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NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
Volume 20 - No. 12 • 14 Pages
T H E F I L I P I N O A M E R I CA N C O M MU N I T Y N E WS PA P E R
Volume 18 - No. 17 • 2 Sections – 16 Pages
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CALIFORNIA’S FIRST FILIPINO AMERICAN ATTORNEY GENERAL
Rob Bonta nominated to serve as state’s top prosecutor making history again after Governor Gavin Newsom nominated him to be the next chief law enforcement officer on Wednesday, March 24. “Thank you, Governor Newsom, for the privilege CALIFORNIA is set to have its first Filipino Ameriand honor of a lifetime,” Bonta said on Wednescan attorney general. Assemblymember Rob Bonta (D-Alameda), who day, speaking from International Hotel Manilabecame the first Fil-Am in the state Legislature, is town Center in San Francisco, surrounded by his by CHRISTINA
File photo from October 2019 shows Gov. Gavin Newsom after signing AB32, authored by Assemblymember Rob Bonta, which moved for California to be the first in the nation to ban for-profit, private prisons and civil detention facilities. On Wednesday, March 24, Newsom nominated Bonta to serve as the state’s next attorney general.
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House passes two immigration bills, sets pathway to citizenship for undocumented youth
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MEDENILLA AJPress
VACCINE ARRIVAL. A personnel wearing personal protective equipment disinfects the boxes of 400,000 doses of China-donated Sinovac vaccine before they are transferred to a cold delivery truck at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 2 in Pasay City on Wednesday, March 24. Some ranking government officials witnessed the arrival of the COVID-19 vaccines. PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan
FEMA to reimburse funeral expenses for ‘These attacks feel more personal’: some COVID-19 victims California’s Fil-Am chief justice responds THE U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has announced its plan to offer funeral assistance to families who have lost loved ones to COVID-19. “The COVID-19 pandemic has brought overwhelming grief to many families. At FEMA, our mission is to help people before, during and after disasters. We are dedicated to helping ease some of the financial stress and burden caused by the virus,” the agency said on its website. Under the Coronavirus Response and Re-
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Filipino Americans mobilize to combat anti-Asian hatred across United States
FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA
THE U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday, March 18 overwhelmingly passed a pair of immigration bills designed to overhaul the American immigration system, including creating a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants brought to the country as children. Commonly known as DREAMers, these
family. “I’m so humbled in the trust, faith and the confidence that you placed in me.” His nomination is subject to confirmation by the California State Assembly and Senate within 90 days, according to the governor’s office. “Rob represents what makes California great
FOR Asian Americans across the country, the events that unfolded on Tuesday, March 16 at three Asianowned spas in Atlanta punctuated a mounting fear: the community isn’t safe. A 21-year-old man entered three different massage parlors in the greater Atlanta area and gunned down workers and patrons, killing eight people in total, including six Asian women. The event was shocking and reverberated beyond the Asian American community. #StopAsianHate began trending on Twitter. Celebrities and public figures of all races began echoing party lines of unity and stopping racism. But a week after the Atlanta shooting, the outrage over anti-Asian racism is beginning to fizzle out in the mainstream. A grocery store shooting in Boulder, Colorado — which claimed the lives of 10 people — on Monday, March 22 reignited the broader issue of gun
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to violence against Asian Americans
American chief justice shared that the recent hate crimes felt “more personal” since she is a CALIFORNIA Chief Justice member of the community being Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye has targeted. condemned the violent attacks “Anti-Asian violence, like any against Asians and Asian Ameri- violence based on prejudice, cans in the United States. bias, or fear of the other, is repIn a statement issued on Fri- rehensible. Because of who I am day, March 19, the Filipina as an Asian-Filipina, because of by RITCHEL
MENDIOLA AJPress
my parents, my aunties, friends, and connected communities of color, these attacks feel more personal,” said Cantil-Sakauye. Nearly 3,800 anti-Asian incidents have been reported in all 50 states and the District of Columbia from March 19, 2020 to February 28, 2021, according to
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California Chief Justice Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye
CA’s My Turn COVID-19 vaccine scheduling Report: 83 Filipino registered nurses system now available in Tagalog in the US have died of COVID-19 by AJPRESS CALIFORNIA’S COVID-19 vaccine scheduling tool My Turn is now available in 12 languages, including Tagalog. MyTurn.ca.gov — a website that allows the state’s residents to schedule appointments and be notified when they’re eligible — has been updated to include five new languages in an effort to be accessible to more residents, the California Department of Public Health announced on Monday, March 22.
“California’s remarkable wealth of diversity is always top of mind as we create and perfect the tools that will ensure every resident can easily access life-saving COVID19 vaccines — regardless of the language they speak,” said Tomás Aragón, CDPH Director and State Public Health Officer. “The My Turn website and hotline play a key role in alerting Californians when they are vaccine eligible, and helping them schedule an appointment, so we want to ensure it is accessible to
everyone.” The department said 1.6 million appointments have been scheduled through the platform since its launch on Jan. 25. The website is now available in Armenian, Japanese, Khmer, Punjabi, and Russian, along with languages already offered: Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Korean, Spanish, Tagalog, Vietnamese, and English. By going to MyTurn.ca.gov, residents can find out whether
by CHRISTINA
M. ORIEL & RITCHEL MENDIOLA AJPress
OVER 80 registered nurses of Filipino descent have died from the coronavirus, making up 26.4% of total RN fatalities in the United States since the beginning of the pandemic, according to a new report. The National Nurses United on Thursday, March 18 released an update to its September 2020 “Sins of Omissions” report, finding that at least 329 RNs have died of COVID-19 and related complications since the beginning of the pandemic. The data collection tracked deaths up until u PAGE 4 February 11, 2021, and also found that at least
3,233 health care workers, including RNs, have died from the virus. Of the 329 deaths, 83 individuals were of Filipino descent, the report found. “Eighty-three (26.4%) of the 314 registered nurses, for whom race/ethnicity data is available, who have died of COVID-19 and related complications are Filipino. They make up 4% of registered nurses in the United States,” it said. Among the 170 RNs of color who have died, nearly half (48.8%) have been Filipino. The data comes from 314 registered nurses for which race and ethnicity data is available. Other highlights of the report include six states — New York, California, New Jersey, Illinois,
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From the Front Page
Rob Bonta nominated to serve... PAGE 1 — our desire to take on righteous fights and reverse systematic injustices,” Newsom said in a statement. “Growing up with parents steeped in social justice movements, Rob has become a national leader in the fight to repair our justice system and defend the rights of every Californian. And most importantly, at this moment when so many communities are under attack for who they are and who they love, Rob has fought to strengthen hate crime laws and protect our communities from the forces of hate. He will be a phenomenal Attorney General, and I can’t wait to see him get to work.” The 48-year-old Fil-Am’s ascension to the top post comes after outgoing Attorney General Xavier Becerra was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on March 18 to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. “I stand here because of so many people who come before me, including people like the Asian Americans and Filipino Americans who assembled right here at the International Hotel on August 4, 1977,” Bonta said, crediting his activist parents Warren and Cynthia, who organized against evictions at the San Francisco residential hotel. This is Newsom’s third historic appointment to a key post since January, following Alex Padilla being tapped to take over Vice President Kamala Harris’ Senate seat, and Dr. Shirley Weber, a former assemblymember, for secretary of state. Padilla became the state’s first Latino U.S. Senator, while Weber is the first African American in her role. A grassroots campaign within the Filipino American community — and the broader Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community — started in December in a bid to get Bonta appointed following President Joe Biden’s nomination of Becerra as health secretary. Groups, including Fil-Am advocacy organizations and lawyers associations, sent endorsement letters to Newsom’s office and organized virtual press conferences amplifying Bonta’s work in the legislature. “Mr. Bonta has demonstrated
himself to be one of the most effective and capable leaders in the legislature during his tenure. He has an excellent track record of authoring bold, ground-breaking legislation and building strong coalitions,” a group of over two dozen past and former Fil-Am elected officials wrote in a letter to the governor. They argued that his experience would be a fit to address the state’s challenges, which include recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, civil rights movement against systemic racism and the rise in hate crimes, including against the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. The endorsements also came from notable unions and caucuses, such as the California Faculty Association and the Latino Caucus of California Counties. High-profile activists and personalities, from CNN’s Van Jones to “Orange is the New Black” actor Diane Guerrero, similarly were vocal in support of the Fil-Am lawmaker on social media. On a representation level, advocates argued Bonta’s appointment would be a win as California is home to the largest AAPI population in the U.S. with over 5 million. Fil-Ams are among the top two largest Asian ethnic groups in the state with a population of over 1.6 million. “It’s rare for me [to] make any political endorsements, but I’ve admired @RobBontaCA for years: his support for criminal justice reform and immigrant rights, the multiracial coalition he builds and attracts,” wrote Jose Antonio Vargas, author and immigration activist, in a Feb. 18 tweet. “Representation matters, especially since Filipinos are often underrepresented in America’s civic life. Filipinos are the largest Asian group in CA––the first Filipinos landed in what is now CA in 1587.” “Rob makes me proud to be Filipino American in California,” Vargas added. In recent weeks, following a slew of attacks on Asian Americans, particularly elders, in the state, AAPI lawmakers and activists doubled down on the need for Newsom to appoint a
representative from the community. Of the nearly 3,800 incidents of hate and discrimination since last March, 1,691 (44.5%) were reported in California, according to Stop AAPI Hate. “[Bonta] understands as the son of immigrant parents what it’s like to come to this country when English is not your first language, for example, when there is mistrust of law enforcement,” state Treasurer Fiona Ma said during a press conference on Wednesday, March 17, a day after the Atlanta shooting that claimed the lives of eight individuals, six of whom were Asian women. Ma, along with other elected officials, said an AAPI attorney general could help mend fears and tensions between immigrant communities and law enforcement. The state’s API Legislative Caucus, which is comprised of lawmakers in the state Assembly and Senate, came out in support of Bonta after initially recommending four AAPI candidates. Assemblymember Evan Low, who serves as vice chair of the caucus, said that through the appointment, Newsom “has once again shown his commitment” to the AAPI community. “Hate crimes targeting the API community have skyrocketed over the last year, and we need a champion who will make the pursuit of justice for these victims a top priority. I have full faith AG Bonta is the right person to meet this moment,” Low said. Bonta was reportedly among the contenders for attorney general in 2017 when Harris was elected to the U.S. Senate. Becerra, then a congressman representing the 34th congressional district in Southern California, was ultimately selected by former Gov. Jerry Brown. The Fil-Am lawmaker in November 2020 was reelected for a fifth term to represent the state’s 18th Assembly district, which covers the East Bay areas of Oakland, Alameda, and San Leandro. He currently serves as the assistant majority leader, and sits on several committees, including appropriations and u PAGE 3
Filipino Americans mobilize to combat... PAGE 1 violence in America. But the Asian American community doesn’t have the luxury of treating the Atlanta shooting and the disturbing rise in anti-Asian violence as last week’s news. Just as Black Americans haven’t halted their goal in mitigating police brutality because “Black Lives Matter” isn’t trending or Central Americans who continue to advocate for humane practices at the southern border, the fight for racial justice and undoing dangerous misconceptions for the Asian American community doesn’t stop because it’s not the headline of the day. Since February 2020, members of the Asian American community — and the greater Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community — have been acutely aware of the rise in antiAsian harassment, violence and bullying with the onset of the coronavirus crisis. According to the Stop AAPI Hate tracker, between March 19, 2020 and Feb. 28, 2021, there
have been 3,795 reports of discrimination and assaults toward the AAPI community. Physical assaults comprised the third-largest category of all incidents and women are 2.3 times more likely to be harassed and/or assaulted, as the Asian Journal previously reported. The virus was reported to have stemmed from China, so an erroneous relationship between the virus (which has taken millions of American lives and continues to disrupt millions more) and anybody who appears remotely Chinese was forged. As such, Chinese were the largest ethnic group (42.2%) to report to the Stop AAPI Hate tracker, followed by Koreans (14.8%), Vietnamese (8.5%) and Filipinos (7.9%). The statistics and number of reports are jarring and present a warped and dissonant view of the country that many Asian immigrants who relocate to the U.S. saw as a beacon of opportunity and upward mobility. Political leaders, particularly
Democrats like President Joe Biden, have argued that events like Atlanta are un-American. Biden made a point that his administration would combat hate and violence toward Asians, signing a measure proclaiming such on his first week in office. “But for all the good that laws can do, we have to change our hearts. Hate can have no safe harbor in America. It must stop. And it’s on all of us — all of us, together — to make it stop,” Biden said in remarks on Friday, March 19. Early reports from Big Media outlets — e.g. CNN, the New York Times and the Washington Post — framed the mass shooting as merely a mass shooting; the race and gender of a majority of the fatalities were a mere footnote, and it wasn’t until Asian Americans called out the incident as part of the longer string of attacks toward the community. Taking a deeper look at the finer distinctions of anti-Asian racism, especially the details of each u PAGE 4
STOP ASIAN HATE. From Fullerton, California (top) to New York City (bottom), communities came together on Saturday, March 20 to denounce the recent shootings in the greater Atlanta area that left eight individuals, including six Asian women, dead and the nearly 3,800 anti-Asian hate incidents that have been reported since the start of the pandemic. Photos courtesy of Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silva and Augee Francisco
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Rob Bonta nominated to serve...
