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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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Bill to give green cards for undocumented immigrants filed in US Congress
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Washington, DC, May 19, 2005 --- A bill that would allow undocumented immigrants to work legally in the U.S. and apply for green cards after four years was filed in Congress last week.
The legislation aiming to overhaul the immigration system would create two new visas of temporary employees called H-5B, which would allow undocumented workers — who are already in the U.S. — to legalize their stay as long as they show work histories, pay taxes and passed a background security check. They also have to pay a fine of $1,000 to get a renewable three-year visa. After four years, these immigrants could apply for a green card, and then a U.S. citizenship.
The second visa program would allow low-skilled foreign workers to register, and pay $500 fee to work here for up to six years in hard-to-fill jobs.
“Homeland security is our nation’s number one priority, this legislation includes a number of provisions that together will make our nation more secure. For far too long, our nation’s broken immigration laws have gone unreformed – leaving Americans vulnerable,” Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said in a statement.
“Our bill contains an earned legalization program for immigrants, a way to reduce the enormous backlog of petitions to unify families, and a revised temporary worker program,” said Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass) in a statement.
The bill is seen to face a tough battle in Congress because many Conservatives are split on giving amnesty to illegal workers.
President Bush renewed his call this year for an immigration reform that would grant a temporary guest worker program for undocumented immigrants. The new bill is more comprehensive because it would allow permanent residency for immigrants, and at the same time it would enforce strict border security and tougher laws on hiring of workers, such as electronic work authorization program and higher fines for employers who hire undocumented workers.
It is estimated that there are eight to 12 million illegal immigrants working in the U.S, struggling to build a better future for their family and children.
The measure also intends to reduce immigration application backlogs, and shorten the waiting period for those waiting for green cards and U.S. citizenship.
McCain co-sponsor of the bill expressed confidence that the bipartisan group could work with the White House to get President Bush support on the bill.
Immigration advocates were elated on the bipartisan legislation.
“The Latino community has been waiting for a long time for a comprehensive immigration reform legislation,” said Janet Murguia, president of the National Council of La Raza, the largest Hispanic civil rights group. “We look forward to working with leaders from both parties to make immigration reform a reality.”
“I think it’s somewhat good and somewhat bad,” said Filipina Carolyn Hermogenes, organizer for Coalition Against Anti Asian Violence (CAAAV).
Hermogenes said she supports the good part of the bill such as many foreign workers not yet in the U.S. would be allowed to apply for temporary working visas and allowing undocumented workers to have visas.
But she is critical on the security check features of the bill which would create a national identification for workers and would get personal profiles of all applicants.
Hermogenes said she doesn’t like a portion of the bill which would allow the U.S. to enter an agreement with foreign governments to minimize migration to the U.S. “I’m not sure if the bill would address future migration,” said Hermogenes in an interview.
The Federation for American Immigration Reform, which favors stricter immigration controls, said the bill would let millions of illegal aliens become residents, in effect, is an amnesty. The group repeatedly said tax payers money were being used to support illegals as it opposed rewarding these so called law-breakers.
But Sen. Edward Kennedy said that legal status must be earned by proving past work contributions, making a substantial future work commitment, and paying monetary penalties.
“It is not a guarantee of citizenship, but an opportunity to continue working hard, start playing by the rules, and earn permanent residency,” Kennedy said.
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From tire repair shop to Pentagon, determination makes him a US colonel
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THE MEETING OF TWO HIGH-RANKING FIL-AM OFFICIALS. US Army Major General Antonio Taguba, Jr. administers the Oath of Promotion to Colonel Edwin Domingo (right) in a ceremony held April 13, at the Pentagon, in Washington, D.D.
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JERSEY CITY, May 10, 2005 --- The night before the Election Day, optimism filled the confines of a Filipino restaurant on West Side Avenue as supporters of Greg Racelis gathered together and promised him of their votes.
But a few hours after the polls closed Tuesday night, a pall of gloom descended on the Filipino community as Racelis lost his bid for councilor in Ward B.
