Statements

ABNJ Wishes a Liberating 2015 to All! Thank you for your support. Please Donate Today!

/ Anakbayan New Jersey / Leave a comment

As we look back on 2014, Anakbayan NJ is humbled and awed by the ongoing support and love of our families, friends, supporters and allies. Thank you all so much for your belief and commitment to our work! This past year was a big transitioning stage for our chapter, and we welcome the new year as a strong and growing group of Filipino youth and students. In these early days of 2015, we look back on our accomplishments and reflect on lessons learned.

Here are some of our accomplishments in 2014:

ABNJ2015

Here are some things we are planning to work in 2015:

  • Education as a Human Right – As part of a national Anakbayan USA campaign, we will be launching a local campaign against student debt to fight for the right of all youth to an education.
  • Filipino Workers Case — We hope to turn the case of the two Filipino nursing home workers into a full-fledged campaign to finally help them secure justice and raise awareness on the conditions of Filipino migrant workers here in the United States.
  • Help for the Philippines – Organize for another solidarity & relief mission to the Philippines in the summer and send delegates to an additional exposure trip in November for the International League of People’s Struggle Conference.
  • Focus on building a strong base of Filipino youth and student leaders in Jersey City to fight and address the needs of the local community.
  • We will continue educating, organizing and mobilizing the youth for the rights and welfare of our communities here in New Jersey and back home in the Philippines.

As a movement upholding the principle of self-reliance, members and supporters are the source of our organization’s funds and resources. Please consider making a donation to Anakbayan-NJ ($5, $10, $25, $100+ ) so that we can continue serving the people in the new year. We hope to accomplish a goal of $500 by the end of January 2015!

We are still in the process of harnessing our financial machinery. You can send donations in a variety of ways:

1. VENMO- Sign up for a Venmo account (it’s FREE). Send the amount you can to “Anakbayan NJ”, or anakbayannj@gmail.com using the application for your computer, iPhone, or Android device.

2. PAYPAL– If you prefer not to make a Venmo account but would like to donate online, you can send your donation to the PayPal link below. This is connected to our Vice Chairperson’s account who will confirm receipt of your payment shortly after.

Donate Button with Credit Cards

3. CASH/ CHECK- pay to the order of “CASH”, write “ANAKBAYAN NJ” on the memo, and mail to Anakbayan NJ, c/o Social Justice House, 125 Glenwood Avenue, Jersey City, NJ 07306, or email anakbayannj@gmail.com with “2015 Donation” on the subject line to arrange pick up from one of our executive committee members.

Additionally, here are non-monetary ways you can help and support Anakbayan:

  1. JOIN – Join the movement! Become a member of Anakbayan now. Schedule an orientation by emailing anakbayannj@gmail.com
  2. FOLLOW – Stay updated and spread the word about us through social network accounts (twitter, facebook: Anakbayan NJ, Anakbayan NY, Instagram)
  3. JOIN A RELIEF MISSION TO THE PHILIPPINES- Anakbayan NJ is a member of Kapit Bisig Kabataan Network, a national Filipino American youth and student-led relief network built in response to Typhoon Haiyan and future disasters. Sign up here by January 12, 2015.

Your donation and support will help us continue fighting for justice and genuine democracy both here in New Jersey and back home in the Philippines! Salamat and we wish you all a happy new year!

 

With love and solidarity,

Anakbayan New Jersey Family

2014 Year In Review: Lumalakas! Lumalawak! Lumalaban!

/ Anakbayan New Jersey / Leave a comment

Thank you for supporting Anakbayan-USA in another empowering year of serving the people. Let us wrap up the 2014 by going through the highlights of this year.

10348922_10203284294942654_5853174144850147330_o

Early this year, we saw the growing unity among Filipino-American youth and students with the formation of Kapit Bisig Kabataan Network, a national network of Filipino-American youth and students in response to the devastation of typhoon Haiyan.

In March, we were able to launch coordinated actions to condemn the murder of Freddie Ligiw, a member of Anakbayan Abra, and his family by the fascist Armed Forces of the Philippines. Anakbayan chapters across the country scrambled to organize indignation protests. We were able to highlight the ongoing human rights violations and the need to cut US military aid to the Philippines.

Justice for Freddie Ligiw Rally in San Francisco, March 2014
Justice for Freddie Ligiw Rally in NYC, March 2014
Justice for Freddie Ligiw Rally in Los Angeles, March 2014

In June, we held our first ever national training with the goal of further strengthening our capacity to organize and wage campaigns. This was due to demand from our organizers on the ground and also a necessity as we prepare to contribute in a big way to the advancement of the National Democratic movement. Around 100 Filipino youth and student activists from across the country convened in San Francisco State University on a two-day training and sharing of best strategies and experiences. The workshops ranged from conducting social investigation, solid mass organizing, grassroots fundraising to waging mass campaigns. We also discussed the effects of neo-liberalism on education and the growing problem of student debt.

