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FEBRUARY 26 - MARCH 4, 2021 Volume 14 - No. 17 • 16 Pages
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DATELINE Family takes legal action for death of Fil-Am Navy veteran who died in Antioch police custody FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA
Also published in LOS ANGELES, ORANGE COUNTY/INLAND EMPIRE, LAS VEGAS, NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
De Blasio warns against Asian hate incidents in NYC by MOMAR
G. VISAYA
AJPress
“Let’s be clear, if you’re even thinking about committing a hate crime, if you dare to raise your hand against a member of our Asian com-
munities, you will suffer the consequences. We have the strongest efforts in this country to fight hate crimes. The NYPD is focused like never before on finding anyone who commits a hate crime and making sure they suffer the penalties they deserve for what they’ve done.”
That was the warning issued by New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio on Tuesday, Feb. 23 in response to the rising number of reported violent hate incidents against Asian-Americans across the city.
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California lawmakers introduce measures to combat hate crimes
A FILIPINO American family in Antioch, California has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the city arguing that their 30-yearold son died after a police officer knelt on his neck for almost five minutes. Angelo Quinto, a Navy veteran who was
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$1.4 million allocated to track anti-Asian incidents by CHRISTINA
M. ORIEL
AJPress
HALF A MILLION. U.S. President Joe Biden marked the grim milestone of 500,000 Americans killed by COVID-19 with the somber ceremony on Monday evening, February 22 at the White House. He was joined by first lady Jill Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and second gentleman Doug Emhoff during the candle-lighting ceremony and a moment of silence. White House photo
CALIFORNIA legislators this week are seeking to address the recent surge of hate and violence against members of the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community with proposals to increase funding and resources for victims. Through Assembly Bill 85 — a fiscal measure to provide more resources as part of the state’s pandemic response — AssemCalifornia Assemblymember Rob Bonta (D-Alameda) speaks during a press conference at the state Capitol on Monday, February blymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) se22 to introduce AB 886, a measure to address the recent surge in hate attacks with community-based solutions. He was joined by cured $1.4 million to help track and collect representatives of the Asian, Latino, Black, Jewish and LGBTQ legislative caucuses. Photo courtesy of Assembly Democratic Caucus
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Steven Raga announces bid NYC’s target: 5 million US tops 500K for New York City Council seat fully vaccinated by June 2 other Fil-Ams running as well COVID deaths by MOMAR
G. VISAYA
AJPress
by AJPRESS
HALF a million people in the United States have lost their lives to the novel coronavirus. According to a Reuters tally of public health data, the country logged more than 28 million COVID-19 cases and
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THREE Filipino Americans are attempting to break the glass ceiling in New York City politics, running for city council posts in the upcoming June primary elections. Steven Raga is running for District 26 (Queens), Deirdre Levy for District 35 (Brooklyn), and Marni Halasa for District 3 (Manhattan). Raga announced his run on Sun-
day, Feb. 21 through a Zoom event attended by about a hundred community leaders and supporters. “I feel like this is the right time, with all the attacks on our community and to see our elders suffer, it hit home. After the mayor played it down, a lot of people in our community encouraged me to
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MAYOR Bill de Blasio wants about five million New Yorkers to be fully vaccinated by June. “We are on track – I’ve been asked this, and I want to affirm. We can reach five million vaccinations. We can reach five million New Yorkers fully vaccinated by June,” de Blasio said
on Wednesday, Feb. 23. “So long as the supply is consistent and then starts to grow week by week. And that’s what the federal government is telling us will happen.” He is optimistic that the target is achievable despite the temporary setbacks brought about by the delay in delivering the shipment of vaccines due to
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From the Front Page
Slow coronavirus vaccine distribution highlights social disparities in health care FOR many people in the United States, confirmation of the COVID-19 vaccine late last year was a beacon of hope and a signal for the end of the global nightmare. But the rollout of both the Pfizer and Modern vaccines has left a lot to be desired, especially in Los Angeles County where cumulative COVID-19 deaths and positive cases have exceeded 20,000 and 1.18 million, respectively, as of Tuesday, Feb. 23 “The COVID-19 pandemic has shed so much light on the racial and disparities and the inequities of our systems of power that are largely divided along demographic lines,” said Myla Ramirez, a Filipina American nurse at Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center. Ramirez told the Asian Journal that there is very little data disaggregation related to who is getting the vaccine. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation only 23 states in the U.S. share disaggregated vaccination data categorized by race, which, according Ramirez, tells “us almost nothing” about which specific Asian and Pacific Islander (API) communities are actually getting vaccinated. “How many Filipinos are being vaccinated? Are Filipinos willing to get vaccinated? What about the other communities that fit under
the Asian Pacific Islander umbrella, many members of which don’t speak English?” Ramirez pondered. The language barriers, specifically, make it difficult for many patients — from both the massive Spanish-speaking communities and API, a community that consists of more than 50 unique languages — to receive health care in general, and COVID-19 assistance and treatment, specifically. Adam Carbullido, director of policy and advocacy at the Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations (AAPCHO), said during a Feb. 12 press briefing with ethnic news outlets that Congress should priority and implement more funding and resources for community-based organizations, which have largely been “in the frontline providing care and services when government and private institutions have fallen short.” Carbullido said, “These clinics need more interpreters and materials translated into different languages. It is important to have providers on hand who can speak the patient’s language of choice.” Referencing the recent spike in anti-Asian assaults and violence throughout the country,
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DANGEROUS JOB. Workers use safety harnesses tied to scaffolding as they repaint a seven-story building on Regalado Avenue in Fairview, Quezon City on Tuesday, February 23. They have two weeks to finish the repainting of the exterior of the building. PNA photo by Oliver Marquez
USCIS reverts to 2008 version of citizenship test by AJPress THE United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it will be reverting to the 2008 version of the naturalization civics test beginning March 1, 2021. The agency on Dec. 1, 2020 revised the civics test as part of a decennial review and update but it “determined the 2020 civics test development process, content, testing procedures, and implementation schedule may inadvertently create potential barriers to the naturalization process,” according to a news release on Monday, Feb. 22. The civics test is administered to applicants who
apply for U.S. citizenship through naturalization and is one of the statutory requirements for naturalizing. Applicants must demonstrate a knowledge and understanding of the fundamentals of the history, principles, and form of government of the United States. Applications who filed their application for naturalization on or after Dec. 1, 2020 and before March 1, 2021 will be given the option to take either the 2020 or 2008 tests. The 2020 version of civic test asks applicants 20 questions from a list of 128 possible questions. Applicants are required to answer at least 12 of the 20 questions correctly to pass.
