DNC NOTEBOOK: AAPI participants passionately involve in the political process

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

REP. TULSI GABBARD (Hawaii) did get her moment at the Democratic National Convention when she nominated Sen. Bernie Sanders for President.

RELATED: Tulsi Gabbard thrust into the spotlight

Gibbered was vice chair of the Democratic National Committee and butted heads with chair Debbie Wasserman Shultz, who was forced to resign because of the hacked emails sealed by Wikileaks showed that she was not neutral during the primary campaigns of Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders.

Gabbard resigned her DNC position last February so that she could work on the Sanders campaign and was instrumental in making inroads in the AAPI community on behalf of her candidate.

TODAY, WEDNESDAY

Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, Rep. Judy Chu (Calif.) , is is slated to speak Wednesday, iin the 4 p.m.-6 p.m. EST time period.

In addition, there are meetings, caucuses and networking among the AAPI in attendance in the morning.

HISTORY MAKING 
MAKING Hillary Clinton the presidential nominee was historic and that needs to be celebrated, no matter what your political persuasion.

Another historic event occurred that none of the mainstream media has covered. In the preamble of the Democratic Party's platform, Filipino/American labor organizer Larry Itliong got mentioned. Is this the first time an Asian/American was mentioned in any party's platform?

Written into the preamble:

"And we know that our nation’s long struggle with race is far from over. More than half a century after Rosa Parks sat and Dr. King marched and John Lewis bled, more than half a century after César Chávez, Dolores Huerta, and Larry Itliong organized, race still plays a significant role in determining who gets ahead in America and who gets left behind. We must face that reality and we must fix it."

“There is no question that this platform is the most inclusive of the AAPI community in history,” said Christopher Kang, National Council of Asian Pacific Americans national director.

RELATED: GOP's new Southern Strategy with immigrants in the Willie Horton role

292 AAPI DELEGATES

Diversity was not the official theme during the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, but one can't help but notice how many more people of color are in attendance in comparison to the Republican convention held last week.

Hillary Clinton’s campaign told Fusion that 292 of the 4,766 DNC delegates are Asian American; 2,887- or over half of this year’s delegates are women. African/American men and women account for 1,182 delegates (compared to 18 at the RNC) while 747 are Latinos and 633 are LGBTQ-identified people.

RELATED: Diary of a Clinton Volunteer - Day 1,  

RELATED: Day 2 -Diary of a Clinton Volunteer - Message to Sanders supporters

HEROIC SURVIVOR

IMA MATUL gave a moving presentation of her story of being lured from Indonesia with offers of a job but instead she became a victim of sex trafficking. She credited Hillary Clinton for making human trafficking an issue for the United States. She survived her ordeal and is now an advocated helping other victims of human trafficking.

RELATED: AAPI delegates, electeds, celebrities meet at the DNC

LOBBYING
MEMBERS of KAYA: Filipino Americans for Progress have been in Philadelphia to advocate for “progressive solutions to issues affecting the community” before party organizations, leaders and elected officials attending the convention.

These issues include improving the lives of Filipino World War II veterans, comprehensive and humane immigration reform, affordable health care for all, access to high-quality education and protection of civil rights.

In May, KAYA endorsed former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for president because of her “commitment to the Filipino American community, particularly in her support for equity for Filipino World War II veterans and comprehensive immigration reform,” the group’s press statement said.

“We believe that America can only be stronger together,” said Romeo Ymalay, KAYA national co-chair. “The future of our country will be much brighter if we treat each other with respect, ensure that we lift each other instead of tearing each other down, and give all Americans a seat at the table.”

 MEDIA

Elaine Quijano hosted a CBS segment at the Democratic National Convention.

IT WAS good to see Elaine Quijano given a spot on the CBS schedule. Prior to joining CBS, Quijano was a general assignment reporter for CNN, based in Washington, D.C. where she covered stories involving the White House, the Pentagon, and the Supreme Court. 

Back in 2006, she was CNN's White House correspondent during the George W. Bush administration. The Filipina/American journalist also worked for CNN Newsource, the network's affiliate service, and was part of the round-the-clock coverage of the September 11th terrorist attacks. She subsequently reported from Kuwait City in 2003 before the U.S. invasion of Iraq. Before joining CNN, she was a general assignment reporter for WFTS-TV in Tampa, Florida. She also worked as a reporter for WCIA-TV in Champaign, Illinois. 