This summer, our chapters have helped in a big way in the holding of the first youth and student-led relief and rebuilding mission under the banner of Kapit Bisig Kabataan Network. 24 participants joined from Pacific Northwest, Northern California, Southern California, Mid West and East Coast.

Kapit Bisig Kabataan Network’s Relief and Rebuild Mission, Summer 2014
Kapit Bisig Kabataan Network’s Relief and Rebuild Mission, Summer 2014

In September, our members have participated in the People’s Climate March, biggest climate action held in New York City to demand system change not climate change. We helped unite and mobilize various Filipino organizations to take a stand.

At People's Climate March in New York City, September 2014

At People’s Climate March in New York City, September 2014

Also in September we have made the headlines by confronting BS Aquino at his speaking engagement at Columbia University. We have exposed the corruption of Typhoon Haiyan donations, the ongoing struggle of farmers in Hacienda Luisita and the continued policy of repression and killing of activists.

In November, we have helped organize a national week of action to commemorate the first year of Typhoon Haiyan with Kapit Bisig Kabataan Network. We also celebrated the 50th anniversary of Kabataang Makabayan. Cultural performances and discussions were held across the country to study and uphold the legacy and revolutionary vision of Kabataang Makabayan.

This year we have seen the strengthening of established chapters and the creation of new ones. We have seen the rise of new leaders in all our chapters but notable are the elections of new Executive Committees of New York, New Jersey and Silicon Valley chapters. We have also established new chapters in the Inland Empire and Long Beach, California.

As an international movement, we also have to mention that this year we were able to convene the leaders of Anakbayan chapters from United States, Canada, the Netherlands, Australia and the Philippines to strengthen coordination and share experiences and best practices.

10658808_10203834110647703_7366074401339623065_o

Anakbayan Philippines, Melbourne, USA, Netherlads and Canada

In recognition of our internationalist duty and the need to build cooperation and unity with other youth and students and people’s organizations, we have advanced our solidarity work. We have sent delegates to United We Dream’s congress in Arizona last February. We have also sent a delegate to the United States Student Association congress in California. We’ve sent delegates to the National Students for Justice in Palestine Conference in Massachusetts and have linked arms with youth and students in various mobilizations on various issues: in defense of refugee migrant children and in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. We have also established communications with the National Students for Justice in Palestine, Movimiento Estudiantil Chican@ de Aztlán (MECHA), Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) and many more.

At Millions March Against Police Brutality in NYC, December 2014

We have also seen the growing militancy of actions in confronting the enemies of our people. We’ve used sit-ins, mud-stenciling and lightning rallies to expose BS Aquino and uplift the voices of our people back home.

There are lots of challenges to overcome, lessons to be learned and work to be done. We are ever more committed to advancing our people’s struggle for liberation and democracy. Onwards to 2015! Onwards to more victories!

Filipino Youth Activists (Charge Wilson and Pantaleo Guilty), Demand Justice for All Victims of State Repression from Ferguson to the Philippines

/ Anakbayan New Jersey / Leave a comment
images

“We revolt simply because, for many reasons, we can no longer breathe” – Frantz Fanon

We, the Filipino youth and students of Anakbayan New Jersey, stand in solidarity with the people of Ferguson and New York City. We strongly condemn to the highest level the no indictment verdicts in light of the murder of our fellow youth of color, Michael Brown on August 9, 2014, and father, Eric Garner on July 17, 2014.

Darren Wilson, a white police officer fired twelve rounds at unarmed, 18 year old, Michael Brown, who had his arms up upon death. Eric Garner, 43 year old father of six, was put into a chokehold by Daniel Pantaleo, another white police officer. This resulted in Garner’s eventual death as well. With our fellow youth, and fathers being killed, how much more can our communities take? How many more times will we allow this to happen? As oppressed youth, we must hold Darren Wilson, Daniel Pantaleo, and the countless others accountable for their actions. And if this fails, we must demand a system that will.

It is unacceptable that the justice system so blatantly disregards the lives of marginalized peoples. Black and Brown bodies across the country are being targeted and terrorized by police brutality and increased militarization of neighborhoods and communities. These generally unarmed, Black young men are being told every 28 hours that their lives do not matter and our justice system will not advocate for them. The list of the victims of police brutality will only continue to grow if we do not reclaim our basic right to livelihood.

Our people share a legacy of loss. Freddie Ligiw, a youth member and organizer with Anakbayan in the Abra province, was forcibly taken on February 19, 2014. He dared to question societal order and fight for a better future for his people. In response, the Philippine government killed him, adding to the ever-increasing number of extrajudicial killings. We must end this culture of impunity worldwide.

By 2050 there will be a white minority in the U.S. We will reach a point of history where most people in the country, at that point the people of color majority, are socialized to not trust the people meant to protect them: the police. As youth of color, and the future majority, we are not taught by the oppressive system that it will oppress. Rather, our people’s struggles and the stories we witness on the streets have taught us to reject the fallacy of security that is the police state. Do not blame us for wanting to protect the lives of our children as well.