The 2020 test will be phased out on April 19 for initial test takers. Meanwhile, those who file for naturalization after March 1 will take the 2008 test. Those who take the 2008 test will need to study 100 questions about American government and history and must answer correctly six of the 10 questions (or 60%) to pass. All questions on the test are asked orally. Applicants are given two opportunities to pass the naturalization test. If they fail any part of the naturalization test during the first interview, they will be retested only on the portion of the test that they failed failed, between 60 and 90 days from the date of the initial interview. n
NYC’s target: 5 million fully... PAGE 1 the winter storms around the country. Since the beginning of the vaccination effort, 1,547,983 vaccinations have been given in New York City, according to the mayor. “That is more than the entire population of San Antonio, Texas, which is now the seventh-largest city in the United States. So, if this effort keeps moving and moving, we’re going to keep telling you the milestones as we hit them. And I’m looking forward to the day when we tell you five million New Yorkers have been fully vaccinated,” he said. The mayor also reiterated his call for New Yorkers to continue wearing masks, or even two as the Centers for Disease Control and Pre-
vention suggested earlier this month. According to research, the risk of transmitting the virus falls more than 95% if both parties wore double masks. “June is the earliest we would even consider changing guidance around masks. It may be that we continue that guidance for quite a while depending on what is going on. We are very concerned about the variants -- that’s a big X factor,” de Blasio said further. New York City reported 3,254 new cases on Tuesday and 233 new hospitalizations. The city’s positivity rate stands on a seven-day rolling average at 7.32%. City officials are working hard to drive down these case numbers even further, according to Commissioner
Dave Chokshi of the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Double masking is one of the things Chokshi mentioned, even for those who have been fully vaccinated. “We now have this valuable new weapon in our arsenal, the vaccine, but we have to think about it as something that is an additional layer of protection to all of the things that we know have already worked, and that includes mask-wearing,” he said. “The most important thing remains that people wear them consistently and properly covering their nose and mouth, both indoors and outdoors. But we also suggested that two masks and higher-grade masks should become more common among New Yorkers as well.” n
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NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • FEBRUARY 26 - MARCH 4, 2021
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California lawmakers introduce measures to combat... PAGE 1 data on anti-Asian hate incidents. “The rise in hate incidents against Asian Americans during the pandemic is alarming. But, we can’t solve a problem without knowing how big it is,” Ting, chair of the Assembly Budget Committee, said in a statement
on Monday, February 22. The funding will support the efforts of Stop AAPI Hate, an online reporting site started by the Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council, Chinese for Affirmative Action and San Francisco State University’s Asian American Studies department to gather incidents
of xenophobia, racism and discrimination. “New state funding allows the data gathering to continue, and the research will ultimately lead us to solutions that will make all communities safer,” Ting added. The bill was signed by Governor Gavin Newsom on
Tuesday as part of the Golden State Stimulus package. From March, when Stop AAPI Hate was started, to the end of 2020, the center received over 2,808 firsthand accounts of anti-Asian hate, ranging from shunning to physical attacks. During the same period, 126 accounts
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Family takes legal action for death of Fil-Am Navy... PAGE 1 born in the Philippines, was suffering a mental health crisis on the night of December 23, 2020, prompting his sister to call 911 for help. But what transpired is renewing questions about whether police are equipped to respond to such episodes. “I was just hoping they could deescalate the situation,” Isabella Collins, Quinto’s younger sister, said during a press conference on Thursday, February 19. His family reported that his behavior changed after sustaining a head injury earlier last year, which led to him experiencing bouts of paranoia and anxiety. When police arrived at the house, Quinto was holding onto his mother, Cassandra Quinto-Collins, and reportedly would not let go. A cellphone video shot by Quinto-Collins — presented by the family’s attorney on Thursday — shows him unresponsive on the floor after an officer pinned and subdued him with a knee to the back of his neck for nearly five minutes, while another officer held him by the legs. The former sailor repeated, “Please don’t kill me,” as he lost consciousness. The video then shows a handcuffed Quinto turned onto his back with blood streaming out of his mouth. “The most tragic part of this is the ‘George Floyd hold,’” said John Burris, a civil rights attorney representing the family. “On the way down he said, ‘Please don’t kill me’ and they muttered some words like ‘We’re not going to kill you,’ but in moments they had.” Quinto never regained consciousness and was taken by an ambulance. He died at Sutter Delta Medical Center three days later. The family has filed a wrongful death claim against the Antioch Police Department and is seeking answers after minimal information has been released.
The police department has not given an official cause of death and has not revealed the officers’ names and whether they were wearing body cameras at the scene. Supporters and family rallied on Thursday for more humane treatment of people in mental distress, as well as for a ban on the controversial chokehold. “This is wrongful death in the sense that their conduct caused the death of this person. This was a healthy person before, and now his life is gone,” said Burris. Family members remembered Quinto for his love of video games, fishing and scuba diving. He was medically discharged from duty in 2019 because of a food allergy, the family told the San Francisco Chronicle. Quinto’s sister said she has remorse about calling the police and that she hopes no one has to regret “doing what they think is the right thing.” With Quinto gone, they are seeking justice and changes to the police department, such as the end of the kneeto-neck restraint used on Quinto as well as in other high-profile cases, such as in the death of George Floyd last year. “I want to bring him back, but if we can’t do that, we want justice in any way we can get it,” Collins said. “We want a new number to call, someone who can help us with mental health crises and other related domestic incidents.” They also are calling for a mental health crisis response team that can respond to similar situations, and body cameras and dash cameras for police officers in the department. The police department has not provided any new information regarding the case, as of press time. Meanwhile, the Contra Costa District Attorney is conducting an automatic and procedural investigation. (by Christina M. Oriel and Ritchel Mendiola/AJPress) n
Photo courtesy of Raga for Queens
Steven Raga announces...
Family members remember Angelo Quinto, a 30-year-old Navy veteran, as someone who enjoyed fishing, scuba diving and video games. Quinto died on Dec. 26, 2020, three days after a police officer reportedly knelt on his neck during a mental health episode. Photo courtesy of Quinto family
Isabella Collins, Angelo Quinto’s younger sister, speaks during a press conference outside their Antioch, California home on Thursday, February 19.
Civil rights attorney John Burris, who is representing the Quinto family’s case against the city of Antioch, presents photos and a video from the incident on Dec. 23, 2020 during a press conference on Thursday, February 19. Photos courtesy of John Burris Law Offices
PAGE 1 run,” Raga said after the announcement. “In general, we’re not at the table at a lot of these big decisions,” said Raga, who has worked in the government for years. “Big policy decisions hurt us most, along with that on the budget side. We don’t get as much in proportion to our population, definitely not anywhere near there.” The 36-year-old Raga has seen up close how community organizations need funding in order to operate and provide social services. More often than not, these local organizations don’t get the funding simply because Filipinos are not represented when it comes to decisionmaking. “We’ve been in the margins for too long,” Raga quipped. The primary election for each party is scheduled for June 22, 2021, the first to use ranked-choice voting after it was approved by a ballot question in 2019. A total of 29 current city council members are prevented from seeking a third consecutive term due to term limits that were renewed by voters in a ballot referendum in 2010. Among them are the incumbent city council members where Raga, Levy, and Halasa are running. As of press time, Levy is in a field of ten candidates while Halasa is running against five other candidates. Raga is among 21 candidates for District 26, which includes Woodside, Sunnyside, parts of Astoria, and Long Island City. Raga currently works as the Northeast Regional Manager for Policy & Advocacy for the
Susan G. Komen Foundation where he oversees healthcare legislation in 11 states. He hopes that by running, he’d be able to help more. “The rent is still high even during COVID-19, folks couldn’t afford it anymore. People got hit by multiple pandemics,” he said. “How we can defend the residents in the neighborhood from being homeless and getting evicted? Some of us are a few paychecks away from eviction.” Most recently, Raga served as Chief of Staff to Assemblyman Brian Barnwell and previously served as Senior Strategist for Multicultural Leadership at AARP. Currently, he is also a NY State Advisory Committee Member for the US Federal Commission on Civil Rights appointed under President Obama, where they have produced reports on policing, education, and prison reform. Raga has been a member of Queens Community Board 2 since 2016 and currently sits on the boards of Woodside on the Move, Queens Pride, and the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA). He is currently Jay Kriegel Fellow for Public Service Leadership at the CUNY Institute for State & Local Governance, and the Founder of Pilipino American Unity for Progress (UniPro) which he founded in Woodside in 2009. At the announcement over the weekend, community leaders such as former Ambassador Mario de Leon and Loida Lewis expressed their support and said Raga is well prepared for the post and described him as a competent and credible leader. (By Momar G. Visaya/AJPress) n
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NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • FEBRUARY 26 - MARCH 4, 2021
OPINION
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FeATUres
Shuttered businesses
