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For the past 17 years, The Filipino Express has provided the Filipino American community the best news, arts and entertainment coverage from around the United States and the Philippines.
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This website includes selected articles from this week's edition of the Filipino Express. Not all the stories published in the printed version appear on this site.
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Documentary on US, RP Infantry Regiments to be shown in Jersey City Museum
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Jersey City, NEW JERSEY, February 10, 2005 --- “An Untold Triumph,” the never-been-told story of the U.S. Army’s 1st and 2nd filipino Infantry Regiments, will be shown at 1:30 and 3:00 p.m. in the Jersey City Museum, located at 350 Montgomery Street, Jersey City. Admission is $10 per person.
This film, produced by Noel Izon, illuminates the most important period in the history of Filipino-Americans and chronicles the creation of the regiments which were made up of more than 7,000 immigrants and sons of immigrants.
This award-winning 85-minute documentary is narrated by actor Lou Diamond Phillips. It centers on a time when World War II, the vital in the Pacific and the Japanese invasion of the Philippines and collective lives -- the right to join America’s fight for freedom.
Since the end of WW II, the vital role played by these US Army regiments is Gen. Douglas MacArthur’s covert plan to retake the Philippines has remained untold. Not simply a story of men at war, it is an intimate portrait of a people who were unlike any other in America. Their love for America -- the land of their colonizers -- and the love for their ancestral homeland defined them as they served both countries in this time of war.
“An Untold Triumph” had its world premiere on Nov. 4, 2002, at the Hawaii International Film Festival where it won the “Blockbuster Video Audience Award for Best Documentary.” When it is broadcast on television in 2003, the documentary is expected to reach millions. This significant piece of American history will aid educators and students as this ethnic history is used in classrooms across the country. Community showings and public forums are an integral part of the unfolding of this documentary in the US and will be staged wherever sponsorship is provided.
This powerful documentary will continue making its rounds at US and international film festivals. PBS has tentatively scheduled the documentary to air on Monday, May 9 at 10 p.m. following a repeat broadcast of the American Experience program “Bataan Rescue.” “An Untold Triumph” includes a retelling of the Bataan Death March from the Filipino soldier's perspective. A showing at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC was held to a standing room only audience.
The Jersey City showing is co-sponsored by the Philippine American Veterans Organization, Inc. (PAVO), the Philippine American Veterans Auxiliary, Inc. (PAVOA), and the Sons, Daughters and Orphans of the Philippine American Veterans, Inc. (SDO-PAV).
For additional information, call Jose Genito at (201) 420-5926, Tony Pormento (201) 978-2111, or Jojie Rago-Adia (908) 313-6877 and (201) 332-5909.
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NEW YORK, February 10, 2005 --- The candidates for 2005 Maharlikang Pilipino USA and Mutya ng Pilipinas will sing, dance and act on the Talent Competition Night to be held on Saturday, 5-7 pm, at The Cutting Room, located at 19 West 24th Street (Between 6 Avenue and Broadway).
The entrance fee is $15, with one free drink.
Danny Pagsambugan, president and founder of the competition, said that all candidates will showcase their talents. The audience participation, he said, will be considered as part of the judging.
Former beauty queens, fashion designers and editors of Filipino newspapers had been carefully selected to judge the talent competition.
The final Maharlikang Pilipino and Mutya ng Pilipinas pageants night will be held on March 5, at the Sheraton Hotel, East Rutherford, NJ. The search is the first of its kind in the US, combining male and female pageants.
Winners of the Maharlikang Pilipino will represent USA East Coast in the grand finals on June 30, 2005, at the Manila Hotel, in the Philippines. The winner of the Mutya ng Pilipinas USA will likewise move on to the grand finals at The Tent in Fort Bonifacio.
Top Filipino designers Barge Ramos and Rico Adrineda will design the clothes of the candidates during the competition.
Maharlikang Pilipino and Mutya ng Pilipinas pageants are held to recognize the young exceptional Filipino men and women of the East Coast thru their talents, achievements and beauty as the luminous gems of the Philippines and to promote and enhance their culture and heritage.
For more information, call (212) 581-0955 or (917)670-6395.
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Jersey City, NEW JERSEY, February 10, 2005 --- The Asian American Legal Project (AALP) has announced that it will launch the first in a series of clinics to assist Filipino-Americans with their immigration needs.
Initiated by law students at Rutgers School of Law-Newark, AALP is an effort of the United Community Development Corporation of New Jersey (United CDC-NJ) to address the unmet legal needs of Asian Americans in New Jersey. This project will initially help Filipinos in Jersey City with their immigration problems but plans to soon expand to other Asian American communities. Subsequent clinics will also focus on other areas of the law that affect Asian Americans.
The first legal clinic will occur on Tuesday, February 22nd, at 6 pm.
The most recent U.S. census shows that 1 in 6 persons are of Asian descent in Jersey City.
“Despite the large number of Asian Americans in Jersey City, they continue to face major linguistic and cultural barriers when they seek legal help. There is very little legal infrastructure to adequately serve Asians in the area,” said Hemant Wadhwani, president of United CDC-NJ. Surveys conducted by AALP with various community- and faith-based groups revealed that many Asian Americans in Jersey City are unaware of their legal rights and responsibilities under U.S. law. Many who are aware do not exericise their rights due to fear of how it would affect their immigration status, their jobs, and their families. The research also uncovered immigration as the most immediate and pressing issue among Jersey City’s Asian Americans.
“This is a great opportunity for Asians in the Jersey City area to seek legal help as it pertains to their immigration concerns,” stated Wadhwani. “They may have been unwilling or unable to seek help in the past but these clinics will enable them to receive quick and sound answers to their legal questions.”
The idea for AALP and the clinics was born last spring, when students from Rutgers School of Law - Newark approached Mr. Wadhwani to explore how they could utilize their legal training to benefit the Asian American community.
The results of the community surveys strengthened the students’ determination. “The surveys informed us that Asian Americans were simply falling through the cracks,” said Deric Wu, president of the Rutgers’ Asian Pacific American Law Students Association, whose members are part of the effort. Wu added, “It was clear that the community needed legal support, and our training could be of help.”
Since then, development of AALP’s clinics has progressed favorably. “The leaders of the Asian American community in Jersey City have been great in providing us with support.” said Alex Saingchin, program director for AALP.
AALP has spent the last 6 months recruiting volunteer lawyers and students, and building the program with technical support from the Asian American Legal Defense & Education Fund. The Pan American Concerned Citizens Action League has offered the use of its Neighborhood Center for the initial clinics in the Filipino-American community.
“Filipino Americans can come to our clinics to receive free legal advice,” stated Saingchin. AALP’s clinics will be staffed by bilingual law students working alongside lawyers trained in immigration law. Clients will have access to free half-hour legal consultations, and benefit from an immmigrant “Know Your Rights” seminar. Saingchin concluded, “There is a great enthusiasm for the project among the team. We encourage all Filipino Americans with immigration concerns to make an appointment with us and take advantage of our services.”
AALP is reaching out to the Filipino American community to benefit from its free immigration clinic on February 22nd. All Filipino Americans are welcome.
For more information, call (201) 988-1881 to make an appointment.
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