During a student walkout this past week, the squadrons of police brought out a Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD), which sends painful shock waves throughout the body. This is how our “public servants” respond to a peaceful protest comprised of mostly high school students. Despite these attempts at intimidation and state repression, we cannot afford to remain silent. The criminalization of youth is sadly familiar to our collective communities. Whether on domestic soil or in the militarized state of the Philippines, our bodies are being policed and brutalized. As youth, we must reject this fascist government we have inherited and respond in rage.

Anakbayan New Jersey calls on all youth to demand a system that advocates for its people and protects the marginalized. We must pursue an organized and collective struggle to liberate all of our peoples. Filipinos in the U.S. and in our homeland must raise their voices against the injustices committed against our allied communities. We must stand together and claim a better world and future for ourselves, or we will watch each of us fall. Our hands are up, but in fists, fighting for our right to breathe. From New Jersey to Mexico New York to Palestine to Ferguson to the Philippines, no justice, no peace! Black lives matter! Brown lives matter! Long live international solidarity!

Honor in the Line of Fire: Why our protest against the Philippine president is justified

/ Anakbayan New Jersey / Leave a comment

ByQHQ9rIMAALITz

“The line of fire is a place of honor.”

–Lean Alejandro, Youth Activist in the Philippines

In the spirit of the countless generations of progressive and militant activists that have dared to stand up to state repression in the Philippines, community organizers here in the United States chose to confront Philippine President BS Aquino during his (unwelcome) visit to both New York City and San Francisco. On September 23rd, three activists publicly criticized Aquino and his failures to the Filipino people during a forum held by Columbia University. A protest led by the organizations of which these activists are a part was held simultaneously outside the university hall. On September 24th, progressive organizations based in the Bay Area rallied outside of a Wells Fargo building that Aquino was in. Anakbayan Silicon Valley (ABSV) holds the utmost respect for the individuals and organizations that stood in the line of fire to oppose and expose the crimes of the Aquino administration, and we are honored to call these people our kasamas, our comrades.

The actions at Columbia University and the streets of San Francisco are not isolated events, nor are they the work of any one individual, as the mainstream media paints them to be. A history of oppression faced by the Filipino people has led to the the formation of organizations that represent all sectors of society, from workers to peasants, youth to educators, womyn to queer-identified, and everything in between. Those that confronted Aquino last week are members of such organizations here in the US, and they have been championing the rights and welfare of Filipinos both in the Philippines and in the US for years. ABSV has been organizing in the South Bay not only to protest the criminal negligence and state repression led by the Philippine government, but also to address the issues facing Filipino youth in our communities.

Our collective anger, and the actions that result, stem from centuries of colonial exploitation of the Filipino people, decades of rule by a Philippine state that has chosen profits over people, and generations of families torn apart by forced migration due to landlessness and joblessness in the Philippines. In the last four years of Aquino’s administration alone, we have seen this violence time and time again.

We have seen it in the more than 200 victims of extrajudicial killings and more than 600 victims of illegal arrest and detention.

We have seen it in the failed government response to those affected by Typhoon Haiyan, both in the immediate aftermath and in the current conditions on the ground.

We have seen it in the money going into Aquino’s pockets as presidential pork barrel, money that could have been spent for the people.

We have seen it in the continued promotion of a labor export policy that treats people as remittance-generating commodities.

And we have seen it in the government’s blatant denial of national sovereignty for the Filipino people by re-opening US military bases, and by continuing to open the country to foreign industries that do not respect the human rights of the people.

Our demands for genuine change in the Philippines are rooted in this violence. We have an undeniable reason to yell. We have an undeniable reason to rise up. And we have an undeniable right to confront an individual who has played such a large part in countless crimes against the Filipino people. We cannot confine our calls for justice to a Q&A session. We will not wait in a queue. To do so would disrespect the gravity of the struggle faced by our kababayan and their clamor for a society that upholds and protects their rights. And it is the people to whom we should be showing our respect. Should President Aquino seek to be treated with respect, he must earn it first.

ABSV’s current campaign, Project FLAME (Filipinos Leading A Movement for Empowerment), seeks to provide an opportunity for youth to voice their struggles outside the confines of a classroom, as the brave activists in New York and San Francisco have done. Through a storytelling project within the campaign, we are organizing our community to speak out against the educational violence they face: lack of adequate college admissions guidance; the increasing costs of tuition, even in public schools; the student debt crisis; the inability of youth to find stable jobs to sustain themselves; and the ever increasing dropout rate of Filipino youth due to institutional obstacles. These issues are not isolated from those in the Philippines, with the US spending exponentially more on the military than on our education. This same military budget is going to increased military aid to and military presence in the Philippines, which again have led to countless human rights violations. Whether in the Philippines or in the US, Filipinos are suffering from a system that serves the interests of the minority rather than the majority.

Until the people’s demands are answered, we will continue to educate, organize, and protest, whether inside a university hall or out on the streets. We hope that more people will be emboldened by the actions of our fellow kasamas, if not to join us in protest, then at least to have conversations with us to understand why these protests are organized to begin with. The people’s struggle is not a mere shouting match, it is not a rude interruption. It is a place where the most marginalized and oppressed can speak freely. It is an honorable place to be.

