in the Philippines $8,000 there are a couple things we should be critical of:
1) Recognition
- If you read the actual lump sum provision document, it says that the Filipinos from WWII will be compensated for the "human suffering" they endured, NOT for their service to the military. Here, the US government continues to fail to recognize our veteranos and their military service to our country.
2) Lifetime Pension Benefit
- A question you should ask yourself is, why are the Filipinos in the US receiving a different amount of money from the Fil vets in the US? Didn't all of the Filipino veterans serve on the US military in the same capacity? Didn't they ALL risk their lives in WWII? What do you think this says about how our government views Filipinos in the Philippines?
- Depending on where they live, our veterans will receive a lump sum of either $15,000 or $8,000 (after applying for it). If you risked your lives for this country and only received a check of $15,000, how would you feel? Average white American veterans have been receiving a monthly pension since 1946. How would if you feel if your white counterparts from the war have been recognized for their services, treated like heroes, and receive all kinds of benefits while all you receive is a $15,000 check for your trouble, your suffering. Instead of being treated like the valiant heroes they are, this lump sum treats our veteranos like mercenaries. It's like the US government sees them as outside people who fought in support of the US and they should be compensated for their trouble. This lump sum is a complete slap in the face to our community and continues to reflect the racist discrimination of the US government. Our veteranos fought for our country because they believed in its principles of equality and are still proud to be American to this day. However, how can the US be about equality when they treat White WWII veterans one way and Filipino American veterans another? Why does the US resist to recognize them in the same way when their service was the same? If you ask me, this is hypocritical, racist, discriminatory, and INEQUITABLE.
- This lump sum is also a "quit claim"—a provision that indicates that upon acceptance of the lump sum, the veterans SHALL RELEASE future claims including lifetime pension, was kept intact. Therefore, if any of our veterans take this lump sum, IF they were able to gain some benefits like health care assistance or pension in the past, their acceptance of this lump sum will make them ineligible to continue receiving some of their benefits they were able to gain from past advocacy efforts or may be able to gain from future advocacy efforts. How would you feel if you have been fighting for full, lifetime benefits for the past 60 years but received a lump sum instead? AND to add insult to injury, if you were to accept this lump sum, this would make you ineligible to receive any other form of veterans' benefits that you have been receiving or could possibly receive in the future. It's like the US is paying off our veterans.
3) Family Reunification
- Many of our veterans were promised that they will become US citizens if they fought for the US in WWII. However, the passage of the Recission Act of 1946 (under President Franklin Roosevelt) deemed Filipino veterans services as "inactive" and therefore failed to officially recognize our veteranos as United States Veterans. Because of this, our Filipino American WWII veterans could not receive benefits like other recognized veterans and were unable to receive their citizenship. However, since their chances of supporting their family typically seem to be more promising in the United States, many of them have chosen to stay in the US while remitting money back home to the Philippines. Although they should be receiving the care and help from their family as they near death in their old age, they will be unable to petition their families to come to the US because many are not US citizens. Unfortunately, the reality of this situation is that many of our veteranos will die alone and their efforts to come to the US to help their family will go in vain.
4) Financial Support for widows, sons, daughters, and legal heirs
- The lump sum will only be given to the veterans. However, many of our veteranos have died and their families have continued to feel the pain. Therefore, just because the veteran died, does that mean the US government is no longer obliged to recognize them in some capacity? If you think about it, the veterans wanted and needed the financial support so that they can help support their families. Therefore, although the veterans who have passed may not be able to receive the lump sum, the least the US government can do is have a provision where widows or family members can receive the veterans' money to not only help support their families but to do it memory and in honor of their service.
I understand that was ALOT of information but I do want to help clarify some of the questions people may have about why we do not feel the veterans were fully recognized and that the provision for our veterans in the stimulus bill was not a true victory for our community. Although it can be interpreted as a step forward in our fight for TRUE EQUITY, please remember to stay critical of what is given to us and to remain vigilant.
Let's continue to support our veterans and help them fight for full recognition, lifetime benefits, reuniting their families, financial support for widows and their families, and for FULL EQUITY.
Makibaka! Hwag Matakot!
Emily Bautista
Samahang Pilipino President
No comments:
Post a Comment