PAGE 2 health. Amid the protests over the summer, Bonta introduced a bill to classify racially motivated 911 calls as hate crimes. His legislation record includes a 2019 bill, which was signed into law by Newsom, to phase out the use of all private, for-profit prisons, including both prisons and immigration detention facilities in the state. In response to the recent hate attacks, Bonta introduced AB 886, which 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, as previously reported by the Asian Journal. On Wednesday, he said one of his top priorities as attorney general would be to build bridg-
es with communities that have “been othered, that have been persecuted, that have been targeted.” “That will be one of my top priorities — to make sure that we protect those who are facing the forces of hate and that we hold accountable those who perpetrate hate violence against others in our community,” he said. Bonta, who was born in Quezon City, Philippines, immigrated with his family to California’s Central Valley, where his parents worked for the United Farm Workers of America, organizing Filipino and Mexican American workers. “Those lessons stuck with me, and it became clear to me that an injustice against one is an injustice against all. It made me want to become an attorney to fight for people who’ve been wronged, who’ve been hurt, who’ve been harmed, who’ve been mistreated, and be their champion,” Bonta said on Wednesday. He obtained a law degree from Yale Law School and clerked for Judge Alvin W. Thompson of the United States District Court
for the District of Connecticut before moving to San Francisco law firm Keker & Van Nest. Other candidates who were reportedly considered for attorney general included Rep. Adam Schiff, California Supreme Court Justice Goodwin Liu, Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg, and state Sen. Anna Caballero. If confirmed as attorney general, Bonta will serve through 2022 and will have to run for election. He said he knows “what it takes to win” and has the infrastructure in place” to launch a campaign. With his momentous appointment, he joins another Fil-Am in a top state post — Tani Cantil-Sakauye, chief justice of the California Supreme Court. “In California, we have created the most diverse state in the nation, and the most robust democracy in the world. And while that sign may have said, ‘Positively No Filipinos Allowed’ in the 1920s, in today’s California, everyone is not just allowed, we belong,” Bonta said. “I will do everything in my power to make sure everyone continues to belong and that I fight for them.” n
Report: 83 Filipino registered nurses in... PAGE 1 Texas, and Florida — account for 176 (53.5%) of the 329 total registered nurse fatalities. The NNU documented the deaths using news articles, social media, obituaries, union memorials, federal and state reports, and its own internal reporting. “NNU believes many of these deaths would have been prevented if greater effort had been made to plan for and overcome the pitfalls of just-in-time supply chain management,” it said. “Scaling up the capabilities for the stockpiling and rapid distribution of personal protective equipment (PPE) must be among the highest priorities of the hospital and nursing home industries and federal and state agencies going forward,” it added. Zenei Triunfo-Cortez, a Filipina American RN and a president of the NNU, called the amount of nurse and health care worker deaths “unconscionable.” “We call on the CDC to fully recognize aerosol transmission and to update and strengthen its COVID-19 guidance to provide protection from inhalation of virus in the air,” TriunfoCortez said in a statement. “It is unconscionable that so many nurses and health care workers lost their lives. We look forward to the impending issuance of an emergency temporary standard on infectious diseases by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to provide comprehensive occupational health protections to nurses, other health care workers and all essential workers.” The union estimated that there have been 791,158 cases of COVID-19 infection among health care workers as of Feb. 11, 2021, but believes that number is an undercount “because only 18 states are providing infection figures for all health care workers on a daily, semiweekly, or weekly basis.” Kanlungan.net, a digital
project started in May 2020 by transnational feminist organization AF3IRM, has been independently tracking all health care worker deaths of Filipino descent in and out of the Philippines. “How are we supposed to demand justice and talk about egregious working conditions when they’re not even naming our dead? Without data, your campaign will only go so far,” Jollene Levid, a union organizer and member of AF3IRM’s transnational committee which spearheaded the project, told the Asian Journal in a May 2020 interview. According to its site, which is frequently updated using at least two sources, 189 health care workers of Filipino descent have died in the United States, compared to 44 health care workers in the Philippines, it found. Among the Filipino/Filipina American nurses who have died from complications related to COVID-19 in the past year, as reported by the Asian Journal include: • Rosary Castro-Olega, 63, a nurse who came out of retirement to join the frontlines, becoming the first health care worker in Los Angeles taken by the virus on March 29, 2020; • Celia Lardizabal Marcos, 61, who was only equipped with a surgical mask when she responded to a patient suspected to have COVID-19 at CHA-Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center. She died on April 17, 2020; • Maria Guia Cabillon, 63, the head nurse at Kings County Department of Emergency Health in Brooklyn, died on April 26, 2020 after a month of battling the disease; • Joshua Obra, 29, a Disneyland aficionado and nursing supervisor at a Long Beach skilled nursing facility who died on July 6, 2020. In January 2021, Pinay nurses who have passed away include Amelia Agbigay Baclig, 63, who worked for almost three de-
FEMA to reimburse funeral...
PAGE 1 lief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021 and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, FEMA has earmarked $2 billion to reimburse individuals and households for COVID-19 related funeral expenses incurred after Jan. 20, 2020. “We are working with stakeholder groups to get their input on ways we can best provide this assistance, and to enlist their help with outreach to families and communities. FEMA will begin to implement COVID-19 funeral assistance in April,” said FEMA. To be eligible for funeral assistance, the following conditions must be met: • The death must have occurred in the United States, including the U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia. • The death certificate must indicate the death was attributed to COVID-19. • The applicant must be a U.S. citizen, non-citizen national, or qualified alien who incurred funeral expenses after January 20, 2020. • There is no requirement for the deceased person to have been a U.S. citizen, non-citizen national, or qualified alien. To apply for funeral cost assistance, the following documents must be submitted:
• An official death certificate that attributes the death directly or indirectly to COVID-19 and shows that the death occurred in the United States, including the U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia. • Funeral expenses documents such as receipts and funeral home contract that includes the applicant’s name, the deceased person’s name, the amount of funeral expenses, and the dates the funeral expenses happened. • Proof of funds received from other sources specifically for use toward funeral costs as FEMA will not “duplicate benefits received from burial or funeral insurance, financial assistance received from voluntary agencies, government agencies, or other sources.” FEMA will start accepting applications in April. Those eligible for funeral assistance will receive a check by mail, or funds by direct deposit, depending on which option was chosen during the application process. “Additional guidance is being finalized and will be released to potential applicants and community partners as soon as possible. In the meantime, people who have COVID-19 funeral expenses are encouraged to keep and gather documentation,” FEMA said. (AJPress)
cades at West Covina’s Queen of the Valley Hospital, and Rowena “Wendy” Miguel, 53, a licensed vocational nurse from Whittier, California. n
CONTACT TRACING. A passenger fills up a form required for contact tracing as part of the quarantine protocol by the government inside a public utility bus along Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City on Tuesday, March 23. The bus plies the route San Jose Del Monte City, Bulacan via Quiapo, Manila. PNA photo by Ben Briones
‘These attacks feel more personal’... PAGE 1 new data from Stop AAPI Hate, a national coalition that tracks such incidents. Of that number, 503 incidents took place in the first two months of 2021 alone. Some of the attacks have also resulted in deaths like the case of 84-yearold Vicha Ratanapakdee, who died from injuries after he was knocked on the ground during a morning walk in San Francisco; and 74-year-old Juanito Falcon who sustained a skull fracture injury after he was punched in the face in an unprovoked attack, as
previously reported by the Asian Journal. Recently, a series of attacks in Atlanta left eight people dead, six of whom were Asian women. Cantil-Sakauye, for her part, urged everyone to “do better,” noting the country’s inefficiency in addressing racism. “We can and must do better. We deepen our understanding by advancing diversity and respecting our differences. In respecting our differences, we strengthen our social contract. In strengthening our social contract, we abide by the rule of
law,” she said. “As we pass and approach many anniversaries relating to the pandemic, it is disheartening that while we have made progress on the virus, the disease of racism remains,” she added. Cantil-Sakauye is the first Asian American and Filipina American and the second woman to serve as California’s chief justice. She was nominated in 2010 by then-California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger for the state’s highest judicial office and was retained in office by voters later that year. n
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Filipino Americans mobilize to combat... PAGE 2 hate incident reported over the last year, represents a startling reality: historically and presently, racism and the experience of being a minority in America are seemingly inextricable. Derogatory rhetoric promulgated by the previous administration and misnomers, such as the “China virus” and the “Kung-Flu,” has led many within the Asian American community to directly connect such expressions to the violence. But while the hateful language may have spurred the thousands of reported incidents, they merely punctuate a dark and grimy history of anti-Asian attitudes that have made their mark in policy and society — a phenomenon that led to the persecution of Chinese, Filipinos, Japanese and South Asians that began in the 19th century. For Tiffany Joy Garnace — an Atlanta-based Filipino American organizer who was born and raised in the American South — and the robust AAPI activist community in the region, the effort to combat anti-Asian racism didn’t begin with the Atlanta shooting, but it punctuated the scope of the problem. “The Atlanta incident finally woke up the AAPI community that it can occur here and it’s frustrating for me as a community organizer. Prior to the shootings, we were trying to find community solutions,” Garnace told the Asian Journal. She and Atlanta AAPIs have been trying to brainstorm preventative measures that could have helped recent victims like Thai American Vicha Ratanapakdee of San Francisco, Filipino and Chinese American Danilo Yuchang of San Francisco, Chinese American Pak Ho in Oakland and the numerous elderly AAPIs who’ve been targeted at alarming rates for the last two months. “It felt like a responsibility and indeed it felt like we failed our communities to keep them safe,” Garnace said. “The sad thing is that there is this preconceived notion [that] in the South, especially in Georgia, these incidences happen only in areas with high Asian American populations like ‘California or New York’ or ‘cannot empathize because it has not [happened] to me or my family’ just to quote some people that I have heard in my spaces,” she added, noting that the AAPI community in Atlanta is “a beautiful conglomeration of all of these groups that people tend to forget [are] here and have been here.” In the wake of the Atlanta shooting, vigils and demonstrations honoring the eight victims took place across the country.