Quijano has a degree in journalism from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

REPRESENTING

I LOVE the roll call vote during which each delegation gets a moment to brag about their state. One of my favorites was the 11-member delegation from the NortherN Marianas. They were decked out in flowered crowns and leis. Nine votes went to Sanders and two went to Clinton.

DNC: Rep. Tulsi Gabbard thrust into the spotlight

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard

UPDATED, 4:20 PST to include opening gavel ceremony without Debbie Wasserman Shlultz, chair of the Democratic National Committee.

WHEN the emails from Democratic National Committee chair Debbie Wasserman Shultz became public indicating her favoritism towards Hillary Clinton's candidacy, the spotlight turned to Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii).

Gabbard resigned last February as the vice chair of the Democratic Party and joined the campaign of Sen. Bernie Sanders. Rumors that circulated seemed to infer that she had differences with Wasserman because the DNC chairwoman was not as neutral as the she claimed.

She also felt that limited the candidates to six debates was a disservice to the American public. The Democrats eventually relented on this last topic and scheduled more debates as the primaries remained contested until June.

Because of the email controversy swirling around her, Wasserman announced her intention to resign after the Democrat's convention. When the gavel officially opened the DNCC, the gavel was held by the Mayor of Philadelphia instead of the DNC chair in order to avoid the chorus of boos that was certain to greet her by the delegates in the hall.

The revelations surrounding the leaked Democrat National Committee emails seem to confirm Gabbard's alleged position and the Hawaii congress member was thrust into the spotlight.

Last month, with Sander's concession, the independent-minded Gabbard continued to advocate for reforming the selection process for the Democratic Party.

Gabbard, the first Hindu woman elected to Congress, name was tossed about as possibly becoming chair of the DNC but she quickly quashed that speculation. Even if the position was offered to her, she said she would not accept it.

Since Hawaii's delegate majority went to Sanders in the primaries, it appears that Gabbard will have a highly visible role at the Democratic National Convention that was started this afternoon in Philadelphia.

Senate passes bill to honor Filipino WWII veterans

The 1st and 2nd Filipino Infantry Regiments trained in Eskrima martial art techniques using machetes.

THE U.S. SENATE voted unanimously Wednesday (July 13) to award Congressional Gold Medals to the Filipino and Filipino/American soldiers who fought in World War II. 

Senate Bill 1555 was pushed through by author Sen. Mazie K. Hirono (Hawaii) with 71 co-signers.

“Today, the Senate provided recognition to Filipino World War II veterans for their brave and courageous service to the United States,” said Sen. Hirono after the passage of the bill.

“These veterans were instrumental to an Allied victory in the Pacific theater, but their fight didn’t end with the war. For decades, they have continued to fight for the benefits they have earned and to be reunited with their families in the United States. I thank my Senate colleagues for joining me in recognizing these veterans’ service and sacrifice with the Congressional Gold Medal, one of our nation’s highest civilian honors.”

The House version,  House Resolution 2737, now faces the House of Representatives for approval. It is being championed by Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii with 172 co-sponsors on both sides of the aisle.

"We are now hopeful for the bill’s passage in the U.S. House,” said Ben Acohido, Service Officer, VFW Post 1572 1st Filipino Infantry Regiment, U.S. Army, Veterans of Foreign Wars-Hawaii Chapter. 

       RELATED: Details announced for Filipino WWII vets reuniting with families
       A shameful anniversary for the U.S. Congress
       Memorial Day - Another try to pass the Filipino Veterans Family Reunification Act

Maj. Gen. Antonio Taguba (Ret.)

When President Franklin Roosevelt called upon the Filipinos to join the U.S. military in fighting the invading Japanese Imperial forces, 260,000 men signed up in the Philippines.

They were joined by thousands more Filipinos who signed up in the United States to form the 1st and 2nd Filipino Regiments, both of which saw action in the Pacific before joining in the liberation of the Philippines from the Japanese.