PASAY City expanded on Tuesday, February 23 from 34 to 55 the number of barangays under granular lockdown because of a surge in COVID cases. The Pasay government has also sent an SOS to the Department of Health amid fears that the city is facing a transmission of the coronavirus variant first detected in the United Kingdom, which is said to be highly infectious. One of the confirmed UK variant cases in the Philippines is a Pasay resident, a 46year-old mother of a worker at the Metro Rail Transit-3 depot where a cluster of COVID-19 infections has been reported. The growing problem in Pasay illustrates the continuing unpredictability of COVID19. It also shows that President Duterte’s decision to maintain the quarantine status in Metro Manila and several other areas is sensible. The President decided that without a vaccine rollout, areas under general community quarantine including Metro Manila could not be eased to the most lenient modified GCQ by March 1, as suggested by the National Economic and Development Authority. The
President, apart from deferring the shift to MGCQ, also rejected proposals for limited face-to-face classes. While some business leaders acknowledged the issues that were considered in the President’s decision, they also expressed concern over the possibility that full economic reopening might have to wait until 2022. Last year, at least 119,596 registered businesses were forced to shut down, costing the government P7.767 billion in “forgone revenues,” the Bureau of Internal Revenue told the House of Representatives. Apart from revenue losses from shuttered business enterprises, livelihoods in the informal economy have been decimated by the COVID pandemic. With the shift to MGCQ in Metro Manila, the country’s economic cen-
Editorial
Philstar.com photo
ter, rejected by the President, NEDA is revisiting its 2021 target for gross domestic product growth, as analysts warn that recovery will be slow for the Philippines. Protecting lives and reviving livelihoods will depend heavily on the start of mass CO-
VID vaccination. Even President Duterte, according to Malacañang, is becoming impatient. The economic prognosis and the risks posed by the more infectious COVID variants should provide more impetus for speeding up the vaccination rollout. (Philstar.com)
Supreme Court ruling schools Trump: No president is above the law The Fil-Am Perspective GEL SANTOS-RELOS DONALD TRUMP might have been “acquitted” by his power-hungry Republican minions in Congress twice after being impeached by the House of Representatives twice despite his abuse of power and obstruction of justice in 2020 and for incit-
ing January 6 insurrection in the nation’s Capitol. But the Supreme Court handed down a ruling that reminded Donald Trump that no one, not even the president of the United States, is above the law. As the New York Times broke the news on Monday, February 22: “The Supreme Court on Monday rejected a last-ditch attempt by former President Donald J. Trump to shield his financial records, issuing a brief, unsigned order that ended Mr. Trump’s bitter 18-
month battle to stop prosecutors in Manhattan from poring over his tax returns as they investigate possible financial crimes. The court’s order was a decisive defeat for Mr. Trump, who had gone to extraordinary lengths to keep his tax returns and related documents secret, taking his case to the Supreme Court twice. There were no dissents noted.” Yes, NO DISSENT. Not even from the justices he appointed to the highest court. These honorable justices did
not betray their oath just to please Trump, who has demonstrated consistently his “quid pro quo” style of leadership. The Washington Post reported that the Supreme Court also “turned away Republican challenges to the presidential election results in Pennsylvania, refusing to take up a months-long dispute over extending the deadline in that state for receiving mail-in ballots.” The Post further reported: “It was part of a purge of sorts. The high court formal-
ly dismissed a range of suits filed by Donald Trump and his allies in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, Georgia and Arizona — all states won by Democrat Joe Biden. The court’s intent in most of those had been signaled when it refused to expedite consideration of them before Biden was inaugurated as president. The case about deadlines for receiving mail-in ballots was different, though. Three justices — Clarence Thomas, Samuel A. Alito Jr. and Neil M. Gorsuch — said it de-
served the court’s attention, even though the number of votes at issue would not call into question Biden’s victory.” These are great signs that justice is still alive in the United States, and that more democratic institutions are doing their role of checks and balances and demanding accountability from former President Donald Trump, after his efforts to trample on our democracy to feed his insatiable greed for power, money and ego. PAGE 10
The views expressed by our Op-Ed contributors are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect the predilection of the editorial board and staff of Asian Journal. ADVERTISING AND ADVERTORIAL POLICIES ROGER LAGMAY ORIEL Publisher & Chairman of the Board
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Dateline PhiliPPines
Pasig Mayor Vico Sotto recognized by US as anti-corruption champion by Ritchel
Mendiola AJPress
Former Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle
CBCP photo
Cardinal Tagle appointed to Vatican’s central bank
by Ritchel
Mendiola AJPress
CARDINAL Luis Antonio Tagle, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, has been appointed by Pope Francis as a member of a powerful body that acts as the Vati-
can’s “central bank.” Tagle was appointed as a member of the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See (APSA), which acts as the equivalent of a treasury and also oversees real estate holdings and other sovereign assets, the Catholic Bishops’ Con-
ference of the Philippines (CBCP) announced on Tuesday, February 24. The office also administers payroll and operating expenses for Vatican City. It is currently headed by Italian Bishop Nunzio Galantino. PAGE 8
PASIG City Mayor Victor “Vico” Sotto is one of the 12 individuals recognized by the United States Department of State as an international anti-corruption champion. The Biden administration launched the International Anticorruption Champions Award to recognize individuals who have worked to defend transparency, combat corruption, and ensure accountability in their own countries, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced on Monday, February 23. “Around the world, corruption threatens security and stability, hinders economic growth, undermines democracy and human
rights, destroys trust in public institutions, facilitates transnational crime, and siphons away public and private resources,” said Blinken.
Screenshot from Twitter
“The Biden Administration recognizes that we will only be successful in combating these issues by working in concert with PAGE 10
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SC postpones oral arguments on terror law by EvElyn
Macairan Philstar.com
RIVER CLEANUP. Quezon City Task Force on Solid Waste Management, Riverways Cleaning Operations Group personnel collect trash and debris in a river in Project-3, Quezon City on Tuesday, February 23. The city government wants to ensure that waterways are cleared of debris and other waste materials. PNA photo by Joey O. Razon
US tops 500K COVID deaths... PAGE 1 500,264 fatalities on Monday, February 22. The grim number of deaths “matches the number of Americans killed in World War II, Korea and Vietnam combined,” the Associated Press reported. The U.S. recorded an estimated 405,000 deaths in World War II, 58,000 in the Vietnam War and 36,000 in the Korean War. “These numbers are stunning,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the nation’s top infectious disease expert, said in a “Good Morning America” interview. “If you look back historically, we’ve done worse than almost any other country and we’re a highly developed, rich country,” he added. To mark the grim milestone, U.S. President Joe Biden held a sunset moment of silence and a candle-lighting ceremony at the White House. He also ordered the American flags lowered to half-staff on public buildings and grounds
until February 26. Bells also tolled at the National Cathedral in Washington to honor the lives lost. “As a nation, we can’t accept such a cruel fate. We’ve been fighting this pandemic for so long. We have to resist becoming numb to the sorrow,” said Biden. He added, “We have to resist viewing each life as a statistic or a blur or on the news. We must do so to honor the dead, but equally important care for the living, those they left behind.” Biden urged Americans to stay vigilant and follow safety protocols amid the pandemic. “I ask all Americans to remember, remember those we lost and those they left behind. I also ask us to act, to remain vigilant, to say socially distant, to mask up, to get vaccinated,” he said. “We have to fight this together as one people, as the United States of America,” he added. The president was joined by first lady Jill Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and second gentleman
Doug Emhoff in marking a moment of silence in front of 500 candles representing the death toll. In a separate tweet, Biden said: “500,000 lives lost to COVID-19. It’s an unfathomable number, but each one represents a family that will never again be whole. To those who have lost loved ones: I know no words can numb the pain, but I hope you find some solace in knowing the nation grieves with you.” The U.S. has reported more COVID-19 cases and deaths than any other country in the world. However, average daily deaths and cases have plummeted in the past few weeks, as reported by AP. The fatalities have fallen from more than 4,000 reported on some days in January to an average of fewer than 1,900 per day. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also said that about 19.4 million Americans have been fully vaccinated as of Sunday, while more than 44.1 million Americans have received their first dose. n
Cardinal Tagle appointed... PAGE 6 Also appointed to the body as a member is Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson, prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development. “APSA has around a hundred employees and collaborators, and a commission of eight cardinals who work alongside the president,” said the CBCP. “Pope Francis has recent-
ly brought under the control of APSA the financial investments and real estate holdings owned by the Secretariat of State — the central administration of the Vatican,” it added. Tagle has been in the Vatican since February 2020 when he was appointed as the Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, usually referred to by its historic name of
Propaganda Fide. According to Catholic News Agency, the Propaganda Fide is one of the largest curial departments, with a size and scope exceeding almost any other. It is also the most financially autonomous curial department. As the Propaganda Fide, Tagle is tasked with the Church’s missionary works and territories. In May 2020, Tagle was
MANILA — The Supreme Court (SC) has suspended today’s fourth oral arguments on the petition questioning the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 (ATA) after some justices went on precautionary quarantine. A source revealed that one of the high court’s justices tested positive for COVID-19. But while the magistrate’s subsequent tests showed a negative result, some justices decided on the side of caution to self-quarantine because of their interaction during sessions. “Considering that some of the justices are on self-quarantine as a health precaution against COVID-19, you are hereby informed, per instruction of the Honorable Supreme Court, of the sus-