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Assemblymember Chiu announces bill to create seamless Bay Area transit system Legislation would take immediate action towards greater transit agency coordination leading to a more reliable, appealing experience for riders
Tiffany Garnace, southern region secretary for the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA), participated in the Georgia rally with a sign sharing the names of Asian American victims of hate attacks and crimes. Photo courtesy of Tiffany Garnace
The rally in Atlanta on Saturday, March 20 brought together hundreds to the Georgia state Capitol to demand action and social and political change, particularly in Georiga. Garnace was one of the many residents of all races who attended the vigil and rally which gave her “absolute chills.” But she was most astounded by the volume of Asian women who attended and what that represented. “It is like we have been validated, seen and heard, for the first time,” Garnace remarked. “A lot of Asian women came out to the rally because they did not want to be seen as weak and fearful; having so many women come out to fight the intersection of race and misogyny was empowering. Also seeing the different groups of people that were not Asian there with us in support — I honestly teared up.” The shooting also put a spotlight on how anti-Asian attitudes foment in ways that may not be as clear as discrimination toward other minority groups. Individuals from all Asian backgrounds shared how seemingly innocent things — like name-calling — fuel the fire of broader anti-Asian sentiments. Garnace noted that seeing so many Asian American women in particular ignited the nuances of racist misogyny and “the fetishization of Asian women by non-Asian men.” Filipino American Augelyn “Augee” Francisco — the indigenous Filipino owner of Kabisera Kape in New York City — shared with the Asian Journal how complex anti-Asian racism is and how a lack of education and cultural
Hundreds gathered Saturday, March 20 at Atlanta’s Liberty Plaza, adjacent to the Georgia State Capitol, to demand justice for the victims of shootings at massage businesses four days prior and to denounce racism and misogyny against Asian Americans. Photo courtesy of Tiffany Garnace
SACRAMENTO – Assemblymember David Chiu (DSan Francisco) announced on Wednesday, March 24 that he introduced a bill to create a more seamless, integrated Bay Area transit system. Assembly Bill 629 would instruct Bay Area transit agencies to take shortterm, immediate steps towards coordination and integration by establishing a fare integration pilot program, creating a regional transit map and wayfinding system, using real-time transit data to improve rider experience, and identifying a transit priority network to get buses moving faster. “Navigating our disjointed transit system can be an intimidating and frustrating experience for riders, which leads to less transit ridership overall,” said Assemblymember Chiu. “As we navigate our way out of the pandemic and look to increase ridership, we must put the rider experience first and create a more seamless, reliable transportation system.” There are currently 27 independent transit agencies operating in the nine-county Bay Area. Transit agencies utilize different fare structures, discounts, loyalty programs, wayfinding apps, mapping, branding systems, and capital planning processes. A lack of schedule coordination and real time transit data across agencies can make transferring unreliable and can leave riders stranded. The fragmented nature of service leads to a confusing, intimidating, and often chaotic experience for Bay Area commuters. Despite substantial investment in transportation infrastructure over several decades, Bay Area transit commutes have not improved and ridership has not increased. Between 2001 and 2016, Bay Area bus speeds decreased by 9 percent while commute times increased by 11 percent. Only 12 percent of the population have used transit to commute since 1970. Between 2016 and 2018, ridership across Bay Area public transit systems fell by 5.2 percent. In comparison, regions with highly integrated networks of local and regional transit services, like Seattle or London, have high transit ridership. AB 629 would instruct the
empathy can induce trauma that doesn’t really ever go away. “Growing up, I had the same struggle, being Igorot,” Francisco shared. “My mother and the rest of us were targeted and bullied. That was my struggle when I was young and up to this day, I experience being called Chink, Ni-Hao, Virus, and looked down upon because of my slanted eyes and skin color.” Francisco shared that recent events have reignited those memories, saying that, “I should not feel like that is ok. Because that is not ok. But I’ve lived with it for years in my life. This fight is for me and all my Asian sisters and brothers [a]nd for the future generation, there will be no more fight for equality and no more pain.” Francisco was inspired to attend a vigil in New York City last weekend honoring the victims and rallying for the end of antiAsian violence. Though many members of the Asian American community are pushing back against the stereotype of the docile Asian, Francisco sees gentleness as a strength and resistance tool for the AAPI community. “We, Asians, are trained to be polite and obedient. We don’t believe in using violence, but we know how to use our forces: our strength is our unity, our respect, and our loving care,” Francisco said. “Those are the tools I’m planning to share and show as my participation. To awaken our sisters and brothers to halt the silence, to care and show love to our elders who get targeted, PAGE 1 to our sisters who get murdered. undocumented immigrants Our respect to them doesn’t end would earn permanent resiat just paying respects at their dent status that would lead to wakes, but to pay respect to naturalization, according to the make sure that no more simi- American Dream and Promise lar incidents will happen on our Act, one of the bills passed on watch.” Thursday that was previousFamilies of seven of the vic- ly approved by the House in tims have organized GoFundMe 2019. pages, sharing the stories of their The American Dream and loved ones and raising funds for Promise Act passed 228-197 funeral and memorial expenses. with all Democrats and nine ReA fundraiser was also started for publicans voting in favor of the Marcus Lyon, a survivor to help bill. with counseling and other reThe second bill that the sources. House passed — called the Georgia’s AAPI community is Farm Workforce Modernization also urging supporters to donate Act — would allow farmworkto organizations on the ground, ers and their immediate faminamely Asian Americans Advanc- lies to earn legal status through ing Justice - Atlanta, the National their employment; it would also Asian Pacific American Women’s revamp the H-2A agricultural Forum, Asian American Advocacy guest worker program and set Fund, and Asian Mental Health a pathway for eventual naturalCollective, to name a few. ization. Members of the AAPI commuThe Farm Workforce Modernnity who have experienced hate ization Act cleared the chamber during the pandemic are encour- with a significantly bipartisan aged to report the incident at: 247-174 vote. https://stopaapihate.org/reportin“This is a very special day cident/. In addition to English, in- for us,” House Speaker Nancy dividuals can report in one of 11 Pelosi said ahead of the vote. languages, including Tagalog. n “We are making a very big difference in how we respect the beautiful diversity of America, how we respect the fact that immigration is the constant reinvigoration of America.”
Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) to identify a transit priority network of regional and local corridors that need immediate transportation fixes. MTC will set goals for transit improvements on these corridors that could eventually support a regional bus rapid transit system. The bill would also direct transit agencies to create a fare integration pilot program with a special fare pass that would allow riders to travel across more than one operator while paying a limited, fixed fare. AB 629 takes immediate, short-term steps towards a more coordinated Bay Area transit system by requiring MTC to work with agencies to design a single regional transit map, standardize wayfinding mechanisms, and report real time transit data across the region. During the pandemic, transit ridership has dramatically declined. As the Bay Area moves to recover, it makes little sense to rebuild an already struggling, disjointed system exactly as it was before. Recognizing this reality, MTC convened a 32-member Blue Ribbon Transit Recovery Task Force (BRTF), which is composed of transit agency managers, advocates, and local and state policymakers. The goal of the BRTF has been to steer Bay Area transit agencies out of the pandemic and make long-term recommendations that would improve the transit network, including recommendations on long-term integration. An early version of AB 629 introduced last year, which did not advance after the onset of the pandemic, included the creation of a similar task force to work towards agency coordination. The Bay Area has already seen the tangible benefits of initial agency coordination over the past year, as Caltrain has aligned schedules with BART at Millbrae station, and Golden Gate Transit has provided local service within San Francisco for the first time. Additionally, Bay Area transit agencies successfully banded together to advocate for emergency federal stabilization funding. AB 629 is supported by a broad coalition of Bay Area transit advocates and planners.
“AB 629 is a unique opportunity to make taking public transit easier, more efficient and more affordable--things we should have been doing before the pandemic, and which are more essential than ever,” said Nick Josefowitz, SPUR Policy Chief and MTC Vice President. “Assemblymember Chiu’s AB629 makes public transit a key part of our region’s recovery and helps create a seamless transit network that we can take pride in and that helps us reach our climate and equity goals.” “If we want to bring back transit riders as we recover from the pandemic, we must build a customer-focused transit system that works as a complete network to help people get where they need to go easily, regardless of transit agency,” said Ian Griffiths, Co-Founder and Director of Seamless Bay Area. “AB 629 takes important first steps toward network management of the Bay Area’s transit system, with immediate progress on fares, wayfinding and real time arrival information.” “Passing AB 629 means that we’re putting riders first,” said BART Board Director Janice Li. “It’s not rocket science, and these simple, overdue measures will make sure transit agencies like BART are coordinating closely across the region to make Bay Area transit work for our riders. There’s no time like now to serve our riders better as we are providing essential trips for our working class families and frontline workers across the bay.” “As Bay Area residents get ready to get back out, our roads are already nearly as crowded as they were pre-pandemic, while transit ridership is still down,” said BART Board Director Rebecca Saltzman. “We’re in a climate crisis, and California won’t meet our climate goals without reducing driving. This is the time for public transit to shine, by providing a convenient, fast, and affordable commute. AB 629 will take an important step towards achieving that.” AB 629 is expected to be heard in the Assembly Transportation Committee in the coming weeks. (Assemblymember Chiu’s Office Release)
House passes two immigration bills, sets... Like the American Dream and Promise Act, the Farm Workforce Modernization Act had been approved by the House in previous years but was voted upon again now that Democrats hold majorities in both chambers of Congress. “Millions in this country live in fear, holding their breaths every day, that they could be deported to faraway lands that are not their homes,” House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said Thursday after the vote. “Because America is their home. For Dreamers, it has been their home since their earliest days. And today, this House is going to take action – as we did last Congress – to help them breathe easier.” Both these bills are tangential to the larger immigration vision set forth by President Joe Biden on his first day in office when he and his administration promised to review and revamp the stringent immigration policies and practices of the previous administration. It is important to note that both these bills are separate pieces of legislation from the Biden White House’s more ambitious legislation, the U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021, a far more broad proposal designed to modernize the American im-
migration system top to bottom, as previously reported in the Asian Journal. (But the Biden administration expressed support for both these bills this week.) But the chances of the Senate approving both pieces of legislation are less likely. Democrats need at least 60 Republican senators to support the bills, but it gives an incentive to Democrats about ending the filibuster, which would allow legislation to pass with a lower vote threshold. But Republicans have recently criticized the Biden administration for the influx of migrants crossing the southern border, including a spike in unaccompanied minors. According to interviews with these migrants, many believe that the Biden administration will be more welcoming than the previous administration. “It’s more than a crisis. This is a human heartbreak,” House Minority leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said at a news briefing this week. “The sad part about all this, it didn’t have to happen. This crisis is created by the presidential policies of this new administration. There’s no other way to claim it than a Biden border crisis.” (Klarize Medenilla/AJPress)
CA’s My Turn COVID-19 vaccine scheduling... PAGE 1 they’re eligible for the vaccine by answering a few questions. If they’re eligible, they can schedule an appointment; if not, they can register to be notified when they’re eligible or when appointments open up. Questions include age range, whether the individual has certain conditions that put them at risk for extreme complications from COVID-19, and what type of industry they work in. Individuals who do not have access to the internet can sign up for an appointment by calling My Turn’s toll-free hotline 1833-422-4255, open weekdays 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and weekends from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. My Turn operators can provide on-demand assistance in English and Spanish, translators who speak more than 250 languages are also available as needed. Currently, California residents who are eligible for the vac-
cine include health care workers; long-term care residents; individuals over the age of 65; those who work in education and childcare, agriculture and food and emergency services; people who live or work in congregate residential settings (e.g. incarceration/detention facility, homeless shelter, or behavioral health facility); public transit workers, including airport workers for commercial airlines; and individuals age 16-64 who are at higher risk. Vaccines are available for about 4.4 million people who are considered at higher risk for serious COVID-19 illness. Those individuals include cancer (current with weakened immune system), chronic kidney disease (stage 4 or above), chronic pulmonary disease (oxygen dependent), down syndrome, solid organ transplant (leading to a weakened immune system), pregnancy, sickle cell disease,