JUSTICE FOR VICTIMS OF TYPHOON HAIYAN!
JUSTICE FOR VICTIMS OF STATE REPRESSION!
SHAME ON BS AQUINO!
CONTINUE THE PEOPLE’S STRUGGLE IN THE PHILIPPINES!

Anakbayan New Jersey Message for the People’s State of the Nation Address in New York City

/ Anakbayan New Jersey / Leave a comment

By Nina Macapinlac, Vice Chairperson, AB-NJ

In an address to World Economic Forum delegates in Manila, Noynoy Aquino was recorded to have said: 

“We have to invest in our greatest asset–the Filipino people…The power behind all our efforts–whether in pursuing inclusive economic growth, improving competitiveness, food security, or disaster risk management–comes not from any individual, but from the people.” 
 
The people? President Noynoy Aquino, what people? 
 
In a country where 40 families control the majority of the national economy and where more than 11.1 million families are in poverty, I ask again, President Noynoy Aquino, what people? 
 
Despite claims of a booming economy, this improvement is hardly inclusive and has only served the interests of foreign big business and the top 0.01% in the Philippines. 
 
Sham independence and sham development are what the Filipino people have been fed but we see through your lies, Noynoy! 
 
Export-oriented growth, labor export policy, and the neoliberal Public Private Partnership have only resulted in more poverty and more unemployment. 
 
These economic policies are not serving the Filipino people but perpetuating and strengthening their bondage under US imperialism, feudalism, and bureaucrat capitalism. 
 
For the Philippines to be truly free, it must strive to achieve the necessary factors for growth such as national industrialization and genuine land reform. 
 
We denounce the puppet regime of the Aquino administration that has intentionally kept our country underdeveloped instead of building a sustainable economy! We denounce the government that has looted and plundered our rich country while the Filipino people suffer! We denounce the system that has pushed our families to leave because of unlivable economic conditions causing our youth to grow up in a country that is not their own! 
 
As the people of the Philippines and the Philippine diaspora, we demand the immediate removal of Noynoy Aquino who has only broken promises and excuses to show for the last four years! 

F3: Filipino Film Festival

/ Anakbayan New Jersey / Leave a comment

F3frontF3BACK

SPONSORED BY: Anakbayan New Jersey | Film Crafting Collaborative | Taskforce Haiyan New Jersey | Jersey City Public Library

RSVP HERE
FEATURED FILMS 


Mga Liham Mula sa Alaska (Letters from Alaska), 2010 | 11:00AM
8 mins, Directed by Roberto Reyes Ang
Approximately 10 million Filipinos are living and working abroad. LETTERS FROM ALASKA is a bird’s eye view of the stories of these immigrants and migrant workers. It tells the story of Arvi, an immigrant from a small province in the Philippines called Mindoro, who left his hometown for America in search of a better life. Now working as a seafood processor in Alaska, he finds that life can be just as difficult in the US, if not more, than in the Philippines.

This Bloody Blundering Business, 1971 | 1135AM-1205PM
30 mins, Directed by Peter Davis
An incisive and humorous satire on American foreign policy, THIS BLOODY BLUNDERING BUSINESS traces the history of American intervention in the Philippines following the Spanish-American War. A silent movie format with lively ragtime piano music is combined with a dramatically understated narration and excerpts from “newsreels” of the period to reveal the nature of American attitudes toward Third World peoples and cultures. While the film provides an impressively documented analysis of America? “Manifest Destiny,” it also offers compelling insights into that period? significant parallels with contemporary American foreign policy.

Bleached, 2010 | 1210-1235PM
15 mins, Directed by Jess dela Merced
BLEACHED: A young Filipino-American girl loses her identity when she uses a bleaching cream to lighten the color of her skin in order to gain her mother’s approval.

The Brothers of Kappa Pi, 2009 | 1240-0100PM
20 mins, Directed by Roberto Reyes Ang
A documentary that focuses on gang involvement of Filipino immigrant youth and their discovery of a unique brotherhood that left an indelible impact in their lives.THE BROTHERS OF KAPPA PI is the story of a fraternity based in Queens, New York. Kappa Pi is composed of young Filipinos, mainly immigrants, fostering the ideals of their Philippine revolutionary heroes.

Arnis Exhibition by Guro Arnulfo “Dong” Cuesta, Philippine Integrated Martial Arts Academy | 0105-0205PM


Eskrimadors, 2010
66 mins, Directed by Kerwin Go
A look into the ancient and deadly Filipino Martial Art of Eskrima/Kali/Arnis. Eskrimadors traces the development of the fighting art from its roots in tribal warfare, to its evolution into a sport practiced in over 30 countries worldwide. Shot entirely in the island of Cebu, the birthplace of this fighting art.