“Filipino World War II veterans served their country with distinct honor and uncommon valor and we owe them a profound debt of gratitude," said Major General (Retired) Antonio Taguba, Chair of the Filipino Veterans Recognition and Education Project. Taguba lobbied in behalf of the Filipino veterans to fulfill the promises of U.S. citizenship and military benefits made to them by Roosevelt. Last week, he was interviewed on MSNBC about the bill. See video, below.

RELATED: Gen. Antonio Taguba - The forgotten victim of 9/11

“Filipino World War II veterans served and sacrificed alongside American forces and played an important role in the Allied victory,” said Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV). “I have spent my career fighting to ensure they receive the recognition and benefits they deserve. While we can never fully repay the debt we owe these brave soldiers, Congress can pay tribute to their courage by awarding them with the Congressional Gold Medal. Granting Filipino veterans this honor will be yet another step taken in correcting past wrongs and celebrating their heroic actions and the patriotism of their community.”

“Our nation’s Filipino veterans made tremendous sacrifices during World War II and played a big part in our victory. As such, they should be recognized for their service and awarded the Congressional Gold Medal,” said Sen. Dean Heller (R-NV). “Nevada is home to ‘The Mighty Five’ Filipino veterans – a group of heroes I have had the pleasure of getting to know over the years. While some are no longer with us, I am proud this legislation will finally ensure they receive proper recognition for their valiant acts of military service.”

Of the 66 nationalities that fought on the side of the Allies during WWII, only the Filipinos were denied those benefits. He estimates that there are 16,000 surviving veterans, whose ranks diminish every day.

Sen. Hirono has successfully led the fight to reunite these veterans who were granted U.S. citizenship in the 1990s in recognition of their service, with their children who were not, and successfully prevented the Department of Veterans Affairs from taking funds from the Filipino Veterans Equity Compensation Fund to pay for other projects.

"I am proud that with the Senate’s unanimous passage of the Filipino World War II Congressional Gold Medal Act, the veterans are significantly closer on their life long goal of national recognition of sacrifice and selfless service during World War II from the U.S. Congress," said Taguba. "They have waited 75 years for this proud and historic milestone in American history." 

Details announced for Filipino World War II veterans reuniting with their children

Library of Congress

It has taken decades of lobbying to win justice for the Filipino veterans.

THE DETAILS of a new policy that will enable family members of Filipino World War II veterans to apply to come to the United States while waiting the issuance of their visas, were revealed today (May 9) by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

"Just this week," President Obama announced in his May 4 speech to the Asian American Institute of Congressional Studies, "we finalized a policy to help reunited Filipino World War II vets with their familiy members who are stuck in our immigration backlog.

This policy change, which will be in effect June 8, is in recognition of “the extraordinary contributions and sacrifices of Filipino veterans who fought for the United States during World War II,” stated a press release from Asian Americans Advancing Justice.

“Advancing Justice | AAJC is proud to have played a leading role in the advocacy effort that resulted in this long-awaited relief for Filipino World War II veterans and their families,” said Mee Moua, president and executive director of AAJC. “This action is long overdue.”

The Filipinos soldiers were promised by President Delano Roosevelt, U.S. citizenship and military benefits if they joined the U.S. forces at the start of WWII. More than 260,000 Filipinos joined the U.S. military forces stationed in the Philippines Commonwealth, which was still an American colony.

Immediately after the war, the U.S. Congress passed the Recession Acts, which essentially reneged on Roosevelt's promise. Ever since then, the veterans have been fighting for recognition and for the fulfillment of that promise. In a series of small hard-fought victories, that recognition and the debt owed the thousands of Filipino vets was eventually granted to the veterans but not to their families.

The case of the Filipino veterans became a cause celebre in the Asian American community resulting in rallies and lobbying on behalf of the  vets. Sympathetic lawmakers sponsored dozens of bills supporting the Filipinos' fight for equity.

In time, citizenship and benefits was granted to those who met the stringent requirements and had their documents, many of which were destroyed or lost during the Japanese Occupation. Over the years, the requirements were loosened and extended to a larger number of veterans to include those who fought in the guerrilla forces during the war. 

Eventually, the spouses and young children were allowed to join the veterans but not their elder children. The older children had to join the long wait for new immigrants, which in the Philippines is more than 20 years.