heart conditions (such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, or cardiomyopathies but not hypertension), severe obesity (Body Mass Index ≥ 40 kg/ m2), and Type 2 diabetes mellitus with hemoglobin A1c level greater than 7.5%. Health care providers may also vaccinate individuals with developmental or other severe disabilities or illness if: The individual is likely to develop severe life-threatening illness or death from COVID-19 infection; acquiring COVID-19 will limit the individual’s ability to get ongoing care or services vital to their well-being and survival; and providing adequate and timely COVID care will be particularly challenging as a result of the individual’s disability. Individuals with “physical and behavioral disabilities,” such as those with a serious mental illness and substance use disorder, are also eligible. (AJPress)
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Good Shepherd nun behind famous ube jam dies at 102 by Ritchel
Mendiola AJPress
in Los Angeles, California. She made her first profession in 1954, and her final profession SISTER Fidelis Atienza, the in 1957. Filipina nun behind Baguio Atienza established the MarCity’s famous Good Shepherd ian Bakery in the 1960s and ube jam, has passed away at the made use of host cuttings for age of 102. the delicious “crispies,” the In a Facebook post, the Re- forerunner of the angel cookies ligious of the Good Shepherd of today. (RGS) confirmed that Atienza According to the RGS, Atiendied on Saturday, March 20, at za started making the beloved the Good Shepherd Community Good Shepherd ube jam during in Quezon City “after 66 years her assignment in Baguio City. in religious life.” “She was the original master“She never considered her- mind behind the ube jam, enself ill or infirmed. Her hands abling the congregation to send were never weary, as she was thousands of youths to school,” still helping turn plastics into it added. eco-bricks until her shoulders Aside from Baguio, Atienza’s ached from too much pushing various ministries included doz- Sr. Fidelis Atienza of plastic into the plastic bot- ens of community apostolates Photo courtesy of the Religous tles,” the RGS noted. in Cebu, Quezon City, Manila, of the Good Shepherd In 1951, Atienza entered the Hong Kong, France, Rome, and Novitiate of the Good Shepherd Tagaytay. In 2019, she was transferred to the Good Shepherd Community in Quezon City where she dedicated “each moment of her day praying for the needs of the Church and the Congregation.” “She would ask her caregivers to bring her to the oratory every day, spending most of her hours in quiet communion with the Good Shepherd whom she adored all her life,” the RGS said. “The children in the compound were very fond of their oldest playmate; she was a delight and a source of joy to everyone whom she met,” it added. Atienza’s remains are at the chapel of Good Shepherd Convent on Aurora Boulevard, Quezon City, but the wake and services will be private. Inurnment The Good Shepherd Convent in Baguio City, known for its ube jam, says farmers are having a will be at Good Shepherd Cohard time growing the purple yam, forcing them to make use of white yams. lumbary in Quezon City, to be Philstar.com photo announced on a later date. n
SC condemns killings of lawyers, judges by JoMaR
canlas ManilaTimes.net
THE Supreme Court on Tuesday, March 23 condemned the ruthless killings of judges and lawyers. In a statement, the high tribunal, through its spokesman
and lawyer Brian Hosaka, said that any killing is not tolerated by law and with much sadness for every member of the bench and the bar. Hosaka said the public is urged to report any threat or harassment against a lawyer or judge to the court’s Pub-
lic Information Office and for police to wear body cameras when implementing warrants. It also condemns the red tagging of judges who rendered decisions in favor of left-leaning individuals or organizations. n
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O PiniOn F eatURes Agency for disease control and prevention IF the coronavirus pandemic has seared anything into the public mind, it is the fact that our public health system and health infrastructure are sorely lacking: 1) an agency to formulate, design and coordinate public policy to address a national health emergency or pandemic and 2) a central agency for disease control and prevention; similar to what most modern states have. As things stand today, the InterAgency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases is too ad hoc, provisional and unprofessional to serve as our principal policy-making tool for managing a health crisis such as a pandemic. There is more policing than policy design and evaluation in its operations. The Department of Health, as the regular department for health services in the executive branch, has a huge health bureaucracy to run and control. We should not expect it to double up as an agency to handle disease control and prevention. It is imperative, we think, for the Congress to turn its attention now to passing a modern public health law that will address these concerns and create an institutional answer in time for the next health emergency. We have today a score of health laws in the statute book, but none of these laws fill the need for both an effective agency for serious public health policy making and an agency to handle disease control and prevention comprehensively. Congress spent time, resources and personnel to establish Malasakit Centers across the archipelago, yet the centers seem to have no role to play in fighting the pandemic. The real headaches we are encountering now are chiefly bureaucratic and lack of professional-
Editorial
specialization. In very general terms, the field of public health focuses on health care as it deals with whole populations, more applied research and disease prevention. The field of medicine, in turn, is more localized and concerned with individual treatment, diagnosis and care. Public health professionals work to improve the quality of life for communities and populations. Rather than treating individuals and groups with direct medical care, they conduct research and disseminate information to the public in order to extend life expectancy, combat infant mortality and reduce the incidence of communicable diseases. Medical health professionals are also often administrators and advocates for policies that will further those points. Some of the common job titles for people in this field include epidemiologist, health or medical center director, biostatistician and health communications specialist. Medical professionals also want to improve life quality and combat disease, but they focus on the individual and treatment. Seeing patients in order
ManilaTimes.net photo
to treat a specific ailment or repair a breach of the human body because of an accident are the hallmarks of this profession. A big difference between the two is that a medical public health professional cannot treat patients — in essence, he cannot “practice medicine.” Only doctors can prescribe medicine and provide that level of care. We need a good public health law that can point
the nation to a public health system and infrastructure that can provide good public health policy making and effective and timely services to combat and eradicate disease A dedicated agency for disease control and prevention will be a good start and an excellent investment. It will make plenty of difference and make our country a better place to live in. (ManilaTimes. net)
Gun violence in the US: An epidemic politicians beholden to the NRA and gun-addicted Americans might not want to ever go away
The Fil-Am Perspective GEL SANTOS-RELOS INSANITY, an old age says, is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. “Pag gusto, may paraan. Pag ayaw, may dahilan” (If you want something done, you will always find a way. But if you refuse to do what needs to be done, you will always find an excuse), is a Tagalog saying that sums up where we are in this national crisis. These sayings come to mind as again I write about gun violence in the United States for the nth time, following another mass shooting in the United States that killed 10 people in Boulder, Colorado on March 22, just six days after the senseless killing of eight, six of who were Asians, in Atlanta, Georgia on March 16. Have we become desensitized to gun violence in the United States? Guns continue to kill 38,000 people in the United States every year, or about 100 every single day, the Giffords Law Center reported. The Giffords Law Center further stated these painful facts that reveal how insane our country’s approach has been to gun violence: • America has the weakest gun laws and the most guns — 393 million — of any comparable nation. • The U.S. accounts for just
Commentary
ENRIQUE
ism and expertise. It’s long been recognized that there is a huge difference between medicine and public health. Each has its own concern and area of
DE LA CRUZ
THE fatal shootings in Atlanta, Georgia of six women of Asian descent at businesses known to employ Asian workers are frightful and terrifying. It marks an escalation in the level of violence associated with the spike in antiAsian aggressions during this pandemic. How can a minority group that was touted as a “model minority” turn into the object of hatred and violence? American ambivalence toward Asian Americans is not new. But which side becomes salient is often the result of historical events. Filipinos and Japanese Americans were once the faces of the enemy during the Philippine American War and World War II, respectively.
4% of the world’s population but 35% of global firearm suicides. Americans are 25 times more likely to be killed in a gun homicide than people in other highincome countries. • Nearly every American will know at least one victim of gun violence in their lifetime. • Over 1 million Americans have been shot in the past decade, and gun violence rates are rising across the country • In 2017, gun deaths reached their highest level in at least 40 years, with 39,773 deaths that year alone. • Suicides, homicides, police shootings—gun violence takes many forms, often dictated by who and where you are. • Gun access triples suicide risk. The majority of suicides - 51 percent - involve a gun. • Gun homicide has a disproportionate impact on underserved communities of color in American cities. • Roughly half of all gun homicides take place in just 127 cities comprising less than a quarter of the total U.S. population. • Black men make up 52% of all gun homicide victims in the U.S., despite comprising less than 7% of the population. • Unarmed Black civilians are five times more likely to be shot and killed by police than unarmed white civilians. • Domestic violence victims
are five times more likely to be killed when their abuser has access to a gun. Nearly 1 million women alive today report being shot or shot at by an intimate partner. • Women in the United States are 21 times more likely to be killed with a gun than women in other high-income countries. • 3 million children are directly exposed to gun violence each year, resulting in death, injury, and lasting trauma. And yet, tragedy after tragedy, the lawmakers of this nation do NOTHING to really address this crisis, other than offering “thoughts and prayers” to the victims and their bereaved family. This inaction comes even as facts and data show just how active mass shootings have escalated in recent years involving the use of assault rifles and highpowered magazines by civilians, weapons intended to be used in war zones only. The powerful and moneyed gun lobbyist, the National Rifle Association (NRA), would always have the last laugh after each tragedy and litany of “thoughts and prayers” because nothing would happen to change gun laws significantly to make a difference. The NRA has infused a lot of campaign contributions to former President Donald Trump,
and mostly to Republicans in the past years. The NRA used to be much more bipartisan, but now it’s mostly just a wing of the Republican Party, as most of its supporters identify with it, according to a report by CNN. The New York Times reported that just the last five years, there have been at least 29 shootings with four or more fatalities, based on the data compiled by the Violence Project. Among them: March 16, 2020: A gas station in Springfield, Missouri Aug. 31, 2019: Drive-by shootings in Midland and Odessa, Texas Aug. 4, 2019: An entertainment district in Dayton, Ohio Aug. 3, 2019: A Walmart in El Paso, Texas July 28, 2019: A festival in Gilroy, California May 31, 2019: An office in Virginia Beach, Virginia Nov. 7, 2018: A bar in Thousand Oaks, California Oct. 27, 2018: A synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania June 28, 2018: A newsroom in Annapolis, Maryland May 18, 2018: A high school in Santa Fe, Texas Feb. 14, 2018: A high school in Parkland, Florida Nov. 5, 2017: A church in Sutherland Springs, Texas Oct. 1, 2017: A concert in Las Vegas Jan. 6, 2017: An airport in Fort
Lauderdale, Florida July 7, 2016: Downtown Dallas, Texas June 12, 2016: The Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida Many more were allowed to happen before that. The Times chronicled: “the San Bernardino, Calif., and Charleston, S.C., in 2015; Newtown, Conn., and Aurora, Colo., in 2012; Virginia Tech in 2007, among them.” “Each new attack is a reminder of all of the others that came before it, as the nation has been unable to curb an epidemic of gun violence that far outpaces other countries. These are just some of the horrors that have traumatized the nation,” the Times reported. Following a shooting that left 10 people dead in Boulder, Colorado, Robyn Thomas, Giffords Law Center’s executive director, testified on Tuesday, March 23 in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee to demand action on a gun safety agenda. As the Giffords Law Center reported, “Some of the proposals she highlighted include universal background checks, prohibiting gun possession by those convicted of domestic violence crimes, waiting periods, and enacting extreme risk protection orders.” “Our gun violence crisis is a uniquely American problem,” said Robyn Thomas said in her
opening statement. “It’s a problem that plagues our country in countless different ways and exacts a devastating toll on our communities. But it’s a problem with solutions. While one single law will never stop all gun violence, we know strong gun laws save lives.” The Giffords Law Center pointed out that earlier this March, “the House passed H.R. 8, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act, with bipartisan support. Neither H.R. 8 nor its Senate companion legislation, S. 529, the Background Checks Expansion Act, has yet been considered in the Senate. The Senate hearing was an important step in moving forward with meaningful gun safety reforms.” WHAT ARE THEY WAITING FOR? *** 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.