Pagpag (The Refuse), 2012 | 0210-0225PM
15 mins, Directed byJohn Paul Su
PAGPAG is a story of love and survival in one of the most dangerous landfill slums located in Manila, Philippines. Perla, a 70-year-old ‘pagpag’ –garbage food– vendor, seeks a better life for her granddaughter, and financial relief for herself, by setting up an “audition” to win over adoptive parents from abroad. The resulting clash of cultures (and expectations on both sides) provides an utterly surprising meditation on the nature of family love, and the harrowing effects of desperate poverty.

Kuya Ko (My Big Brother), 2012 | 0230-0245PM

12 mins, Directed by Dean Banting
After being humiliated and bullied on the basketball court, the only thing that 14 year-old Daryll wants is a new pair of sneakers. Instead, he comes home to an older brother who he hasn’t seen in five years. With a language barrier, cultural differences, and a small room the brothers must share, Daryll will learn an important lesson about family.

Sounds of a New Hope, 2009 | 0250-0320PM
40 mins, Directed by Eric Tandoc
SOUNDS OF A NEW HOPE is a documentary film about the life of Filipino-American MC, Kiwi, and the growing use of hip-hop as an organizing tool in the ongoing people’s struggle for national liberation and genuine democracy in the Philippines.

Red Saga, 2004 | 0325-0345PM
16 mins, Directed by Kiri Lluch Dalena
A vivid landscape of metaphor, and a timely and poetic take on the contemporary peasant struggle and the protracted people’s war in the countryside.