RELATED: Filipino veterans - A shameful anniversary for the U.S. Congress

The parole policy, also known as Filipino Veterans Family Reunification Act of 2015, was approved in September last year. It covers veterans’ surviving spouses who petition for their adult children to join them in the U.S. Furthermore, family members may be able to seek reinstatement of immigration petitions filed through veterans who are now deceased, and then self-petition for parole.

The policy shift was welcomed by JT Mallonga, National Chair of the National Federation of Filipino American Associations. “Our courageous heroes, who have waited for up to 20 years, deserve the opportunity to be with their children. They must not suffer the pain of separation in the twilight of their years.”
Estimates indicate that there are approximately between 2,000 to 6,000 Filipino American World War II Filipino veterans still alive in the United States today, many of whom greatly desire to have their family members with them during their final days.

“If even 10 apply, it’s still the right thing to do,” said Rodel ­Rodis, a San Francisco-based lawyer who for decades, has done pro bono work on behalf of the veterans.

Moua continued, “Even as we celebrate this victory and rejoice that our veterans will finally reunite with their loved ones, we recognize there are many in the Asian American and Pacific Islander community who remain separated from their family members. Advancing Justice | AAJC advocates for reforms to the immigration system so that immigrants will not have to endure decades-long backlogs as they await reunification with their loved ones.”

Advancing Justice | AAJC will continue to work with the Obama Administration and fellow advocates to reach out to the Filipino American community and their relatives in the Philippines with information about the program. In addition, the organization looks forward to supporting outreach efforts and expedient implementation of the program.

Details of this new policy can be found in the Federal Register, where it was filed two days ago.

For more information, contact Maura Nicholson, Deputy Chief, International Operations Division, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Department of Homeland Security, 20 Massachusetts Avenue NW., Suite 3300, Washington, DC 20529, Telephone 202-272-1892. (This is not a toll-free number.)

H.R. 2737: Congressional Gold Medal for vets

In other news, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (HI-02) spoke on the House floor last month to call for quick passage of H.R. 2737 to award Filipino Veterans of WWII the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian honor bestowed by the U.S. Congress. The legislation, introduced by Rep. Tulsi Gabbard in June 2015, has 76 cosponsors in the U.S. House, and is partnered with S.1555 in the U.S. Senate. 

“There are more than 200,000 Filipino and Filipino-American soldiers who responded to President Roosevelt’s call-to-duty. They fought under our American flag during World War II.

"These loyal and courageous soldiers suffered, fought, and gave up their lives alongside their American counterparts throughout the war. Yet decades have gone by, and they are still waiting for their service to be recognized.

"I’ve introduced H.R. 2737, legislation that is strongly supported by members of both parties, and in both chambers, to award these deserving veterans the Congressional Gold Medal so that our country can show our appreciation and recognize them for their dedicated service and sacrifice in defeating the Imperial Japanese Army.

"Today there are just 18,000 of these Filipino World War II veterans who are still alive today. Time is of the essence. We cannot afford to wait. I urge my colleagues to quickly pass this legislation so that these courageous men may be honored while they are still among us.”

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Hawaii's voters join Washington & Alaska in feeling the 'Bern'

Sanders Campaign photo

Hawaii's Rep. Tulsi Gabbard campaigned for Bernie Sanders in her home state.

HAWAIIAN VOTERS went for Bernie Sanders in a big way last Saturday (March 26) as he won 70% of the vote in the Democratic Caucus, 

In a statement issued after the preliminary results showed a lopsided victory, Sanders said, “I want to thank the people of Hawaii for their strong support and for turning out in huge numbers for Saturday’s caucuses. Nobody should have any doubt that this campaign has extraordinary momentum and that we have a path toward victory. In state after state, our grassroots effort has taken on the entire political establishment.”

Although neither candidate campaigned in the island state, Sanders outspent Hillary Clinton almost 5 to 1 and it paid off, offsetting the endorsements Clinton received from establishment Democrats, including Sens. Mazie Hirono and Brian Schatz, Rep. K. Mark Takai, and a number of state legislators and former governors.

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, however, endorsed Sanders after she left her post with the Democratic National Committee last month.

RELATED: Gabbard resigns from top Democratic post

“We need a commander in chief who has foresight, who exercises good judgment and who understands the need for a robust foreign policy which defends the safety and security of the American people,” said Gabbard, a veteran. “And who will not waste precious lives and money on interventionist wars of regime change.”