pension of the oral arguments scheduled on Feb. 23, 2021,” said SC Clerk of Court Edgar Aricheta. The oral arguments, he added, will resume on March 2. Last week, Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta said the high court was expecting to finish with the interpellation of seven lawyers representing the petitioners in today’s scheduled oral arguments. This would then allow the court to move on to the interpellation of the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) that would represent the government officials-respondents in the 37 petitions. So far, only seven of the 15 SC justices have finished their interpellation of the petitioners’ counsel. The eighth to interpellate is SC Associate Justice Amy Lazaro-Javier
who would continue with her questioning in the next scheduled oral arguments. “We never expected that a lot of us would like to ask a lot of questions… I understand that there are justices who would like to interpellate some of the counsel of petitioners. I hope that by Tuesday we will end the interpellation of petitioners, so the solicitor general can start the interpellation and also the statement before the court,” Peralta said. The SC selected its former chief justice Reynato Puno and former associate justice Francis Jardeleza as amici curiae for the oral arguments. The petitioners questioned the implementation of the ATA, claiming it is unconstitutional and violates several basic rights. They asked to have the law declared null and void. n
De Blasio warns against Asian hate... PAGE 1 De Blasio’s daily press briefing also focused on the city’s efforts to curb the rising violence against the Asian American community. “Now, every community suffered, but there’s been a particular pain, a particular horrible challenge faced by the Asian-American community. Because on top of all the suffering from the coronavirus itself, on top of losing loved ones, losing businesses, people have had to confront horrible discrimination and hatred. From the very beginning, even before we had a single case in New York City, Asian American communities were suffering discrimination, Asian American businesses saw their customers no longer come,” he said. The mayor assured that the NYPD is “focused like never before” on finding anyone who commits a hate crime and making sure they suffer promoted by Pope Francis to the rank of cardinalbishop, the highest position within the Church’s College of Cardinals. He is the first Filipino to be named cardinal-bishop. In July 2020, Tagle was named member of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue. He is also currently serving his second and last term as president of Caritas Internationalis, a confederation of Catholic charities around the world. n
the penalties they deserve for what they’ve done. He also mentioned the NYPD’s Asian Hate Crime Task Force, which is working closely with communities, the Office for Preventing Hate Crimes and other City agencies, and the City Human Rights Commission. The NYPD put together a specific group of officers from Asian communities who speak languages and dialects from multiple communities to help in all aspects of an investigation. “We have 25 of the best Asian-American detectives in the world, speaking 11 different languages. These detectives have the background and skillset to effectively help the Asian Americans living here in New York City,” said Deputy Inspector Stewart Loo, Commanding Officers of the Asian Hate Crimes Task Force. “The task force is here and we are here to guarantee there’s a strong appropriate response to the hate that’s infecting our city.” City officials are encouraging all New Yorkers to get involved in efforts to stop hatred against Asian communities. A website (nyc.gov/stopasianhate) has been set up to let people know about what they can do to help or report an attack or a bias crime and learn about the efforts that are being made all over the city. Inspector Loo said that there were 28 reported incidents of COVID-related hate crimes against Asians last year; they had three in 2019 and for 2021, they have re-
ceived two. Out of the 28 incidents, they have made 18 arrests. “Of course, we’d like to have 28 out of 28, but most of the investigation are still active. Out of the pending 28 arrests that we made they’re in criminal court, in their respective boroughs. So, we’re working very closely with the Hate Crimes Division of the respective DA’s offices to maximize those charges and bring the best investigation forward to prosecute these criminals,” Loo said. Rep. Grace Meng, who was part of the briefing, thanked other communities of color for their support. “That allyship is incredibly welcome and meaningful. Here in New York, we recently saw cases of hate incidents, from the Filipino man who was slashed across the face on the New York subway to the Asian American in my district who was violently shoved to the ground,” Meng said. Noel Quintana is the Filipino man Meng mentioned. He was on the L train from Brooklyn on his way to work when his face was slashed. “Although Donald Trump is no longer in office, his past anti-Asian rhetoric and use of terms like Chinese virus, kung flu continues to threaten the safety of our community in New York and around the country. So many AsianAmericans literally live in fear and are afraid to leave their homes because they don’t know what might happen to them,” Meng added. n
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PH CARABAO MURAL. A mural of a Philippine Carabao is seen at the Quezon City Pre-War Water Towers at the corner of 15th Ave. and Col. Bonny Serrano, Barangay Socorro in Quezon City on Wednesday, February 24. The massive concrete structures have been there since the American occupation in the 1930s. PNA photo by Rico H. Borja
California lawmakers introduce measures... PAGE 4 involved Asian Americans over the age of 60. California accounted for the highest number of reports with 43% or more than 1,200 incidents. However, community leaders and activists say that the number of incidents targeting AAPIs is underreported due to factors like language and cultural barriers that prevent victims from speaking up. In the first two months of this year alone, several unprovoked attacks against AAPIs, particularly elderly individuals, have been documented in the Bay Area. Vicha Ratanapakdee, an 84-year-old immigrant from Thailand, died of injuries after being shoved to the ground during his morning walk in the Anza Vista neighborhood of San Francisco on January 28. The 19-year-old suspect was arrested on suspicion of murder and elder abuse. Another viral video shows an unidentified 91-year-old man pushed in Oakland’s Chinatown. The suspect, 28year-old Yahya Muslim, was later arrested and accused of assaulting two other seniors that same day. Incidents have also been recorded elsewhere, showing an alarming trend nationwide. Noel Quintana, a 61-year-old Filipino man, was riding the New York subway on his way to work when he was slashed in the face by another passenger, requiring almost 100 stitches. “Because of hate, our
Asian American community has been yelled at, spat on, shoved down and beat up, punched in the face, slashed and disfigured, and murdered,” Assemblymember Rob Bonta (D-Alameda) said during a press conference at the south steps of the state Capitol on Monday. Bonta, the state’s first Filipino American legislator, recounted how the recent attacks reminded him of when his mother was shoved to the ground and robbed while leaving work years ago. “I haven’t thought about that in a while. The surge in hate crimes has reopened old wounds and created new ones,” he said. “Our community is in pain. We’re hurting. Many are scared and many like me are angry.” Bonta blamed former President Donald Trump for using terms like “China virus” and “Kung flu” to describe the coronavirus, which has fueled the rise in incidents since the beginning of the pandemic. The lawmaker was joined by representatives of the Asian, Latino, Black, Jewish and LGBTQ caucuses as they introduced several bills. Among the proposals include providing culturally sensitive support for victims, increasing training for law enforcement to document and collect data, and establishing a state government commission to monitor hate crimes. Bonta’s bill, AB 886, seeks to fund community-based
organizations that provide culturally competent mental health services for victims of hate violence and restorative justice programs, and to expand eligibility for victims of hate violence to access compensation funds even if they do not file a police report. The measure also address prevention through “to proactively increase the likelihood that an individual who caused the harm would not do additional harm,” Bonta said. Assemblymembers Al Muratsuchi (D-Torrance) and David Chiu (D-San Francisco) also introduced AB 557, a bill that that would direct the state’s Department of Justice to establish a tollfree hotline and an online reporting system that would make it easier to report hate crimes and incidents. Last week, House Democrats came together to denounce the attacks and pushed for more action from the Department of Justice to prevent future incidents. President Joe Biden on January 26 signed an executive order to combat xenophobia and racism against AAPIs, which includes a directive for the Department of Justice to expand the collection of data and public reporting of hate incidents. While the order was welcomed, many AAPI organizations and advocates said the administration can take bolder action to stop the incidents and address other pandemic-related issues the community is experiencing. n
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Slow coronavirus...
PAGE 7 Carbullido acknowledged the fact that APIs are not as likely as other ethnic minorities to seek out mental health services. Along with the generations-long stigma of mental health care among the API community, the lack of resources available to certain ethnic communities does nothing to help the community-wide emotional toil that the API community at large has endured throughout the pandemic. “Patients report fear of seeking health and the care they need,” Carbullido added. “It is a true emotional trauma in Asian American communities and the men-
tal health consequences will have long-standing complications for health.” The Kaiser Family Foundation vaccine monitor shared last week that there is a pattern of Black and Hispanic people getting vaccinated at low rates across the country. In Delaware, where Black individuals comprised of 24% of the infections, the Black community comprise of only 6% of all vaccinations. Among the Latino community, only 6% have been vaccinated in Colorado despite infection rates exceeding 37% as of Tuesday; in Oregon, only 6% have been vaccinated with a steady 35% infection rate and in Texas, which is experiencing
statewide panic over power outages and freezing temperatures, only 16% have received vaccinations even though Latinos comprise of almost half the state’s infections. “This needs to be immediately corrected. We need a gigantic digital patient engagement project,” Dr. Daniel Turner-Lloveras, MD said during the Feb. 12 briefing. “If we are to measure and quantify the disparity, it is very difficult to find a solution [in vaccine distribution].” As of mid-February, LA County has administered 1,676,900 doses of the COVID vaccine. Of that figure, 19.1% of Asian residents have received at least 1 dose of the vaccine. (Klarize Medenilla/AJPress) n
Supreme Court ruling schools...