0400PM: Closing

~~~~~~~~~

FEATURING ART AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY: Adrienne Pamintuan | Roberto Reyes Ang | Christine Fabro | Neil Trope

Thank you for an inspiring 2013! Dare to struggle! Dare to win!

/ Anakbayan New Jersey / Leave a comment

To all of our friends, family, supporters and allies,

As we are in the first few days of 2014, allow us to say: THANK YOU! Thank you for your continuous support and belief in Anakbayan New Jersey’s work and vision. 2013 wouldn’t have been as successful without you all. Because of this, we are confident to say that we are so ready for 2014. Together, we will continue to dare to struggle and dare to win!

Here are some of our accomplishments this past 2013:

  • Early this year, the Florida 15 Trafficked Filipino workers were granted their T-Visas which allows them to work, adjust their immigration status and even petition their families. Anakbayan NJ played a role in drumming up their case in the media and raising awareness in the community about the realities of labor trafficking. [1]

  • Fought for and won the establishment of the first “in-state” Immigrant Affairs Commission in Jersey City. [2]

  • Raised awareness about the Filipino immigration experience and build support for genuine immigration reform throughout Jersey City and across New Jersey. [3]

  • Helped in gathering support for the Bayanihan Relief & Rehabilitation effort and have successfully convened the first meeting of Taskforce Haiyan New Jersey

  • Last but not the least, Anakbayan NJ helped lead the campaign and win the historic passing of the Tuition Equality Act in New Jersey also known as the New Jersey DREAM Act. [4]

Here are some things we are planning to work in 2014:

  • NJ DREAM Act 2.0! Together with other youth & students in NJ, we’ll be fighting for access to state financial aid for undocumented youth.

  • Student Debt – We are also aiming to take part in the campaign against student debt

  • Help for the Philippines – Organizing for a solidarity & relief mission to the victims of typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines.

  • We’ll be continuing our work on immigrant and workers rights by organizing Filipino immigrants and workers

  • We will continue educating, organizing and mobilizing the youth for the rights and welfare of our communities here in New Jersey and back home in the Philippines.

We wouldn’t have accomplished all of these without you. We hope you continue to support our work through 2014 and beyond in serving our people. Again, salamat! Mabuhay and maligayang bagong taon! (Thank you! Long live and happy new year!)

Here are some ways you can help and support Anakbayan:

1. JOIN – Join the movement! Become a member of Anakbayan now.

I WANT TO JOIN ANAKBAYAN!

2. DONATE – Make a donation ($5, $10, $25, $100+ ) to Anakbayan New Jersey and put on note “for Anakbayan New Jersey”

I WANT TO DONATE!

3. FOLLOW – Stay updated and spread the word about us through social network accounts (twitter, facebook: Anakbayan NJ, Anakbayan NY)

4. RELIEF & REBUILD – Help support our relief and rehabilitation efforts in areas affected by the Super storm Haiyan by donating to NAFCON’s Bayanihan Relief and Rehabilitation Program.

I WANT TO HELP

With love and solidarity,

Anakbayan New Jersey Family 🙂

Filipino- American Youth Celebrate Historic Community Victory for New Jersey DREAMers

/ Anakbayan New Jersey / 1 Comment
Filipino- American Youth Celebrate Historic Community Victory for New Jersey DREAMers
 
Anakbayan Calls to Unite and Strengthen the Movement for Immigrant Rights in the U.S.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

 
For Immediate Release
 
Press Statement
 
December 31, 2013
 
References:
Bea Sabino, Chairperson, Anakbayan NJ, (201) 779 6886
Nina Macapinlac, Member, Anakbayan NJ, (973) 641 9735
Email: anakbayannj@gmail.com
 
Anakbayan New Jersey commends the passage of the In-State Tuition Bill, which was signed into law by Governor Chris Christie on Friday, December 20. Through the sustained efforts of a youth-led movement, New Jersey now joins 18 other states with similar policies, marking a major milestone for grassroots community organizing in the state.
 
 
Effective immediately, undocumented youth who have attended at least 3 years of high school in New Jersey now qualify for in-state tuition rates at institutions of public higher education. Commonly referred to as the NJ DREAM Act, the bill had initially opened tuition assistance programs like Tuition Aid Grants (TAG) to undocumented students.
 
However, the Governor struck provisions for state financial aid following a compromise reached with Democratic legislators. Christie expressed misplaced concerns that such provisions would turn NJ into a “magnet state,” and that access to these programs was an overreach and harmful to the state economy.
 
These arguments are untrue because financial aid to undocumented immigrant students would make up less than 1% of state aid, with less than 1000 students per year estimated to qualify after completing the FAFSA application and meeting income standards. Moreover, states with similar laws like New Mexico, California and Texas already offer access to state aid and have not experienced negative economic consequences.
 
Up From the Grassroots
 
Though only a partial version of the NJ DREAM Act, the successful campaign for In-State Tuition is a historic victory for Filipino youth and other immigrant communities. It is the culmination of more than a decade of community organizing and lobbying. It is a glimpse of what the future can hold for strong, united and organized communities.
 
Last year, the NJ DREAM Act Coalition (NJDAC), a product of the initial push for tuition equality from 2009, partnered up with New Jersey United Students (NJUS), Anakbayan NJ (AB-NJ) and Wind of the Spirit (WOTS) to build a coalition to revive the campaign following President Obama’s announcement of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Program.
 
By building a grassroots movement of youth, community, faith-based and labor groups, reinforced with engaging with state legislators through lobbying visits, the NJ Tuition Equity for DREAMers (NJTED) campaign demonstrated the power of collective action in challenging unjust and discriminatory policies in the face of legislative bureaucracy and partisan bickering.
 
Filipino Americans- Cultivating a Culture of Solidarity
 
Filipinos in NJ had much at stake in this issue. An estimated one in every six Filipinos in the United States is undocumented. With a growing population of 125,000 Filipinos, New Jersey has the fifth largest population of Filipinos in the nation.
 
Filipino-Americans played a significant role in this year’s fight for the NJ DREAM Act, especially in Jersey City, which is home to the second highest concentration of Filipinos in the state. On February 27, Anakbayan NJ worked closely with then-Councilman-at-Large [now, Council President] Rolando Lavarro Jr. and community allies to bring forth what had been the first municipal resolution endorsing the call for tuition equality in NJ.
 
Pursuing the legacy of solidarity work from exemplary Filipino-American activists such as Larry Itliong and Philip Vera Cruz, Fil-Am youth leaders helped coordinate and organize local and statewide actions that featured the re-emerging immigrant rights movement in NJ. The “NJ DREAM Act Week of Action” in May and “Share the DREAM Rally” in November brought together groups and individuals from diverse backgrounds, united in the mission to uplift immigrant communities from the injustices caused by racism and discrimination.
 
DREAM On
 
The In-State Tuition law is a stepping stone towards further progress. Anakbayan NJ and the rest of NJTED coalition remain dedicated to genuine tuition equality and will continue fighting for a complete NJ DREAM Act, which includes the crucial piece of providing access to state financial aid to already distressed undocumented youth and their families.
 
The next immediate step is ensuring implementation of the law. In time for the spring semester, public colleges and universities must be guided, and held accountable, in the transitional process of adjusting tuition policies for undocumented students.
 
Resolution: Organize and Fight to End Modern-Day Segregation
 
AB-NJ also reaffirms its commitment to the broader cause for genuine comprehensive immigration reform in the United States, which must include an end to deportations, family separation, and institutionalized discrimination against all immigrants, while also addressing the root causes of migration.
 
This New Year, Anakbayan NJ calls on Filipino youth, especially DREAMers, to resolve to be part of this generation’s continuation of the civil rights movement. History has shown that those who dare to come out of the shadows are the ones who stand a chance at overcoming oppression.
 