That message went over well in a state that has a heavy military presence.

Hawaii, the bluest of blue states and the only state that has an AAPI majority of registered voters, followed pollsters predictions saying Asian/Americans tended to favor the Vermont senator. African/American and Latino/American voters tended to favor Clinton but in Hawaii, they represented a smaller portion of the Democratic electorate.

RELATED: AAPI voters lean towards Democrats, Sanders

Ernie Hong, 62, a retired clerical worker, said he thinks Clinton would do a better job negotiating and making peace with different factions in politics.

"I know she's not my perfect candidate that will represent everything that I would like, but she represents quite a few things that I do vote for in a candidate, which is experience, know-how, how to work with Congress, how to work with the system, and especially the ability to find common ground with our parties," Hong told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.

Aaron Toyama, 28,  showed up at Highlands Intermediate School in Pearl City to vote for Sanders because he supported Sanders' social policies. Toyama, a machinist and Pearl City resident, added that Sanders fights for the middle class.“He’s been for the people since he started in office.”

The win in Hawaii made it a perfect trifecta for Sanders, who also won handily in Washington and Alaska caucuses last Saturday. Generally speaking, Sanders has performed better than Clinton in the states having caucuses and Clinton doing better in primary states.

The trio of victories did little to dent Clinton's advantage in the delegate math as the former secretary of State now has 1,243 delegates compared to 975 for Sanders. Once superdelegates are taken into account, Clinton's lead grows to 1,712 to 1,004, according to the Associated Press.

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For more news about Asian/Americans & Pacific Islanders, read AsAm News.

Samoan/American congresswoman resigns from a top Democratic post

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, Hawaii

ONE OF THE Democratic Party's rising stars may lost her spot on Hillary Clinton's Christmas card list. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard - the first Hindu and first Samoan/American member of Congress and one of the first female combat veterans t win a house seat - resigned her position as vice chair of the Democratic National Committee.

And, as if to underline her dissatisfaction with the party machinery, she endorsed Sen. Bernie Sanders' bid for the Democratic nomination for the presidency.

“After much thought and consideration, I’ve decided I cannot remain neutral and sit on the sidelines any longer,” she wrote in an email to fellow DNC officers obtained by Politico.

The congresswoman from Hawaii commended the Vermont senator for his foreign policy, and his opposition to the hawkish policies of fellow presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

“There is a clear contrast between our two candidates with regard to my strong belief that we must end the interventionist, regime change policies that have cost us so much,” Gabbard said.

“This is not just another ‘issue.’ This is THE issue, and it’s deeply personal to me,” said Gabbard, who is a combat veteran and still in the National Guard. “This is why I’ve decided to resign as Vice Chair of the DNC so that I can support Bernie Sanders in his efforts to earn the Democratic nomination in the 2016 presidential race.”

“As a veteran and as a soldier I’ve seen firsthand the true cost of war. I served in a medical unit during my first deployment, where every single day I saw firsthand the very high human cost of that war,” Gabbard said on MSNBC’s Meet the Press,

Of the remaining Democratic candidates, Clinton is the more hawkish of the two, favoring a more interventionist policy in the middle east. In 2014, she criticized President Obama for favoring a dipolomatic resolution in Syria.

Sen. Bernie Sanders welcomed Gabbard's endorsement, calling her “one of the important voices of a new generation of leaders.”

"There’s a very clear contrast and clear difference when it comes to our two Democratic candidates and who will exercise good judgment, who will stop us from continuing these interventionist regime change wars that we’ve seen in Iraq and Libya and now in Syria that have cost our country so much in terms of American lives, trillions and trillions of dollars, what to speak of the hundreds of thousands of lives in the Middle East that have been lost to this and the impact on our economy here at home,” Gabbard said to Politico. 

“Bernie Sanders is that candidate who will not take us, service members and our country, into these interventionist wars and Hillary Clinton, through her record, has proven that she will continue that and that’s what’s important to me and I think it’s important for our voters to know before they go and head to the pollstomorrow and into the coming weeks.”

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For more news about Asian/Americans & Pacific Islanders, read AsAm News.