PAGE 5 Now that Trump is no longer in power, he has lost the shield he had been desperately trying to hold onto in order to protect himself from all the legal battles that await him, on both personal and political fronts. Congress has also started hearings to investigate deeper into what led to the January 6 insurrection, make people accountable, and write legislation to prevent this tragedy from happening again. Another reason to be optimistic that the rule of law will be upheld again pursuant to the provisions of the Constitution is President Joe Biden’s nomination of Merrick Garland to be the United States’ attorney general. In his Senate confirmation hearing on Monday, February 22, Garland vowed “to keep politics out of the Justice Department and to fully prosecute the “heinous” crimes committed in the attack on the U.S. Capitol in the deadly riot on January 6,” CNN reported Garland was former President Barack Obama’s nominee for the Supreme Court in 2016, but the Republicanled Senate never even got to have confirmation hearings for his nomination. As the National Public Radio (NPR) chronicled: “Widely regarded as a moderate, Garland had been praised in the past by many Republicans, including influential senators such as Orrin Hatch of Utah. But even before Obama had named Garland, and in fact only hours after Scalia’s
death was announced, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell declared any appointment by the sitting president to be null and void. He said the next Supreme Court justice should be chosen by the next president — to be elected later that year.” Lo and behold! We knew what happened: The Senate Republicans went against their rationale that denied Garland any confirmation hearing. Instead, on September 25, 2020 — an election year — Trump nominated Amy Coney Barrett to succeed Ruth Bader Ginsburg as an associate justice of the Supreme Court. The Republicans in Congress rushed the confirmation hearings despite the urgency of COVID-19 issues and on October 26, 2020, Barrett was confirmed. The confirmation of Garland as attorney general means finally, after four years of having AGs whom Trump used as his own lawyer, we will have in Garland someone who will represent us, the American people. “If confirmed, I will supervise the prosecution of white supremacists and others who stormed the Capitol on January 6 — a heinous attack that sought to disrupt a cornerstone of our democracy: the peaceful transfer of power to a newly elected government,” Garland says in his opening statement. Garland “plans to stress that the role is meant to “serve the Rule of Law and to ensure equal justice under the law,” noting that July 2020 marked the 150th anniversary of the Justice
Department’s founding in the aftermath of the Civil War and that its core mission was to secure the civil rights promised by the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments. “The mission remains urgent because we do not yet have equal justice,” CNN quoted Garland in a report. “Communities of color and other minorities still face discrimination in housing, education, employment, and the criminal justice system.” In his confirmation hearing, Merrick Garland assured Congress that he would remain independent of partisan influences if he is confirmed to the post. “I do not regard myself as anything other than the lawyer for the people of the United States. I am not the President’s lawyer. I am the United States’ lawyer,” Garland said. This is consistent with what Biden said he told Garland when announcing Garland’s nomination. “You won’t work for me. You are not the president’s or the vice president’s lawyer. Your loyalty is not to me. It’s to the law, the Constitution.” As TIME reported, “Garland would oversee a widereaching department that has a hand in everything from the prosecution of rioters who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6 to the nation’s broken immigration system. He’s set to take over the Department at a particularly fraught moment, with a crisis in confidence about the DOJ’s impartiality spurred by Donald Trump’s presidency and numerous hot-button political investigations un-
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RELIGIOUS ITEMS. A vendor (left seated) sells different kinds of religious items on the sidewalk in front of the Saint Jude Church Manila on Tuesday, February 23. Several vendors are allowed to sell their merchandise as long as they observe the health protocols such as wearing a face mask to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease. PNA photo by Rico H. Borja
derway, including one into the financial dealings of Biden’s son Hunter and another into the origins of the Trump-Russia probe. How Garland navigates the tricky partisan environment could have huge consequences for public faith in the Department.” We have seen how Trump’s AGs politicized and weaponized the position to serve him, in betrayal of the law and of the public trust accorded to him. “I would like for the time that I’m in the Justice Department to turn down the volume on the way in which people view the department. That the Justice Department not be the center of partisan disagreement. That we return to the days when the department does its law enforcement and criminal justice policy, and that this is viewed in a bipartisan way,” Garland said in his closing remarks on Monday as reported by TIME. “I know these are divisive times. I’m not naive. But I would like to do everything I can to have people believe that that’s what we’re doing.” *** The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff. *** Gel Santos Relos has been in news, talk, public service and educational broadcasting since 1989 with ABS-CBN and is now serving the Filipino audience using different platforms, including digital broadcasting, and print, and is working on a new public service program for the community. You may contact her through email at gelrelos@icloud.com, or send her a message via Facebook at Facebook.com/Gel.Santos.Relos.
Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto in a photo released on his Facebook account.
Pasig Mayor Vico Sotto...
PAGE 6 committed partners, including courageous individuals who champion anticorruption efforts and countries working to fulfill their commitments to international anticorruption standards,” he added. According to the U.S. Department of State, Sotto is “a standard-bearer for a new generation of Philippine politicians who prioritize anticorruption and transparency initiatives in their election campaigns and in office.” The agency noted that Sotto was just 29 years old when he broke the 27-year rule of a political dynasty in Pasig City in 2019, adding that his prior work as city councilor resulted in a freedom of information legislation. “Sotto has sought to solidify his reputation as a fresh voice with a new, more transparent approach to governance,” the U.S. State Department said. “He pledged to avoid any kickbacks in the awarding of city contracts, established a 24/7 public information and complaints hotline, formally involved civil society organizations in the city’s budgeting and policy making, and mandated that the value of all city government contracts be reduced by at least 10 percent – a measure intended to reduce bribery in the contract awarding process,” it added. The other recipients of the International Anticorruption Champions Award are: Ardian Dvorani of Albania; Diana Salazar of Ecuador; Sophia Pretrick of the Federated States of Micronesia; Juan Francisco Sandoval Alfaro of Guatemala; Ibrahima Kalil Gueye of Guinea; Anjali Bhardwaj of India; Dhuha A. Mohammed of Iraq; Bolot Temirov of the Kyrgyz Republic; Mustafa Abdullah Sanalla of Libya; Francis Ben Kaifala of Sierra Leone; and Ruslan Ryaboshapka of Ukraine. “The State Department continues to stand by citizens around the world calling for transparent, accountable governments. We proudly recognize these international champions of anticorruption and all those who have taken a stand against corruption,” the department said. n
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NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • FEBRUARY 26 - MARCH 4, 2021
COMMUNITY Journal
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Biden’s new US Citizenship Act of 2021 – key highlights Immigration Corner Atty. MichAel Gurfinkel, eSQ ON February 18, 2021, Pres. Biden and the Democrats formally introduced the “U.S. Citizenship Act” of 2021. It is a massive bill, over 350 pages long, covering a variety of immigration issues, and reforms, including a pathway to U.S. citizenship for the approximate 11 million undocumented noncitizens in the U.S. I will not go through the entire bill in this column, but will discuss some of the important highlights that may apply to
you or someone you know. First, the U.S. Citizenship Act is still only a PROPOSAL. It is not yet a law. There is nothing for anyone to file or apply for at present. Turning to the U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021, the key sections of the bill include: 1. Earned path to citizenship and other reforms; 2. Addressing the root causes of migration and responsible managing of the southern border; 3. Reform of the immigrant visa system; 4. Immigration courts, family values, and vulnerable individuals; 5. Employment authorization and protecting workers from exploitation. Here are key highlights of the bill that will interest many