Our identity as Fil-Ams takes root in five centuries worth of immigration history and community activism. Become a member or supporter of Anakbayan today! Email Yves Nibungco, Secretary General of Anakbayan NJ, at yvesnibungco@gmail.com with “AB NJ Membership” on the subject line.
 
Higher Education For All!
No Human Being is Illegal!
Fight for Genuine Comprehensive Immigration Reform!!
Dare to struggle! Dare to win!
Makibaka! Huwag Matakot! (Fight! Do not fear!) ###

A Migrant’s Message to Fellow Migrant Workers: Unite and Keep Up the Fight!

/ Anakbayan New Jersey / Leave a comment

A Migrant’s Message to Fellow Migrant Workers: Unite and Keep Up the Fight!

By Cecil Delgado

Mother, Migrant Worker, “Florida 15” Labor Trafficking Survivor, Activist

Speech to NJ youth and students, ex-Braceros at the International Assembly of Migrants and Refugees 4 (IAMR4) Information Session at St. Peter’s University on September 14, 2013

Image

Good afternoon everyone, Buenas Tardes a todos los braceros (good afternoon to all the braceros). Ako po si Cecil Delgado (I am Cecil Delgado), a mother of an 11yr old boy, a migrant worker and part of Florida 15, a Human Trafficking Survivor.

A month ago, I was asked by Yves Nibungco [secretary general of Filipino youth activist group, Anakbayan New Jersey] to share our story for the nth time. At first, I was hesitant to do this. I was scared I might say things that people wouldn’t understand. I was scared that I might fail to deliver the message. Then I remembered that around 2007, in front of 10 corporate officers and almost 200 crew members of different nationalities, I put my employment at risk by standing up and asking questions on behalf of the crew members who didn’t have the courage to speak for themselves. I never thought raising questions to management could be a reason to send me home, a reason for them to end my career as a Seafarer.

The company decided to send me home because they considered me as a threat, that I am an activist. At first, I wasn’t sure about that [being an activist], but I was sure of one thing- that I stood up and fought for I what I knew was right.

That is the reason I am standing in front of you- because by telling MY story, or OUR [Florida 15’s] story, I would be able to inspire and encourage 200 more victims to come out of the shadows, or maybe 200 more braceros to seek justice.

I hope that by sharing our story, people will be inspired and encouraged, just as how Leticia Moratal and Jackie Aguirre’s [Filipino survivors of labor trafficking in New York] stories inspired us.

As I was saying, aside from working in different hotels and high-end restaurants in the Philippines, I was a Seafarer before. I ventured into sea-based employment because aside from providing a good salary, I also got to visit different countries. Unfortunately, it ended only after 4 years of working for them.

I was helping my family run a business back in the Philippines when a friend of mine encouraged me to apply at an agency that will send workers abroad. Luckily, after a month of processing, I was hired to work as a waitress. March 2008 was when I first set my feet on Miami, Florida. 2008 was the year I migrated to the United States as a contract worker.

I personally decided to migrate simply because, as what everybody says- “We want a better future for our family”. A future that my country doesn’t offer, a future that you cannot find in the Philippines.

My initial intention was only to work, earn and save, but I ended up to be a Human Trafficking victim or a Victim of Unfair Labor Practices. I couldn’t believe that I can be a victim of such thing, because when i was applying for the job, everything seemed legitimate, fair and legal- complete trainings, paperwork, and documents from the United States were handed to me. I also didn’t know that the term “Labor Trafficking” existed. Before, whenever I hear the word “Trafficked Victim”, sex trafficking came to mind, but I was wrong.

It was only after 3 years after having resigned as an Executive Assistant of Jose Villanueva, a Filipino employer who owned SanVilla Ship, the agency that took us from the Philippines and brought us here, that it hit me- Human Trafficking is really happening here in the United States.

I never worked as a full time waitress, which my contract stated. Rather, I worked as a 24/7 Executive Assistant. In that role, I witnessed everything- payroll discrepancies, tax fraud, visa fraud, forced labor, unauthorized deductions, etc. I was also forced to multitask and maximize my time to minimize my loads. I was working 60-70 hours/wk, no overtime pay, paid less, managing almost 100 employees and attending to their concerns, meeting clients here and there, scouting, driving, managing timesheets- you name it! I did it all by myself. My experience and knowledge of the situation made it easy for me to seek Atty. Vinluan’s [Florida 15’s attorney] advice through the endorsement of the National Alliance for Filipino Concerns (NAFCON). Atty. Vinluan then validated that I was a Human Trafficking victim, along with 14 others from SanVilla Ship.

A family member once asked me if working abroad is easy or hard. The answer always depends on one’s current situation. Let’s just say it’s both easy and hard. Easy because you are earning more than what you can earn in your home country, because you can buy what you want whenever you want it, and easy because you can visit different places and meet new friends along the way.

On the other hand, it’s hard because, aside from being away from your family for an indefinite period of time, you are also putting your life in danger or putting your future at risk. Death of a family member, broken families, and separation of husband and wife are becoming part of the “unwritten contract” for migrant workers.

Being in another country is always a gamble. Almost like playing a card game; magkamali ka ng balasa, next thing you know ikaw na ung nasa box (if you shuffle the cards wrong, you end up being trapped in the box). Minsan masarap din maging migrante dahil madalas we send “balikbayan boxes” to our families, pero minsan nakakatakot din, dahil minsan ang MIGRANTE na mismo ang laman ng box (Sometimes, it feels good being an immigrant worker because we can often send “balikbayan boxes” to our families; but sometimes it is scary because many migrants also sent home in boxes [coffins].)

What is most difficult from a Mother’s/ Migrant Worker’s/ Victim’s point of view, is when you fight your battle without seeing your Government in the equation. They always forget the fact that their purpose is to first, protect the migrant workers, ensure that we are safe, ensure that we are getting the assistance and help that we need, and most importantly, to ensure na tayo po ay makakabalik pa ng buhay sa bansa nating pinaggalingan (that we are able to go back home alive, thriving).

Our case has been running for 2 years now and the Philippine government has only helped us once, with our persistence. Until now, we are still waiting for the rest of the legal assistance fund for our lawyer which they promised a year ago.

Being a Migrant Worker is not as easy as what our families, or society, think. The Florida 15 filed its case against our former employer in 2011. February of this year, we received our T-Visa and employment cards. If it wasn’t because of these Community organizations and our lawyer who have been helping and never ceased to support us, if it wasn’t because we decided to engage ourselves with them, if it wasn’t because we decided to be united, maybe we’d still be waiting for nothing to this day.

By acting together, we are now reaping the fruits of our collective efforts. Just recently, around July, I finally signed and filed a petition for my son. A son who I haven’t seen in almost 6 years, a son that I haven’t seen play basketball or soccer, a son that I haven’t watched in his swimming competitions…a son who I begged to have but had to leave.

Our Lawyer said he can arrive before this year ends. I don’t know if I should be excited to see him or scared because we may not have the same old connection as before, but I am sure that my son is one reason I have remained strong through these years.

They say “A woman becomes stronger because of the pain she has faced and won”. I believe this also goes to all the Migrant Workers. Everyday, we are facing unseen battles. Don’t step back, move forward and always think that in fighting a battle you either win or lose; but what matters is you chose to stand up and fight for your rights.

To ALL the Migrant Workers out there, times have molded us. We have had enough pain and suffering. This is the time that we need to put our actions together. It may not be an easy path, but things always get better if we are ALL in the fight together.

Muli, ako po si Cecil Delgado (Again, I am Cecil Delgado), a Mother, a Migrant Worker, once a Victim but now a SURVIVOR, and Migranteng Militante (fighting migrant) in rising!

Marami pong salamat at Mabuhay ang Migranteng Manggagawa (Thank you very much and long live the migrant workers)!