A challenge and an opportunity against hate, misogyny & gun violence
At the turn of the last century, Filipinos resisted the United States’ efforts to impose colonial rule over the Philippines, since Filipinos had just declared independence from Spain in a revolutionary uprising. Their resistance led to the PhilippineAmerican War, which we lost. At the start of Philippine-U.S. relations, Filipinos were the enemy, and we were depicted as snakes, dogs and filthy savages in American media of the period. After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Japanese Americans, despite being native-born Americans, were imprisoned in concentration camps together with their immigrant parents, for looking like the enemy. Chinese were vilified too, soon after they completed work building the railroads that connected the West Coast with most of America; they flocked into major cities where their presence felt threatening. This led to the Chi-
nese Exclusion Act of 1882. During the civil rights struggles of the 1960s and 1970s, Asian Americans were transformed from being the enemy into America’s darlings, its “model minority.” Asian American successes in education and business were held up as a convenient foil against African American demands for racial justice and equality. The idea homogenized differences and challenges among the different Asian American communities, while serving as a racial wedge between Asian Americans and African Americans. As late as 2017, this well-worn trope was invoked by New York Magazine’s Andrew Sullivan to minimize African American demands for racial justice and equality. From America’s darlings half a century ago, we, Asian Americans, have wrongly become the face of the coronavirus, an ordinarily invisible microbe re-
sponsible for over half a million American deaths. This pandemic has brought a dramatic spike in hate crimes and racially motivated aggressions against Asian Americans. The latest report by Stop AAPI Hate, a group that collects reports on hate aggressions against Asian Americans nationwide, states that between March 2020 and February 2021, it received reports of 3,795 incidents, though the actual number could be higher since many more go unreported. Now we have this dramatic and unnerving escalation in the level of violence that targets women, indicating racialized misogyny where racism and sexism are intertwined with gun violence. Women are common targets of gender discrimination and sexual harassment. The recent accusations against New York’s Governor Cuomo are only the latest examples, and speak to the persistence of
this problem despite efforts to address it in recent years. In addition, women of color are doubly oppressed through their race and gender. This has proved to be a very lethal mix for the six murdered Asian American women who worked at health spas in Atlanta, where the spike in anti-Asian attitudes intersects with three seemingly intractable problems in American society: racism, misogyny, and gun violence. The intertwining of these three social problems creates a challenge and an opportunity in our fight against anti-Asian aggression. Our struggle against antiAsian aggression is fundamentally a struggle against racism and white privilege in America. It is a fight where we have a common cause with Black Americans and other communities of color. We have common cause with women — and men — in the struggle
against sexism, not just in our communities, but everywhere. The #MeToo movement has underscored its pervasiveness. We have common cause, too, with many, many communities in opposing gun violence. These are groups that have come together in response to the Columbine, Sandy Hook and Stoneman Douglas school massacres, to mention a few. Within our Filipino American community, we have a decades-long campaign by the Ileto family against gun violence in response to the shooting death of their brother, Joseph Ileto, a postal worker murdered by a white supremacist, while delivering mail. The escalation of aggressions against Asian Americans into the level of gun violence presents a triple opportunity for Asian Americans. Our struggle against anti-Asian aggression is an opportunity to strengthen u PAGE 7
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Pinoy scientist dives into third deepest spot on Earth MANILA — Filipino marine scientist Deo Florence Onda on Tuesday, March 23 made history after the successful descent to the Emden Deep, the third deepest spot on the planet located at the Philippine Trench. “I am with explorer Victor Vescovo and we are at the Emden Deep in the Philippine Trench,” Onda said in a video posted on his Facebook account Tuesday night after the successful descent to the Emden Deep. “I am actually very honored to be part of this trip and sa mga Pilipino, ito po ang Emden Deep, atin ito (For Filipinos, this is Emden Deep and this is ours)!” he added before raising the Philippine flag. The video was taken inside submersible Limiting Factor after it reached the Emden Deep, which is approximately 10,400 meters or 34,100 feet deep. According Vescovo, the record holder for the deepest manned descent in the Marianas Trench in 2019, they made history as the first humans to reach the bottom of the Philippine Trench. “It’s a privilege to be here with you, a member of the Philippines and glad we were able to provide the vessel that allowed it to happen,” he told Onda in the video. The descent to the Emden Deep started early Tuesday, with Onda and Vescovo reaching it after a few hours. “The reality of diving the Emden is slowly sinking in,” Onda, a microbial oceanographer from the University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute (UP MSI), said in a separate post on Monday, March 22. Vescovo is a main sponsor of the Caladan Oceanic, the private
EXPRESS YOURSELF. In a photo posted on the UP Marine Science Institute Facebook page, Filipino marine scientist Deo Florence Onda holds the Philippine flag after a successful dive and ascent from Emden Deep in the Philippine Trench, the third deepest spot on Earth.
organization that invited Onda to join the descent. In an earlier statement, the UPMSI said it is only appropriate that a Filipino scientist be among the first to dive into the Emden Deep, which is found within the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines. “Deep sea expeditions like this one are equivalent to the first early flights into outer space. It would be a major record-setting scientific and historic achievement. To date, most of these records are held by foreign scientists or explorers,” the UPMSI said. Onda and Vescovo reached Emden Deep aboard submersible Limiting Factor which was launched from DSSV Pressure Drop, described as “the only marine vessel in the world capable of launching the deep-sea submersible… that can carry humans and repeatedly dive to the deepest
parts in the world’s oceans.” Part of the goal, according to UPMSI, was to wave the Philippine flag in the Emden Deep and highlight that it is an integral part of the country’s heritage. The institute also noted the opportunity for Onda to be exposed to state-of-the-art vessels capable of deep-sea activities, which can help efforts to establish the country’s own National Academic Research Fleet. “This endeavor can spark interest in and passion for many other young Filipinos who would want to make a career in sciences and bring more attention to the protection, preservation and conservation of the Philippine marine environment,” the UPMSI said. The expedition is considered a non-marine scientific research activity and has been coordinated with the Department of Foreign Affairs. (Philstar.com)
A challenge and an opportunity against hate... PAGE A6 t
alliances and working relations with #BlackLivesMatter and similar groups. We as a community must intentionally engage in the struggle against sexism since our communities carry baggage from the patriarchal societies we immigrated from. Likewise, we can join the Ileto family to build alliances with groups against gun violence, and in favor of gun control. The tragedy in the wake of the Atlanta murders of Asian American women is an opportunity for Asian Americans to meaningfully add our voices to the fight against
sexism and misogyny, racism and white supremacy, and in the struggle to end gun violence through gun control legislation. I am quite aware as I write this that many of our U.S. children — mine included — are actively engaged in these three struggles. But our communities, are still predominantly foreign-born. My call is to those among us who are foreign-born: Be much more actively supportive of those who are actively engaged. Racism, sexism and gun violence will not go away if we only see ourselves as victims. We need to see ourselves as warriors, actively en-
gaged in eliminating these evils towards a more peaceful, just, and equitable society where one is judged — to borrow a phrase from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. — not by their skin color, gender or national origin, but by the content of their character. *** 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. ••• Enrique de la Cruz is Professor Emeritus of Asian American Studies at Cal State University, Northridge.
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Philippines falls to 61st place Philippine senators seek MD, not in World Happiness Report ‘military dati’ for vaccine response KatReena CabiCo
Philstar.com
MANILA — Filipinos were unhappier in 2020, a year of despair, disruption and deaths due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to an annual United Nations-sponsored report. With an average score of 5.8880, the Philippines fell from 52nd to 61st place in the 2021 World Happiness Report. The researchers used Gallup data asking people to rate their own happiness, also taking into account measures such as gross domestic product, social support, personal freedom and levels of corruption to give each country a happiness score, which is an average of the past three years. The authors of the report also compared this year’s data to the average of the previous years to gauge the impact of the pandemic. Using this method, the Philippines ranked 74th out of 95 countries with a score of 5.080. This is down from 42nd place from the 2017 to 2019 surveys.
With over 677,000 COVID-19 cases, the Philippines is battling the second worst outbreak in Southeast Asia. A year after the pandemic was declared, it is dealing with another surge in infections, which health authorities blamed to decreased compliance with public health protocols that is aggravated by the circulation of more contagious coronavirus variants. Filipinos are also living under the shadow of one of the world’s longest and strictest lockdowns, which shut down businesses and schools and forced many Filipinos to stay home. Happiness and the pandemic The report found “significantly higher frequency of negative emotions” in just 42 countries. “Positive emotions lie in the middle ground, with 22 countries on the upside and 25 heading down, in all cases relative to the average values in 2017-2019,” it said. In a statement, John Helliwell, one of the report’s com-
pilers, said “surprisingly there was not, on average, a decline in well-being when measured by people’s own evaluation of their lives.” “One possible explanation is that people see COVID-19 as a common, outside threat affecting everybody and that this has generated a greater sense of solidarity and fellow-feeling,” he said. Author Jeffrey Sachs, meanwhile, said “we need urgently to learn from COVID-19” and “aim for wellbeing rather than mere wealth.” European countries on top For the fourth consecutive year, Finland was declared the happiest country in the world. Denmark came up second, followed by Switzerland, Iceland and the Netherlands. Completing the top 10 were Norway, Sweden, Luxembourg, New Zealand and Austria. Afghanistan was the world’s happiest country and was joined by Lesotho, Botswana, Rwanda and Zimbabwe at the bottom of the table. (With reports from Agence France-Presse)
China warns America against ‘provoking confrontation’ after comment on Chinese ships by ChRistia
maRie Inquirer.net
Ramos
MANILA — The Chinese Embassy in Manila accused the United States on Tuesday, March 23 of “provoking confrontation” after the latter backed the Philippines in its protest of Chinese vessels in the West Philippine Sea. “The United States is not a party to the South China Sea issue. Fanning flames and provoking confrontation in the region will only serve the selfish interests of [an] individual country and undermine the regional peace and stability,” the Chinese embassy said over Twitter, tagging the official account of the U.S. Embassy in Manila. China and the Philippines “are sovereign and independent countries,” the Chinese embassy added in a separate tweet.