of you: 1. Removal of word “Alien”. The Bill removes the term “alien” from immigration law. From now on, people who are not U.S. citizens or nationals will be referred to as “noncitizen.” So people who are out of status will no longer be referred to as “illegal aliens,” but noncitizens. 2. Earned path to citizenship. One of the most important aspects of this bill is the earned path to U.S. citizenship. It applies to noncitizens who have been in the U.S. continuously from January 1, 2021, until the date their application is approved. Certain noncitizens who were deported on or after January 20, 2017 (when Trump took office) may also be eligible if they had been in the U.S. for
at least 3 years before being deported. A person will first be classified as a “lawful prospective immigrant” (LPI) for six years, which can be extended. The person would need to pass background criminal checks, would receive employment authorization, would be eligible for a Social Security number and card, may travel outside the U.S. on advance parole, and could be eligible for health coverage. Even though LPI status is granted for six years, after a person has been an LPI for five years, the person can apply to adjust status to that of a lawful permanent resident. So it seems similar to the way green card holders naturalize: green card holder must PAGE 12
WHO BENEFITS FROM PRESIDENT BIDEN’S NEW “U.S. CITIZENSHIP ACT OF 2021?” THE ANSWERS ON A SPECIAL EPISODE OF CITIZEN PINOY THIS SUNDAY. Leading U.S. Immigration Attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel has already discussed the key points of President Biden’s bill on his YouTube channel, US Immigration TV. And since so many Kapamilyas could benefit, Atty. Gurfinkel devotes a whole episode of Citizen Pinoy to explain important key points of the bill that could affect Kapamilya viewers. Be sure to watch this special episode of “Citizen Pinoy” this Sunday, February 28 at 5:30 pm PST (8:30 pm EST thru select Cable/Satellite providers). (Advertising Supplement)
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Health@Heart PhiliP S. Chua, MD, FaCS, FPCS HUMOR is healthy, especially during a pandemic. We all need it, together with a positive attitude, in this world calamity that has afflicted almost 113 million people and claimed about 2.5 million lives around the globe. Perhaps I find some of the fake news on social media amusing because I am a physician – more scientific and objective in my thinking, totally relying on evidence-based data about diseases, and can separate medical facts from fiction more readily. A few examples of these ridiculous claims include the following: That there is actually no coronavirus, no pandemic; that billionaires like Bill Gates are financing a “project” to lessen the world population; that masks and distancing do not work; that getting the COVID-19 vaccines will change the person’s DNA; that the vaccines contain fetal tissues, microchip, and that it causes infertility; that the vaccines are causing brain and spinal cord injuries; that is it safer to get COVID-19 instead of receiving the “dangerous” vaccine; that after receiving the shots, people do not need masks and distancing any more. The misinformation goes on and on. Adding insult to injury, all these false data are e-blasted on the internet to countless viewers around the world. And many have disseminated the same falsehood to millions more, and so the cycle continues. Of course, wrong information is dangerous. During a pandemic, it could even be deadly. The other popular assertion is that we, the people, are being used as guinea pigs in this massive experiment, which further stokes fear among the innocent, ignorant, gullible people who think everything on social media is a gospel of truth. From the medical point of view, yes, to some extent the current therapy/vaccination administered to people is partly an “experiment,” an exploration to find out more facts, the truth about the long-term effects of the vaccines to protect the public, with no better clinical alternative than using us as
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People: Guinea pigs? President Biden’s US Citizenship Act
“guinea pigs,” metaphorically speaking. But it is not in the evil sense. Before drugs or vaccines are released for public use, they have to undergo extensive sophisticated research and development, and at least three phases of clinical trials using thousands of human volunteers until the scientific results show the drugs or vaccines are effective and safe for human use. On top of this, they have to pass the rigid and stringent FDA requirements, even for emergency use, like the current COVID-19 vaccines. So, if we, the people, are being used as “guinea pigs in this experiment,” it is for observation of the long term (future) behavior of the vaccines we received. This is the only way to get those facts. Since these vaccines are new, the only things we know about them are that they are safe for majority of people and 52 percent effective after the first dose, and 95 percent after the second dose, both for the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines. We also know that those with a history of allergies could develop a sensitivity reaction (some serious) to the vaccine within 30 minutes. These patients are advised to seek a consultation with an allergist/immunologist prior to getting the vaccine. How long after receiving the first shot will it confer immunity to prevent the person from getting infected and could a vaccinated individual still be able to transmit the virus, science still does not know yet. How about after the second shot? These data would be available only with the passage of time, the reason why I said, to this extent, this is an “experiment,” using us people as “guinea pigs.” But this is only proper, necessary, and prudent. We need the vaccines soonest as an urgent measure for our survival. And there is no other scientific way. The unwise option below is unacceptable and criminal. The alternative is not to use the vaccines now among people; limit it to laboratory animals for another 2 years from now, and know all the answers first, allowing more people around the world to get infected and exponentially raise the number of deaths from 2.5 million to 50 million or more while wait-
ing, like the death toll from the 1918 Spanish Flu. After two years of added “experimentation” and observation of the laboratory animals, the answers we do not know today, we would know then. But by then, we could most likely lose billions and not only millions of lives globally. This would be irresponsible and inhumane. So, it is obvious that after the extensive R&D and three phases of clinical trials and due diligence on the vaccines, we cannot afford to wait until they are perfect or 100 percent safe. That is a fantasy – an unwise and a misguided option. The reality is that there is no medication or vaccine today that is perfect or 100 percent without possible side-effects among some people. Even aspirin has potential side-effects which have killed some people. The remaining unknowns about the vaccines today will be obvious in a few months or a year or two. That is the reality. We simply have to be wise, understanding, and patient. Our imperfect vaccines against SARS-CoV2 virus of COVID-19 are not perfect or 100 percent without risk, but they are already doing wonders. They have been administered to around 70 million people in the United States (about 21 percent of its more than 332 million population). Globally, over 300 million doses have been given in 110 countries, with the world population of 7.85 billion. Too slow, indeed. There is no doubt that getting the vaccines, in spite of their potential side-effects, is wise… a lot safer than getting infected with this killer virus. The country with the most efficient COVID-19 vaccination program is Israel (with almost 8.743 million in population). It has vaccinated more than 35 percent of its population, the world’s highest per capita rate of vaccination, which has lowered its cases and deaths by 93 percent because of the people’s discipline and the vaccination. Israel is expected to have herd immunity by next month, most probably the first in the world. The next three on the list of highest vaccination rate includes the United Arab Emirates, followed by UK, and then the U.S., in that order. PAGE 15
of 2021 will be discussed on a special episode of Citizen Pinoy this Sunday
PEOPLE are excited about President Joe Biden’s “U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021” the legislative bill proposed by the president on his first day of office. Leading U.S. Immigration Attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel has already covered this on his YouTube channel: US Immigration TV, some weeks back, but he will be explaining important points on this
topic on a special episode of Citizen Pinoy. Atty. Gurfinkel will discuss the key highlights of the bill that would be most useful to many Kapamilyas out there, especially those who might be hoping for amnesty and a path to citizenship. While the bill is still in its early stages, it is an encouraging first step towards what could potentially be an oppor-
tunity to reform the current immigration system. Many Kapamilyas could stand to benefit from this bill. Learn about the key points of the “U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021” on this special episode of “Citizen Pinoy” this Sunday, February 28 at 5:30 pm PST (8:30 pm EST thru select Cable/Satellite providers).