~~~~~

The IAMR4 brings to the forefront the voices of migrants and refugees internationally for a 5 day convergence. The conference will counter the United Nation’s High Level Dialogue on migration and development that has historically excluded the true conditions and voices of migrants and refugees. For more information, visit http://iamr4.com/. To register to the IAMR4 conference this coming Oct. 1-5, 2013 in New York City, click here.

We Are Human Beings! We are Not for Sale!
We Refuse to Let Corporate Agendas Plan our Lives!
We Speak for Ourselves!

Info Session on the International Assembly of Migrants & Refugees 4

/ Anakbayan New Jersey / Leave a comment

 

 

 

 

Image

 

Come join us for an info session regarding the International Assembly of Migrants & Refugees 4 and learn how you can get involved.

What: Info Session on IAMR4
When: Sept. 14, Saturday | 5pm – 8pm
Where: Pope Lecture hall, Saint Peter’s University | 2641 Kennedy Boulevard Jersey City, NJ 07306

The IAMR4 brings to the forefront the voices of migrants and refugees internationally for a 3 day convergence. The conference will counter the United Nation’s High Level Dialogue on migration and development that has historically excluded the true conditions and voices of migrants and refugees. 

We Are Human Beings! We are Not for Sale!
We Refuse to Let Corporate Agendas Plan our Lives!
We Speak for Ourselves!

———————————————————————————-
GUEST SPEAKERS

Cris Hilo, IAMR4 Coordinator
– For the past six years, Cris Hilo has been educating, organizing, and mobilizing in the Filipino community around immigrant rights and issues of violence against women and children with Filipinas for Rights and Empowerment (FiRE-NYC) GABRIELA USA. 

Cecil Delgado 
– 33yrs old, from Makati City and a mother of a young 9yr old boy who is currently in the Philippines. She is one of the fifteen Filipino trafficking survivors from Florida now known as the “Florida 15”. She used to work as a shift leader in one of the fine dining spanish restaurant in Manila and had worked as a waitress for four years on board a passenger cruise line bound for Europe. She came here in the US in 2008 and have worked as the Executive Assistant of Jose Villanueva, CEO of Sanvilla.

Coordinadora Binacional de Ex Braceros (COBIEB)
– has been organizing since 1998 for the pensions of the Ex Braceros. COBIEB is a groups of Ex-Braceros and their family members still fighting for justice. To this day, there has been no remittance of their pensions from the U.S. and Mexican governments. Braceros were more than 4.6 million Mexican workers who labored in the fields and construction sites of the United States from1942 – 1964 in order to support the US during and after World War II. “Bracero” comes from the word “brazo” which means “arm” since most of the work was primarily manual labor as farmworkers.

———————————————

For more information please contact, email us at anakbayannj@gmail.com or callYves Nibungco, 2017376661 or Catalina Adorno, 2013818254
———————————————-
www.iamr4.com

www.anakbayannynj.wordpress.com