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The Philippines lodged a diplomatic protest on Sunday, March 21, against more than 200 boats, believed to be operated by Chinese maritime militia personnel, at the Julian Felipe Reef in the West Philippine Sea. Following the protest, the Chinese embassy denied on Monday, March 22 the alleged presence of Beijing’s maritime militia at the said reef, which China claimed to be part of its territory. It, however, said that “some Chinese fishing vessels” have recently taken shelter at the reef “due to rough sea conditions.” Earlier Tuesday, the US embassy said Chinese boats have been mooring in the area for “many months in ever-increasing numbers, regardless of the weather.” Further, it accused China of using its maritime militia
“to intimidate, provoke, and threaten other nations, which undermines peace and security in the region.” The Philippines has already demanded that China immediately withdraw its fishing vessels and maritime assets from the West Philippine Sea. Manila also called on China to “direct its fishing vessels to desist from environmentally destructive activities” in the area. The Philippines, China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei all have overlapping claims over the South China Sea. In July 2016, the Philippines won a landmark victory over China before the United Nations-backed Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, Netherlands, which invalidated China’s nine-dash line claim, a ruling that Beijing refuses to recognize. n
by Paolo
RomeRo Philstar.com
MANILA — Senators on Tuesday, March 23 called for a revamp and expansion of the membership in the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) to include more representatives from the private sector as COVID cases continue to surge and the government’s vaccination program appears to be lagging. “It appears the IATF does not only need to ‘change oil’ but also a ‘change engine and driver’,” Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto said. “If there will be reinforcements to the IATF, it should not be the MDs – mga military dati (former military) – because this sector has already met its quota,” Recto said. “COVID is fast and furious while the vaccine rollout is slow and sputtering. These are signs of a government’s pandemic machinery in trouble and a nation in danger,” he added. He said it’s time to expand the membership of the IATF and include people from private businesses with “superb managerial skills, like those who have been running companies with a million moving parts with efficiency and precision.” Under Executive Order 168 that created the task force, the leadership of the IATF remains an all-government affair, chaired by the secretary of health with the secretaries of the departments of foreign affairs, the interior and local government, justice, labor and employment, tourism and transportation as members, Recto said. He said the private sector has no permanent seat in the National Task Force for COVID, the command center headed by the secretary of defense, he noted. “To cite one skill set, the war against COVID requires logistics experts who supply a customer base numbering in the tens of millions, like that bakery in Laguna that every day brings millions of pieces of perishable bread to store shelves from Aparri to Zamboanga in a matter of hours,” Recto said. Sen. Francis Pangilinan said the government’s goal to cut infections by 25 percent in two weeks may not be sustained unless it addresses the serious gaps in mass
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testing, contact tracing and isolation and speed up the vaccination roll-out. “I’m afraid we will just be running in place and find ourselves moving from one lockdown to another in the months ahead. I am reminded of the child’s hand play of close-open and open-close,” Pangilinan said. He urged Malacañang to stop blaming the people for the surge in the cases as they need to go out and make a living to feed their families. Sen. Panfilo Lacson scored Malacañang for being defensive when he asked where the vaccines are that it promised months ago. Lacson said Malacañang and the Department of Finance did not answer the question directly, but maintained that the money intended to procure the vaccines are intact. “Let me say again that I never asked where the money went. What I asked and will continue to ask until we get the accurate answer is that since the money has been available through loans for quite sometime and I thank the DOF for its foresight, where are the vaccines?” Lacson asked. Calls rejected Malacañang rejected calls by some senators and health worker groups to revamp or abolish the IATF, saying the country is now equipped to handle and treat COVID infections. “We are doing the right thing,” presidential spokesman Harry Roque Jr. said as he dismissed critics’ claim that the administration is incompetent to address the pandemic. Roque said there are efforts to destroy the administration due to politicking in the run-up to the 2022 national elections. “The government’s primary task force cannot be blamed for the surge of cases,” Roque said, noting there are similar incidents of surge abroad due to the new COVID variants. One year since the outbreak, Roque said the IATF has adopted the whole-of-government approach to handle the pandemic. Since last year, the Philippines has allocated more than 6,595 beds in quarantine facilities in Metro Manila with 83 temporary treatment and monitoring facilities. The Philippines’ testing capac-
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ity has increased from 3,000 a day in April 2020 to 50,294 testing in March this year. “That is not incompetence,” he insisted. As of March 16, Roque said there were 76,916 persons who are recovering in Oplan Kalinga mega quarantine facilities and quarantine hotels. Roque said the case fatality rate has been slowing down, citing reports of the health department on Monday, March 22. “Let us not belittle the sacrifice of our doctors, experts and government workers who comprise the IATF,” he said. “The science of masks, wash, social distancing, isolation and treatment, slowly opening of the economy, cash assistance and ayuda, effective fiscal management, coordination with local governments are the reasons why about 86 percent comprised those who have recovered,” Roque said. “This is proof that we are doing the right thing. This is a proof that the IATF is able to do its mission,” Roque said. “Let us be fair and objective.” He said the government won’t accept the proposals of its critics, noting those were politically-motivated. Lacson’s “where are the vaccines” remark irked President Duterte, who scored him for insinuating there is corruption in the handling of funds loaned from the World Bank and other financial institutions for the procurement of COVID vaccines. During his address to the nation on Monday night, Duterte said it is obvious that some are politicking by trying to paint his administration as corrupt to make themselves clean in the eyes of the public. “That’s what you would call the classic case of if you want to appear white, you paint the other guy black para ang labas mo puting-puti ka. Si Mr. Clean, parang ganoon. Ganoon ‘yan eh, style bulok,” Duterte said. Roque reiterated the President’s statement that some quarters are using the pandemic for political gains in the run-up to the national elections next year. Roque, who is still on quarantine after contracting COVID, appealed to critics to help instead of attacking the government. He blamed the new and more contagious variants as the reason for the sudden surge in cases. n
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INSIDE >>> L I F E S T Y L E • C O N S U M E R G U I D E • C O M M U N I T Y • M A R K E T P L A C E Immigration Corner ATTY. MICHAEL GURFINKEL, ESQ IN a previous article, I discussed how Pres. Biden and the Democrats introduced the “U.S. CITIZENSHIP ACT” of 2021. It was a massive bill, covering a variety of immigration issues and reforms, including a pathway to U.S. citizenship for approximately 11 million undocumented noncitizens now in the U.S. Unfortunately, that bill has stalled in Congress, and many commentators believe it will be an uphill battle to have such a massive bill passed in Congress. Meanwhile, the Democrats are introducing additional immigration bills in piecemeal fashion, so that rather than having one comprehensive bill covering comprehensive immigration reform, they are breaking it down into several separate bills, one of which is granting legalization to DACA recipients and other “Dreamers,” (who are called that based on a bill introduced many years ago called the “Dream Act,” which stood for Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act, known as the DREAM Act. Basically, the Dream and Promise Act would provide a 10year pathway to legalization and citizenship. Initially, Dreamers would be granted “conditional permanent resident status” for 10 years. To be eligible, the person: • Must have been physically present in the U.S. on or before January 1, 2021. Even though this bill has not yet passed, I would strongly recommend that people already gather documents to show they were in the U.S. be-
The Dream and Promise Act of 2021: Who qualifies?
fore New Year’s. • Were 18 years old or younger when they originally entered the U.S. This expands the eligibility requirement for DACA, where the person had to have entered the U.S. before their 16th birthday. • Is not inadmissible or ineligible to enter the U.S. on the following grounds: criminal, security and terrorism, smuggling, student visa abuse, unlawful voting, and other reasons. • Have not been convicted of any offense punishable by a term of imprisonment for more than one year, committed three or more offenses the total amount of imprisonment was 90 days or more, crimes of domestic violence. If a person has such criminal issues, they should definitely see an attorney before applying, so they don’t find themselves in removal proceedings. • Graduated from high school, obtained a General Educational Development (GED), or are in a program assisting students in obtaining a high school diploma or GED. • Pass security and law enforcement background checks and register for selective service if required. This is generally for males between the age of 18 and 25. In order to obtain full lawful permanent resident status, the Dreamer must: • Obtain a degree from a U.S. institution of higher education or complete at least two years in a Bachelor’s degree program or a technical program. Or, has two years of military service with an honorable discharge. Therefore, Congress wants young people to
become educated and graduate. And that’s a good thing because so many people come to the U.S. because of the educational opportunities. Now, it would seem it’s a requirement to get a green card. • Be employed for at least three years, and at least 75% of that time should have been working with employment authorization. This bill would also grant instate tuition to undocumented students, give them access to federal financial aid, and if the Dreamer had been deported during the Trump administration, they could apply from abroad. I think this bill will have a good chance of passing. Both Democrats and Republicans have expressed sympathy and compassion for these Dreamers. I also think this bill addresses most of the concerns, criticisms, and arguments Republicans may have. The requirements are the person must be law-abiding, educated, and hard-working. Therefore, Republicans cannot argue that somehow this is offering legalization to criminals or undesirables. We are offering a pathway to citizenship to young people who would be able to work for many years and pay taxes. Even though comprehensive immigration reform may not pass right now, let us at least get whatever bills can be passed, and then move further, rather than having an all-or-nothing attitude. Maybe once the Dreamers are legalized and things are going well, legalization can be expanded to the parents of U.S. citizens as was tried under DAPA. PAGE 11
MORE QUESTIONS FROM KAPAMILYA AROUND THE U.S. WILL BE ANSWERED ON AN ENCORE EPISODE OF CITIZEN PINOY THIS SUNDAY. Leading U.S. Immigration Attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel (top left) answers questions from Kapamilya in Texas, California, and Washington. Rey of Abilene, Texas (bottom left) wants to know what the fastest way is to bring an adopted child to the U.S. Christian of Antioch, California (bottom right) has a friend who is a green card holder. He returned to the Philippines in 2013, but his re-entry permit expired in 2015. Can he still return to the U.S. before his green card expires in 2022? Arlene from Vancouver, Washington (top right) has a daughter who got her green card in 2004. However, the daughter has been in the Philippines for many years and her green card expired. Can the daughter still renew her expired green card? Find out the answers to these questions on an encore episode of “Citizen Pinoy” this Sunday, March 28 at 5:30 pm PT (8:30 pm ET thru select Cable/Satellite providers). (Advertising Supplement)
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‘I’m representInG FIlIpInA, I’m representInG BlACk’:
Meet Leyna Bloom, the first transgender woman of color in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue By Ritchel
Mendiola
AJPress
LEYNA Bloom, a Black and Filipina American model, is making history as the first transgender woman of color to grace Sports Illustrated’s famed Swimsuit Issue. The 27-year-old model and trained dancer’s feat comes after Brazilian model Valentina Sampaio, who became the first openly transgender model to appear in the magazine’s Swimsuit Issue last year. In an Instagram post on Tuesday, March 16, Bloom expressed her excitement over the historic milestone.
“This is what it looks like to be in full bloom… My spirit has reached new levels. This moment is bigger than my wildest infinite dreams. In this moment, I am a representation of all the communities I grew from, and all the communities I’m planting seeds in,” she wrote in her post, thanking the publication for allowing her “to showcase my heavenly form.” “Before my feet even touched the sand, you all wanted to celebrate the temple of my body and the deepest part of my spiritual universe. Your kindness has given me so much hope in the humanity of [the] entertainment industry,” she added.