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Biden’s new US Citizenship... PAGE 11 maintain that status for at least five years to naturalize, an LPI must maintain status for five years before they apply to be a full “permanent” immigrant. Three years after being a permanent resident, the person could apply for U.S. citizenship. 3. DACA legalization & expansion of age requirement. The U.S. Citizenship Act also calls for the legalization of DACA recipients (green cards), and others who entered the U.S. before their 18th birthday. Right now, DACA required the person to have entered the U.S. before their 16th birthday. This means there might be more individuals who can qualify for legalization as Dreamers. 4. Legalization of agricultural workers. There is also a provision for the legalization of agricultural workers, who have demonstrated that they performed agricultural labor or services for at least 2,300 hrs. in the five years before their application. This is similar to an agricultural program back in the ‘80s called SAW or special agricultural workers. 5. Hope for people with expunged criminal record. This bill also provides hope for people who have previously been convicted of certain crimes. Right now, certain crimes could be a barrier to their being legalized, even if the conviction was expunged. This bill provides that a “conviction” would not include “an adjudication or judgment of guilt that has been dismissed, expunged, deferred, annulled, invalidated, withheld, or vacated.” Therefore, anyone who had a conviction that was expunged, while it still is held against you today, if this bill passes, depending
on the type of crime, there could be hope for you. 6. Reclassification for families of immigrants as immediate relatives. This bill also re-classifies spouses and minor children of green card holders as “immediate relatives,” which is the same as spouses and children of U.S. citizens. At present, they are classified as F2A. But if they are considered immediate relatives, an advantage is if they overstayed and are out of status, they would be able to apply for their green cards in the U.S., versus having to depart the U.S. and apply abroad, which is presently the case for spouses and children of green card holders. 7. Repeal the 3/10-year bar. As for “promoting family unity,” this bill repeals the 3 and 10-year bar, (which provides that if a person is out of status for over 6 months and departs the U.S., they could be barred from returning for 3 or 10 years.) Therefore, if a person is not eligible to adjust status in the U.S., for example, because they are out of status and don’t have 245(i), entered as a crewman, or K-1 and didn’t marry the American who petitioned them, they could travel abroad for their immigrant visa without worrying about the 3- and 10year bar or having to apply for a provisional waiver. 8. Children of Filipino World War II veterans. There is a section called the “Filipino Veterans Family Reunification Act,” which provides that adult children of Filipino war veterans, whether single or married (F1 or F3), are not subject to direct numerical limitations on visas. Right now, there is a 10 to 20-year wait for adult children of Filipinos because they are subject to the numerical limita-
tions or annual allotments of visas. This law may make them eligible to go to the front of the line. As I stated in the beginning, this is only a proposal, and Biden is expecting pushback from the Republicans and negotiations and changes. It is not yet law, there’s nothing to apply for yet, but there will be developments in the coming weeks and months. I will continue to keep you updated on the latest developments of this proposal as well as other areas of immigration law, which you might find helpful either for yourself, your family, or your friends. Visit my YouTube channel at US Immigration TV for important news and updates. *** Michael J. Gurfinkel has been an attorney for over 40 years and is licensed, and an active member of the State Bars of California and New York. All immigration services are provided by, or under the supervision of, an active member of the State Bar of California. Each case is different, and results may depend on the facts of the particular case. The information and opinions contained herein (including testimonials, “Success Stories”, endorsements and reenactments) are of a general nature, and are not intended to apply to any particular case, and do not constitute a prediction, warranty, guarantee or legal advice regarding the outcome of your legal matter. No attorney-client relationship is, or shall be, established with any reader. WEBSITE: www.gurfinkel.com Follow us on Facebook.com/ GurfinkelLaw, Twitter @GurfinkelLaw and YouTube: US Immigration TV Call Toll free to schedule a consultation for anywhere in the US: 1-866-487-3465 (866) – GURFINKEL Four offices to serve you: LOS ANGELES ∙ SAN FRANCISCO ∙ NEW YORK ∙ PHILIPPINES (Advertising Supplement)
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NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • FEBRUARY 26 - MARCH 4, 2021
World’s first all-civilian mission to space, Inspiration4, names second crew member
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Two remaining seats on mission still available to the general public until February 28
MEMPHIS – Inspiration4, the world’s first all-civilian mission to space, has announced its second crew member, Hayley Arceneaux of Memphis, TN, a 29-yearold physician assistant at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital® who was treated as a child for bone cancer at St. Jude. Arceneaux joins Inspiration4 mission commander Jared Isaacman. She will occupy the mission seat representing Hope. “It’s an incredible honor to join the Inspiration4 crew. This seat represents the hope that St. Jude gave me—and continues to give families from around the world, who, like me, find hope when they walk through the doors of St. Jude,” said Arceneaux. “When I was just 10 years old, St. Jude gave me the opportunity to grow up. Now I am fulfilling my dreams of working at the research hospital and traveling around the world. It’s incredible to be a part of this mission that is not only raising crucial funds for the lifesaving work of St. Jude but also introducing new supporters to the mission.” Isaacman, the 38-yearold founder and chief executive officer of Shift4 Payments [NYSE: FOUR] and an accomplished pilot, donated two of the four seats on Inspiration4 to St. Jude, including the seat filled by Arceneaux. The mission name Inspiration4 recognizes the four-person crew’s purpose – to send a humanitarian message of possibility and inspire support for St. Jude – and represents the pillars of Leadership, Hope, Generosity and Prosperity. “Assembling a unique and diverse crew whose personal stories and values will inspire people everywhere is at the heart of the Inspiration4 mission,” said Isaacman. “As I’ve spent time with Hayley in the earliest days of mission prep, she’s everything we want our team to represent – she’s interested in the world around her, devoted
Regine Velasquez and Nick Lachey
Photos from Facebook/@reginevelasquezalcasid, Instagram/@nicklachey
Regine admits singing over Nick Lachey because of his attitude By Niña
Hayley Arceneaux of Memphis, TN, a 29-year-old physician assistant at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital® who was treated as a child for bone cancer at St. Jude, will be a crew member for Inspiration4, the world’s first all-civilian mission to space. Photo courtesy of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
to caring for others and hopeful for a better future for all of us. She already inspires me, and I’m certain she’ll inspire many others as they get to know her in the course of our mission.” Isaacman has committed to give $100 million to St. Jude and is inviting everyone to join him in support of St. Jude’s multi-billiondollar expansion designed to accelerate research advancements and save more children worldwide. The fundraising effort will continue through the mission launch later this year. “It has been a personal honor to watch Hayley grow up and fulfill her dreams. As a patient, an intern at ALSAC, and then in the Pediatric Oncology Education program at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, she was always a rising star,” said Richard C. Shadyac Jr., President and CEO of ALSAC, the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude. “From the beginning, St. Jude has been at the forefront of innovation and inclusion, leading in cancer research, and treatment for some of the world’s sickest children regardless of race, ethnicity, or a family’s ability to pay, so that children like Hayley can live full, healthy and awe-inspiring lives. She will be an incredible ambassador through this mission and inspiration to children fighting cancer and survivors worldwide.” The mission is being tar-
geted for the fourth quarter of this year. Arceneaux, Isaacman and the Inspiration4 crew will undergo commercial astronaut training by SpaceX on the Falcon 9 launch vehicle and Dragon spacecraft, including a specific focus on orbital mechanics, operating in microgravity, zero gravity, and other forms of stress testing. They will receive emergency preparedness training, spacesuit and spacecraft ingress and egress exercises, as well as partial- and full-mission simulations. The mission will launch from historic Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida and will be carefully monitored at every step by SpaceX mission control as the spacecraft orbits the planet every 90 minutes along a customized flight path. Upon conclusion of the multi-day journey, Dragon will reenter Earth’s atmosphere for a soft water landing off the coast of Florida. The remaining two seats representing Generosity and Prosperity are available to the general public through February 28, with details available at the mission website, Inspiration4. com. The Generosity crew seat can be secured by a member of the public who enters for an opportunity to join the flight to space. The Prosperity seat is available to any deserving entrepreneur who utilizes PAGE 15
V. GuNo
Inquirer.net
ASIA’S Songbird Regine Velasquez does not have to prove herself to anyone, but a f lash of ego could get her riled up, she recently admitted in an interview. The singer got candid about the time she upstaged American boy band singer Nick Lachey on the
online show “Brightwin Ninangs” last Thursday, Feb. 18. Velasquez recalled meeting the boy band 98 Degrees and confessed that she was unimpressed with Nick. “Iyang si Nick Lachey, nuknukan ng yabang. Nuknukan ng yabang! (Nick Lachey has the biggest ego. The most huge
ego!)” she exclaimed. She described his bandmates Drew Lachey (Nick’s brother), Jeff Timmons and Justin Jeffre as “really cool.” “Siyempre, medyo oriental ang hitsura ng lola mo so nagagandahan sila sa akin, di ba? Lumalandi-landi ng ganoon nang very light,” she recalled. PAGE 15
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FEBRUARY 26 - MARCH 4, 2021 • NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL
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people events arts culture entertainment
9 books by Fil-Am authors to put on your 2021 reading list L
by
aJPRESS
ooking for your next quarantine read? Here is a roundup of several books — from fiction to food — by Filipino/a American authors that hit shelves in the new year or are slated to be released later in 2021.
