Pinoy Power!
September 29, 2006
In last weekend’s elections in Hawai‘i, Filipino American congressional candidate and state Senator Ron Menor stumped succinctly, “Shall we wait another 100 years?” Although Menor lost his bid in one of the nation’s most important congressional races for Asian Pacific Americans, his clarion call was familiar with his colleagues at this week’s global networking and national empowerment conferences of the National Federation of Filipino American Associations in Honolulu.
Menor, who is a regional chair of NaFFAA, representing Hawai‘i and the Pacific Islands, was pointing out that no Filipino American has ascended to Capitol Hill, despite having seen Ben Cayetano succeed as Hawai‘i’s governor in 1994.
Nevertheless, the voices of over three million Filipino Americans are being heard. While they are growing louder in Washington, D.C., they have long been heard loud and clear in Manila. Former Philippines President Fidel Ramos and current leaders of the Philippines House of Representatives will be attending the convention this weekend. Ramos himself in 1998 offered use of the former Philippine Chancery for 25 years rent-free as NaFFAA’s headquarters in Washington, D.C.
The appearances of Ramos and Philippines legislators acknowledge the importance of eight million Filipinos worldwide, who have been called the “Modern Day Heroes” for their remittances that have sustained the Philippines’ economy.
This “Pinoy Power” has translated into offers of dual citizenships and the right to vote in the Philippines. That’s how important eight million Filipinos around the world are to 87 million living in the Philippines.
As much as this conference reaffirms a global bond among Filipinos, it affirms a bond between Filipino Americans and all Asian Americans. In particular, the venue of Honolulu is a reminder that millions of Filipino Americans in spirit if not in blood are descendants of the first group of sakadas — the first Filipinos to arrive and work on Hawai‘i’s sugar plantations a century ago.
These laborers later united with other Asian American plantation workers to fight for their rights. That same coalition is manifested once again as Asian American congressional leaders attend NaFAAA, and are championing the restoration of World War II Filipino American veterans benefits and extension of U.S. citizenship rights to these veterans’ families.
It’s Pinoy Power at work: Filipino Americans bridging two countries and bonding communities within Asian Pacific America.
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