For hundreds of thousands of Filipinos here, Racelis’ candidacy was considered a test of their strength and unity, and winning in the election could resonate the voice of Filipinos in the City Hall.
Racelis, a real estate agent, lost 52.37 percent of the votes to his strongest contender, Mary Spinello, a director with the Jersey City Incinerator Authority and an ally of re-elected Mayor Jerramiah Healy.
This is the third time that Racelis ran for councilor. He never succeeded.
While members of Racelis’ camp were still reeling in defeat, it still remains for them to ask the question: how far did Filipino-American voters support Racelis?
“I’m saddened that Filipino-Americans were lukewarm over the candidacy of Greg,” said Ed Toloza, 51, Jersey City tax assessor. “During the campaign period, we didn’t even see a lot of Filipino-American leaders of different organizations who could have strongly consolidated essential efforts for Greg.”
There will never be a Filipino-American to win a seat in the council, Toloza said, unless the Filipino community will become united, adding that it’s time for Filipinos to start all over again.
For Carmen Flores, 57, who rigorously campaigned for Racelis, one of the reasons that he lost in the election was because he ran as an independent candidate.
“When you are all alone and not part of any political party, it would be so hard to pull the mainstream voters,” she said.
But Flores, of Broadman Parkway, still believed that if Filipino-American voters solidly vote for Racelis, it would have been a sure win.
“We estimated to have about 2,000 eligible Filipino-American voters in Ward B. But where were they?” she said.
According to the official results posted on the Web site of Hudson County Clerk Office, Racelis garnered 820 votes, second to Spinello’s 1,702 votes.
Tom Simba, 67, another Filipino-American voter who was one of the poll-challengers for Racelis during the Election Day, said that the residence of Filipino voters should also be taken into consideration.
“True, there are thousands of Filipino-American voters here. But we have to realize that many of them voted for Ward C because they actually belong there,” Simba said.
Ted Reyes, 27, of Montgomery Street, did not agree that ethnicity should be the basis of voting behavior among Filipinos.
“I have nothing against Racelis, but this election showed us that Filipino-Americans are intelligent voters. We don’t just vote because the candidate is our own kind. We vote for someone we believe is competent,” Reyes said.
Meanwhile, Racelis, who recently donated $10,000 to the Cunningham Foundation, was endorsed by Sandra Cunningham, wife of the later Mayor Glenn Cunningham. The donation was collected from many Filipino-Americans, according to members of the Philippine American Friendship Committee, and was originally intended to pay the flight of the Cunningham couple for a social and exposure trip to the Philippines.
While Racelis could not be reached, his wife, Mecita Racelis, mum on the results of the elections. “I have nothing to say,” she said.
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MANILA, May 19, 2005 --- A Filipino-Australian woman wrongly deported to the Philippines four years ago is entitled to sue the Australian government for millions of dollars over the bungle.
Vivian Alvarez was discovered living at a hospice for the dying in the Philippines last week after immigration officials said they had been unable to relocate her since her deportation in 2001.
Details of the 42-year-old’s deportation are not clear but she has two children living in Queensland state and had previously been married to an Australian.
Several Australian lawyers were flying to Manila to meet the woman, also known as Vivian Young, to assess her case. Media reports say she has had mental health problems in the past.
“At the moment it’s really a fact-finding mission,” solicitor Harry Freedman said on Australian Broadcasting Corp. radio, adding he did not know what amount would be sought in compensation.
“I understand there have been cases where compensation for wrongful detention have resulted in payments around $1,000 per day of detention,” he said.
A former president of the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission and ex-Federal Court judge, Marcus Einfeld, will also work pro bono with the legal team put together to help Alvarez reach a settlement with the government.
Einfeld said she should be entitled to at least $1,500 dollars a day for false imprisonment, the Australian newspaper reported Monday, adding this would add up to about $2 million.
It was not clear whether Alvarez has decided to sue the government. (MNS)
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