“The Revolution According to Raymundo Mata” by Gina Apostol (Jan. 2021, Soho Press) Award-winning writer Gina Apostol’s novel “The Revolution According to Ray-
mundo Mata” — for which she won her second Philippine National Book Award in 2010 — has been rereleased in the United States by Soho Press. It’s structured as a memoir by Raymundo Mata,
a half-blind bookworm and revolutionary, who narrates his childhood, his education in Manila, his love affairs, and his discovery of writer and fellow revolutionary, Jose Rizal. The 19th-century
NEW YORK & NEW JERSEY
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story features footnotes from three fiercely quarrelsome and comic voices: a nationalist editor, a neo-Freudian psychoanalyst critic, and a translator, Mimi C. Magsalin. “Filipino American Psychology: A Handbook of Theory, Research, and Clinical Practice” by Dr. Kevin Nadal (Feb. 2021, Wiley) Dr. Kevin Nadal, a New York-based psychology professor, queer activist and author, has published the second edition of “Filipino American Psychology,” a resource for understanding the mental health of the second largest Asian American group and fast-growing demographic. From exploring cultural values to historic traumas, Nadal’s text is a must-read guide for working with the community and a conversation starter to help decrease mental health stigma across generations. “With You” by Michelle Lopez Clark (March 2021, Mascot Books) Michelle Lopez Clark, a psychotherapist from Southern California, makes her debut as an author with a children’s picture book about the loving relationship with dogs. “With You” is a relatable story of rhymes and representation that promotes the value of fostering an emotional connection with children. “Cook Real Hawai’i” by Sheldon Simeon (March 2021, Clarkson Potter) Two-time “Top Chef” finalist and three-time James PAGE 15
“The Revolution According to Raymundo Mata” by Gina Apostol
“With You” by Michelle Lopez Clark
“In a Book Club Far Away” by Tif Marcelo
“Filipino American Psychology: A Handbook of Theory, Research, and Clinical Practice” by Dr. Kevin Nadal
“Cook Real Hawaiʼi” by Sheldon Simeon
“Maybe, Maybe Marisol Rainey” by Erin Entrada Kelly
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Gerald won’t say if he’s ‘taken’ but looks forward to marriage By Niña
V. GuNo
Inquirer.net
WHEN it comes to his love life, Gerald Anderson still does not want to say much, but is candid about what he wants from a relationship in the future. The “A Soldier’s Heart” star was put on the hot seat in actor Joe Vargas’s vlog posted last Tuesday, Feb. 16. Vargas asked Anderson personal questions which he had to answer if he missed a basketball shot. Anderson was game to answer questions even when he made his shots, save for the question “Taken ka ba ngayon (Are you taken right now)?” For this one, he preferred to stay silent. However, when asked about plans to get married, he deliberately threw away his shot. “Siyempre naman! Iyon iyong next chapter ng buhay natin,” he said. “Inaayos na-
Gerald Anderson
tin lahat iyan.” (Of course! That is the next chapter of our lives. We are working on it.) Asked if he has a child, Anderson got his free throw shot in but still answered the question: “Wala pa pero sana soon (None but I hope I will have soon).” When it came to answering how happy his heart was, he replied, “Sobrang saya. Marami akong dahilan para
Photo from Instagram/@andersongeraldjr
maging masaya (So happy. I have a lot of reasons to be happy).” He also gave his take on defining love, which he described as “teamwork.” “Kailangan buo ka rin bago ka pumasok sa isang relasyon, para hindi ka umaasa sa isang tao lang,” he said. “Kailangan buo ka, buo iyong partner mo, para pag magsama kayong dalawa, may teamwork and un-
derstanding.” (You need to be whole before entering a relationship so you do not rely on just the other person. You need to be whole, your partner needs to be whole so that when you are together, there is teamwork and understanding.) “Kung anuman ang insecurities n’yo sa buhay, kumbaga, huwag n’yo ipasa sa partner n’yo iyan (Whatever insecurities you have in life, do not pass these on to your partner),” he added. “You have to work through it together.” Anderson has been linked to actress Julia Barretto, whom he starred with in the romantic film “Between Maybes” released in May 2019. Barretto has also been mum about her love life, though the actress seemed to hint that she was taken in a TikTok video last January. She also said last November that she was “in love.”
9 books by Fil-Am authors to put... PAGE 14 Beard Award nominee Sheldon Simeon takes at-home cooks at any skill level on a tasteful journey through Hawai’i and the influences that shape its culinary traditions in his forthcoming cookbook. Simeon, the chef and owner of two restaurants in Maui, shares 100 uncomplicated recipes from wok-fried poke to charred huli-huli chicken while providing poignant stories and historical accounts. “In a Book Club Far Away” by Tif Marcelo (April 2021, Gallery Books) Tif Marcelo, a former Army nurse turned bestselling author, offers a look into the dynamics of a military family with her latest novel, “In a Book Club Far Away.” The story follows three Army wives who bond during a book club, but must later overcome their differences when one of them is desperate for help. “Maybe, Maybe Marisol Rainey” by Erin Entrada Kelly (May 2021, Greenwillow Books) Newbery Medal-winning author Erin Entrada Kelly is set to release an illustrated novel loosely based on her biracial identity as a Filipina American growing up in a small Louisiana town. “May-
be, Maybe Marisol Rainey” introduces readers to Marisol, an imaginative, yet cautious girl who learns how to overcome her fears. With witty humor and nuanced childhood friendships, it’s a must-read for early elementary grade students. “When Lola Visits” by Michelle Sterling (May 2021, Katherine Tegen Books) Inspired by childhood summers with her lola (grandmother) visiting from the Philippines, author Michelle Sterling and illustrator Aaron Asis come together for a children’s picture book that captures this special lola-apo bond. Expect pages that bring the sights and senses as well as traditions that mark the Filipino American experience. “Manifest Technique: Hip Hop, Empire, and Visionary Filipino American Culture” by Mark R. Villegas (July 2021, University of Illinois Press) From DJs to successful artists like Apl.de.Ap of the Black Eyed Peas, Filipino Americans have undoubtedly made their imprint on hip hop. But in “Manifest Technique,” Mark R. Villegas — an assistant professor of American studies at Franklin & Marshall College
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World’s first all-civilian... PAGE 13 the new Shift4Shop eCommerce platform to submit their idea and be selected by a panel of distinguished judges. The Shift4Shop platform is designed to empower entrepreneurs to build and grow successful eCommerce businesses. To learn more about Inspiration4, how to support and potentially join this historic journey to space and the specific conditions of the promotions, visit Inspiration4.com and fol-
low the mission on social media on Twitter (@inspiration4x), Facebook (@inspiration4mission), Instagram (@inspiration4) and YouTube (@Inspiration4) to receive the latest news on mission training and preparation. Individuals who are interested in learning how to enter for an opportunity to secure one of the two seats still available should visit Inspiration4.com and review the Official Rules for the applicable promotion.
Regine admits...
PAGE 13 “Iyong Nick Lachey, ang salbahe!” (Of course, my features are kind of oriental so they found me attractive, right? [They were] flirting with me a bit. But that Nick Lachey was rude!) Velasquez was set to perform with them onstage and because she did not like Nick’s behavior, she decided she would outshine him. “Biruin mo umpisa pa lang, nagmamagaling! Baklang ito. Humanda ka sa akin, hindi ka na maririnig,” she quipped. (Can you believe that from the start, he was showing off! This guy. You
better prepare yourself, you will not be heard.) Kinain ko talaga siya,” she declared. (I really upstaged him.) “Nainis ako kasi parang, ‘Bakla, nasa country ka namin, ha. Huwag kang umarte-arte diyan,’” she added. (I got annoyed. “You are in our country. Do not show give us that attitude.”) Amused by her story, fans dug up her performance of “The Hardest Thing” with 98 Degrees from a 1999 episode of GMA variety show SOP. True enough, Velasquez was in full force as she belted over Nick and drowned his vocals out.
People: Guinea pigs...
“When Lola Visits” by Michelle Sterling
— takes the genre’s significance to the Fil-Am community within the context of decolonization and racial identity. “Filipinx Cookbook” by Angela Dimayuga (Oct. 2021, Abrams) Chef Angela Dimayuga — a James Beard Award nominee for Rising Star Chef who previously served as creative director of food and culture at the Standard hotels — will release her debut cookbook in time for Fil-Am History Month. “Filipinx” is filled with more than 100 deeply personal dishes and stories that trace “how she learned to cook from her mother in Southern California and became a classically trained chef of French cooking before finally learning to love to cook food from the Philippines.”
“Manifest Technique: Hip Hop, Empire, and Visionary Filipino American Culture” by Mark R. Villegas
Chef Angela Dimayuga is set to release her debut cookbook “Filipinx” in October 2021. Photo by Guang Xu
PAGE 12 Facts: The vaccines are effective and safe. The Benefit/Risk Ratio (Vaccine versus COVID-19) is crystal clear: The benefit from the vaccine is high, 95 percent or better; the risk very low, less than 1 percent. The benefit from getting COVID-19 is zero; it is all risks, at least 50 percent among seniors. Do your math. How many (of the more than 300 million around the world who got the shot) died from the vaccine? How many died from COIVID 19, globally? Your answers are correct! I rest my case. Let us all do due diligence and get the facts straight, and not help the apocalyptic scaremongers on social media spread false data (pouring gasoline on the fire) because forwarding the fraudulent disinformation could get people infected and killed. Let us help end this pandemic soonest. To-
gether, we can do this. *** The main objective of this column is to educate and inspire people live a healthier lifestyle to prevent illnesses and disabilities and achieve a happier and more productive life. Any diagnosis, recommendation or treatment in our article are general medical information and not intended to be applicable or appropriate for anyone. This column is not a substitute for your physician, who knows your condition well and who is your best ally when it comes to your health. *** Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, a Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus based in Northwest Indiana and Las Vegas, Nevada, is an international medical lecturer/author, a Health Public Advocate, and Chairman of the Filipino United NetworkUSA, a 501(c)3 humanitarian and anti-graft foundation in the United States. Visit our websites: philipSchua.com and FUN8888. com; Email: scalpelpen@gmail. com.
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