Leyna Bloom was photographed by Yu Tsai in Tampa, FL wearing Dos Gardenias.
from New York’s kiki ballroom scene who falls in love with a lost drifter (Fionn Whitehead). She was the only transgender model to walk the runway at Paris Fashion Week for Tommy Hilfiger x Zendaya’s Fall/Winter collection that same year. Bloom told the New York Times that she was on the set for her Levi’s campaign in December when she learned that she would be in Sports Illustrated. “I hadn’t gone to a casting, so when my agent called with the news, I felt mentally shaken. The idea that they were giving me this chance — I couldn’t take it in. Two weeks later I was on set,” she said. According to Bloom, her feature on the publication’s Swimsuit Issue is her way of “promoting something that has been missing in the world: trans beauty in all shapes and all sizes.” “I’m representing Filipina, I’m representing Black, I am representing people who have been immigrants. For them, I’m a vessel of change,” she told the NY Times. For her part, Sports Illustrated’s editor MJ Day praised Bloom for her beauty and her “undeniable sense of self that shines through the minute she walks on set.” “Leyna is legendary in the world of activism, strikingly gorgeous and has an undeniable sense of self that shines through the minute she walks on set. Her story represents one grounded in resilience and we couldn’t be more thrilled to Photo courtesy of Sports Illustrated help her tell it,” she said in a
Bloom made headlines as one of the first openly transgender models on the runway at New York Fashion Week in 2017. Later that year, she appeared as the first transgender woman of color in Vogue India. In 2018, she went viral on Twitter for campaigning to be the first trans model of color to walk the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show. Sampaio was later chosen to walk in the show in August 2019. Bloom also became the first trans woman of color to headline a film at Cannes Film Festival in 2019. In “Port Authority,” directed by Danielle Lessovitz, Bloom plays a trans woman
Bloom was the only transgender model to walk the runway at Paris Fashion Week for Tommy Hilfiger x Zendaya’s Fall/Winter collection in 2019. Photo from Instagram/@leynabloom
statement. “Her presence as the first trans woman of color to be in our issue is a result of her lifetime dedication to forging her own path that has led to acceptance, love and change. She represents every person’s right to love themselves and be who they want to be,” she added. Bloom was born and raised in Chicago to a Filipina mother, who is from General Santos, and an African American father. In a 2019 interview with GMA News, Bloom said that she went to the Philippines to find her
mother. “I grew up Americanized since my mom was deported when I was only two years old. I was raised by my American father, but four years ago, I found my mom online. I searched everywhere. I felt there was a piece of me missing,” she said. Bloom noted that the food in the Philippines was “amazing.” “The people are so vibrant and welcoming. I feel so welcome in the Philippines. I feel so connected and so unique,” she added.
Former CA Gov Jerry Brown heads list of global celebrityworld celebrities celebrating birthdays in April By Ferdie Villar FORMER California Governor Edmund Gerald “Jerry” Brown Jr., born on April 7, 1938, heads the list of prominent celebrities who will be celebrating their birthdays in the month of April. Brown served as Governor of California on two occasions (34th Gov. from 1975 to 1983 and 39th Gov. from 2011 to 2019). Prior to and in between his stints as Governor, Jerry served in numerous state and Democratic Party positions, including as Los Angeles Community College District Board of Trustee (19691971), Secretary of State of California (1971-1975), Chairman of the California Democratic Party (1989-1991), Mayor of Oakland (1999-2007) and Attorney General of California (2007-2011). A Yale Law School graduate, Jerry Brown will be celebrating his 83rd birthday on Wednesday, April 7. Others celebrating their birthdays this April Fool month are: April 1: Former box-office king
of Philippine movies Tirso Cruz III and Antioch beauty Abigail Larcy Perez; April 2: San Mateo County Office of District Attorney Chief Inspector John Warren; April 4: Vallejo Ilocano community leader Mike Calilan; April 5: GMA Channel 7 singing champion Roma Mae Canedo; April 7: Versatile actor Richard Gomez and actress KC Concepcion (daughter of Megastar Sharon Cuneta); April 10: GMA Channel 7 TV host (Eat Bulaga, Picture! Picture!, Cash Cab) Ryan Agoncillo; April 12: ANK Home Care proprietor Allan Rocas; April 13: Health Professionals, Inc. office administrator Lelith Adriano, Statewide Realty president Rolly Lavarias; April 14: Former movie actress Rosemarie Sonora, former Miss United Nations Queen Queenie Salazar of San Jose; April 15: Hayward community Edmund “Jerry” Brown Jr., former California governor, will celebrate his 83rd birthday on Wednesday, April 7.
Television host Luis Manzano will celebrate his birthday on Wednesday, April 21.
Vic (Bosing) Sotto will celebrate his 67th birthday on Wednesday, April 28.
Sylvia Ford, an antique collector from Oakland Hills, will celebrate her birthday on Tuesday, April 20.
Leni Robredo, current vice president of the Philippines, will celebrate her 56th birthday on Friday, April 23.
Antioch teenage beauty Abigail Larcy Perez will celebrate her lucky 13th birthday on Thursday, April 1.
Roma Mae Canedo, a GMA Pinoy TV singing champion, will celebrate her birthday on Monday, April 5.
leader Marie Kimley; April 17: Multi-awarded actor San Francisco hotel employee Mohammad Yusuf; April 19: Former Manila Mayor Joseph (Erap) Ejercito Estrada, multi-awarded actor Albert Martinez, Star Cinema actress Kim Chiu, singer and bandleader George Elizalde; April 20: Oakland Hills antique collector and socialite Sylvia Ford, former San Juan City (Philippines) Mayor Guia Guanzon Gomez, former Miss PhilippinesUSA and now Church Chorus member Mary Grace Garcia; April 21: Television host Luis Manzano, Philippine Star Entertainment Editor and TV co-host
Tirso Cruz III, former box office king in the Philippines, will celebrate his birthday on Thursday, April 1.
Asia’s Songbird Regine Velasquez-Alcasid will celebrate her birthday on Thursday, April 22.
Lelith Adriano, administrative assistant for Health Professionals, Inc., will celebrate her birthday on Tuesday, April 13.
Ricky Lo, Signature bandleader Cesar de la Cruz; April 22: Asia’s Songbird Regine Velasquez-Alcasid; April 23: Philippine Vice President Leni Robredo, former Barrio Fiesta owner Marjorie Ongpauco Barretto; April 24: Movie actor Anjo Yllana; April 25: Filipino American commercial and fashion model Dane Kitchen; April 28: Eat Bulaga host Vic (Bosing) Sotto, who will be celebrating his 67th birthday; April 30: Visayan movie actress Dolly Fuentes. To all April birthday celebrants, Happy Birthday!
Cassandra (KC) Conception, daughter of Megastar Sharon Cuneta, will celebrate her birthday on Wednesday, April 7.
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Health@Heart PhiliP S. Chua, MD, FaCS, FPCS SINCE the first case of COVID-19 was officially reported by the local authority in Wuhan, China, on December 31, 2019, followed by the WHO declaration of this pandemic, medical centers around the world struggled to search for effective treatments, including vitamin-mineral supplements. No herbals have been found effective against this SARSCoV2 virus. The following March 17, 2021 report by Ryan Basen and Amanda D’Ambrosio of MedPage shows which treatments are in and which ones are out: Treatments currently in use Remdesivir Remdesivir, an antiviral, is currently the only FDA-approved therapy for COVID-19. It prevents SARS-CoV-2 from replicating by binding to RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, a key enzyme the virus needs to propagate. Authorization (EUA) has been revised to also allow for treatment of hospitalized pediatric patients under 12 who weigh at least 7.7 lbs. NIH guidelines recommend the use of remdesivir in hospitalized patients who require supplemental oxygen, either on its own, or in combination with dexamethasone. For those requiring highflow or noninvasive ventilation, NIH recommends remdesivir only in combination with dexamethasone. Its scope was limited in December due to “lack of data showing benefit at this advanced stage of the disease.” Dexamethasone Dexamethasone, a corticosteroid with potent anti-inflammatory effects, is ecommended for use in many categories of patients hospitalized with COVID-19, but not for those with mild-to-moderate disease who aren’t in the hospital. While it recommends against dexamethasone for those hospitalized but not on supplemental oxygen, NIH recommends it for those who need supplemental oxygen, high-flow or noninvasive ventilation, and mechanical ventilation or ECMO. The use of dexamethasone in those who required mechanical ventilation cut the risk of death by about 35% compared with usual care. Overall mortality also was lower in all hospitalized patients who received the drug. Tocilizumab On March 5, the NIH updated its guidance regarding the antiinterleukin-6 (IL-6) monoclonal antibody tocilizumab for COVID19. It now recommends using tocilizumab in combination with dexamethasone in certain hospitalized COVID patients exhibiting rapid respiratory decompensation. That includes those who have been admitted to the ICU within the previous 24 hours who require invasive mechanical ventilation, noninvasive mechanical ventilation or high-flow nasal cannula oxygen, or – outside the ICU
COVID-19 Rx: In or out – patients with rapidly increasing oxygen needs who require noninvasive ventilation or high-flow oxygen and have significantly increased markers of inflammation. The agency says tocilizumab should be avoided for “significantly” immunocompromised patients. There’s no evidence for using other IL-6 inhibitors in COVID-19. Anticoagulation The US-NIH recommends that all adults (including pregnant patients) hospitalized for COVID-19 who aren’t pregnant should receive prophylactic anticoagulation to prevent venous thromboembolism (VTE). Convalescent Plasma Convalescent plasma has an FDA emergency use authorization to treat hospitalized COVID19 patients. Only high-titer plasma is now authorized. However, NIH guidelines state there are insufficient data to recommend for or against the use of convalescent plasma in the treatment of COVID-19. Monoclonal Antibodies (one of the treatments President Trump had): Eli Lilly’s bamlanivimab, bamlanivimab/etesevimab combo and Regeneron’s casirivimab/imdevimab Despite the FDA authorizations, NIH doesn’t recommend the therapies in its COVID-19 treatment guidelines. “There are currently insufficient data to recommend either for or against the use of bamlanivimab or the casirivimab plus imdevimab combination for the treatment of outpatients with mild to moderate COVID-19,” according to an NIH statement. One barrier to practical application is that they require intravenous infusion – most easily delivered in hospitals yet hospitalized patients aren’t eligible for them. Failed or debated therapies Hydroxychloroquine Both the WHO and the NIH recommend against the use of hydroxychloroquine – with or without azithromycin – for the treatment of COVID-19 in both hospitalized and non-hospitalized patients. This was a spectacular failure in efficacy of this hyped-up anti-malarial drug. Findings from the RECOVERY trial showed that use of hydroxychloroquine did not reduce mortality among COVID-19 patients after 28 days, and in fact trended towards risk of death. Additionally, patients who received the antimalarial drug had a longer median hospital stay than those who received standard of care. Another clinical trial based in Brazil found that hydroxychloroquine with or without azithromycin did not improve outcomes for hospitalized patients with mildto-moderate COVID-19 after 15 days. Ivermectin In January, the NIH changed its recommendation from “against” use of ivermectin in COVID-19 to noting that there are “insufficient data” to recommend for or against the therapy. The antiparasitic drug has shown some potential to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 replication in cell cul-
tures. However, according to the NIH, achieving the plasma concentrations necessary to achieve the antiviral efficacy detected in vitro would require doses up to 100-fold higher than those approved for use in humans. Vitamin C NIH states that there are insufficient data to recommend for or against the use of vitamin C (ascorbic acid) in COVID-19. A randomized controlled trial of vitamin C and zinc showed no impact of either supplement on the course of symptoms in patients with mild illness. Vitamin D NIH states that there are insufficient data to recommend for or against the use of vitamin D in COVID-19. In February, a large randomized Brazilian trial published in JAMA found no difference in length of hospital stay for those with moderate to severe COVID19 given high-dose vitamin D or placebo. Zinc NIH states there are insufficient data to recommend for or against the use of zinc in COVID19. It also recommends against zinc supplementation above the recommended dietary allowance for the prevention of COVID-19, except in a clinical trial. Protease Inhibitors The NIH recommends against using lopinavir/ritonavir and other HIV protease inhibitors to treat COVID-19 in hospitalized and non-hospitalized patients because clinical trials have not shown clinical benefit in COVID patients. Colchicine Neither the NIH nor WHO have any guidelines concerning this oral anti-inflammatory drug often used to treat gout. The colchicine arm of the RECOVERY trial was recently halted because an independent data monitoring committee found the drug wasn’t helping hospitalized patients with COVID. However, top-line results from the COLCORONA trial announced in January showed improved outcomes for patients with mild illness from COVID-19.
NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • mARCh 26-ApRIL 1, 2021
The April 2021 Priority Dates
Immigration Corner atty. MiChael GurFinkel, eSQ THE April 2021 priority dates, continue to provide great news for workers in the EB-3 (skilled/ professional) and “other worker” (unskilled workers like caregivers). The priority dates for all countries (except India and China) are CURRENT! This includes the Philippines! This means visas are available, regardless of the person’s priority date. If a person is being petitioned by an employer, and their Form I-140 employment-based petition has been approved or is pending, they could possibly be eligible to file for adjustment of status and work authorization, assuming they are otherwise eligible for adjustment of status (i.e. no issues re maintaining status, no fraud/crimes, etc.) People with
approved or pending I-140 petitions should see an attorney about their eligibility to file for adjustment, now that the priority dates for these employmentbased categories are current. Each month, the Visa Office of the State Department publishes, in the Visa Bulletin, the priority dates for that particular month, for the various family and employment-based categories. A priority date is a person’s “place in line” for a visa, meaning immigrant visas (or green cards) would be available for persons whose priority date is earlier than the cut-off date listed below. If your priority date was “current,” but later retrogressed (or “moved backwards” and became unavailable) before your immigrant visa was issued (or before you adjusted status in the U.S.), you would have to wait until it becomes current again.
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 re-enactments) 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, YouTube: US Immigration TV and Instagram. com/gurfinkellaw 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)
*** Michael J. Gurfinkel has been an attorney
The Priority dates for the Philippines are as follows: FAMILY CATEGORY:
Application Filing Date
Visa Issuance Date
First Preference
Unmarried sons and daughters of US citizens (over 21 years of age)
September 01, 2013
January 22, 2012
Second Preference
(2A) Spouse and minor children (below 21 years old) of green card holders
March 01, 2021
Current
(2B) Unmarried sons and daughters (21 years old or older) of green card holders
November 08, 2012
September 01, 2011
Third Preference
Married sons and daughters of US Citizens
May 01, 2003
April 01, 2002
Fourth Preference
Brothers and sisters of US Citizens
May 01, 2003
April 08, 2002
Application Filing Date
Visa Issuance Date
LABOR CERTIFICATION:
Second Preference
Advanced Degree (Masters)
Current
Current
Third Preference
Professional/ Skilled Workers
Current
Current
Other Workers
Non-Skilled Workers
Current
Current
The Dream and Promise Act of 2021...
PAGE 9 But I believe this is a positive sign and is a developing story. We will continue to keep you in*** The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints formed on this and other develexpressed by the author do not necessarily opments in immigration reform, reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of because I know so many of you the Asian Journal, its management, editorial out there are looking for a way to legalize. board and staff. *** 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 Network-USA, a 501(c)3 humanitarian and antigraft foundation in the United States. Visit our websites: philipSchua.com and FUN8888.com Email: scalpelpen@gmail.com
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*** 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 re-enactments) 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, YouTube: US Immigration TV and Instagram. com/gurfinkellaw 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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Ignore bogus COVID vaccine survey SCAMMERS are using a new trick to steal your money and personal information: a bogus COVID vaccine survey. People across the country are reporting getting emails and texts out of the blue, asking them to complete a limited-time survey about the Pfizer, Moderna, or AstraZeneca vaccine. (And no doubt, there may be one for Johnson & Johnson, too.) In exchange, people are offered a free reward, but asked to pay shipping fees. No legitimate surveys ask for your credit card or bank account number to pay for a “free” reward. If you get an email or text you’re not sure about: • Don’t click on any links or open attachments. Doing so could install harmful malware that steals your personal information without you realizing it. • Don’t call or use the number
If you get an email or text like this, STOP. It’s a scam. Image capture from www.consumer.ftc.gov
in the email or text. If you want to call the company that supposedly sent the message, look up its phone number online. Remember: • Don’t give your bank account, credit card, or personal information to someone who contacts you out of the blue. • You can filter unwanted text messages on your phone, through your wireless provider,
or with a call-blocking app. • If you get an email or text that asks for your personal information and you think it could be a scam, tell the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. To learn more about COVIDrelated frauds and scams, visit ftc.gov/coronavirus/scams. (Colleen Tressler/Division of Consumer and Business Education, FTC)
Dionne reveals spending only P300 on wedding gown By Jan
Milo Severo Philstar.com
FORMER Kapamilya actress Dionne Monsanto revealed that she only spent P300 on her gown during her recent wedding with now husband Ryan Stadler. In her Instagram account, Dionne posted a photo of herself wearing the wedding gown. “I spent 300 pesos on my wedding dress!” she wrote. “The bottom part of my dress is my Something Old. It was a thoughtful gift from my sister @travelfoodfinds a year ago. The corset top is something I bought from an online shop in the Philippines for less than Php 300 (6 CHF),” she added. The former “Pinoy Big Brother” housemate said that as she got older, she realized that love and respect from other people are more important than material ones. “As I’ve gotten older, I realize more and more that things are just things. That I don’t need a lot to be happy. That love & respect from people I love are more important than any material possession,” she said. The couple got married on March 12 in Switzerland. They have been together since 2018. Dionne Monsanto with husband Ryan Stadler She announced last February that she would be retiring from Photo from Instagram/@dionne showbiz to live in Switzerland with Ryan.
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EntErtainmEnt
Heart recalls doing sexy photoshoot for money
Heart posted photos on her IG story saying her mom confiscated her money so she agreed KAPUSO actress Heart Evan- to be the calendar girl of a liquor gelista recalled how she did a brand in 2014. sexy photoshoot for money. “I can’t believe I did this haIn her Instagram account, hah #tanduay shoot 2014. My By Jan
Milo Severo Philstar.com
Heart Evangelista
Photo from Instagram/@iamhearte
mom confiscated my money so I needed to do this. Hahah Hirap kumita,” Heart wrote. In another story, Heart captioned “Mamatay ako sa stress!” in one of the sexy photos. “Sad eyes. Stressed. Literally wanted to cry here! Hahaha what an experience,” she captioned another sexy image. Heart posted another story wherein she’s wearing a red one piece swimsuit but the brand rejected it. “This was my favorite but it wasn’t too sexy – so they didn’t like it I think! Haha (more me),” she said. Heart also said that she’s happy for the photoshoot experience but will not do it again. “Looking back? Glad I did it won’t do it again though,” she said. At the end of her story, Heart posted a screenshot of her interview back then when she had a problem with her parents. “After 7 years rewatched this painful interview… made me look at my old pictures and struggles nobody knew about … wow all I can say… thank you God for guiding me. I always believe in having a childlike faith… I finally got my happy life,” Heart said. “People may say this and that because they only see the ‘finished product’ but nobody knows what you had to go through to be where you are so… cheers to life! Cheers to where it has taken you! LIVE to the fullest.”
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Kris Aquino
Photo from Instagram/@krisaquino
Kris on what to expect from her tell-all: ‘My true feelings will be revealed’ by dana
Cruz Inquirer.net
KRIS Aquino is set to release a tell-all video addressing all issues related to her and she hopes it will also clear all matters affecting her children. “Names will be named,” Aquino said on her Instagram page on March 20. She added that she will be covering all issues related to her — or at least the issues
that she was made aware of. “My true feelings will all be revealed,” she stated. “I did not spare myself, because I refuse to be a coward.”Aquino was set to release the video on Sunday, March 21, but originally wanted it to premiere on Saturday, March 20. As she explained to her fans, she had “meticulous editing instructions” for her production team so her message won’t be misinterpreted by viewers. “I have earned the right to take my time until I’m sure I am giving you what you have come to expect of me,” she said. Aquino showed a teaser photo of herself holding note-filled papers as she made the announce-
ment on Instagram last Friday, March 19. This teaser photo was accompanied by the revelation that she wasn’t at her best physical condition while filming her tell-all video. “I insisted on doing this video shoot even though I knew physically I wasn’t at my best,” Aquino stated. “I felt the longer I delayed saying what needed to be said, the more unhealthy I’d become.” Prior to her tell-all, Aquino defended her children who faced harsh comments from bashers. Early this month, she dispelled rumors that her eldest son, Josh, was getting married and called out homophobia directed at her youngest son, Bimby.
Shaira, Ruru impress esteemed director in ‘I Can See You 2’ by ChriStina
alpad Manilatimes.net
WHILE there is no metric to measure how effective a love team is in Philippine entertainment, a kissing scene — if devoid of awkwardness especially for first-time onscreen partners — is arguably an indication. In the eyes of esteemed director Mark Reyes 5th, who has directed numerous romantic flicks in his storied career, Shaira Diaz and Ruru Madrid, lead stars of GMA Network’s “I Can See You…,” convincingly passed the test. Reyes has nothing but for the pair praises for giving what he calls “one of the best kissing scenes” he has directed. “A kissing scene is the most difficult thing to do especially if you just met someone for just a few days,” Reyes began at the show’s virtual media conference. “This is one of the best kissing scenes that I directed and was able to shoot in my entire career.” Reyes justified that Diaz and Madrid were “so natural” in that vulnerable scene. When her runaway video goes viral, Raki escapes to a remote mountain lodge to flee from all the bashing. Irony strikes when Raki meets Jerrick (Madrid), a mysterious brooding man who was jilted at the altar by his bride-to-be. As their constant bickering turns into an unexpected romance, will Raki finally get her happily ever after or is her newfound prince charming just another heartache in disguise? “You’d think you know what’s
Shaira Diaz and Ruru Madrid
happening but in this show, there’s a lot of twists and turns,” the director hinted. Additionally, staying true to another trademark of the show — that is, telling stories through lenses — “On My Way to You” will use three lenses in Raki and Jerrick’s story. As director Reyes explained, “One is the lens of the phone camera because doon nakita yung runaway bride. “The other one is the binoculars because that’s how Raki was seeing Jerrick on the other cottage. Seeing is believing but looks can be deceiving. “Finally, one thing that I think is neglected is the polaroid camera of Manang Baby [played by Malou de Guzman] because that polaroid camera was the final, major twist in the story.” Of course, Reyes would not divulge the twist so as not to spoil the surprise but what he could share was his guarantee that the viewers will be taken for a ride. “Because of the imagination of Raki, which we follow, we have a horror feel in one episode, then adventure then mystery in another. Any other script given that, as a director, you would think it would be chopsuey but with this one, I liked it a lot from day one,” Reyes ended. Completing the talented cast members are Richard Yap, Ashley Rivera and Arra San Agustin. “I Can See You: On My Way To You” premieres March 22, and will air every weeknight thereafter, on GMA’s prime time block.
GMA photo
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