Veteran's Equity Now!!

VETERAN'S EQUITY!!! How can you help???

www.petitiononline/pilveteq/

For over 60 years, Pilipin@s have fought for their benefits! Support the Filipino Veteran's Fairness Act! Sign the online petition

www.petitiononline/pilveteq/

and make a phone call to your local representative and urge them to support the bill!!! Also, if you are a UC Berkeley Student, come to Senate Chambers @ 9:00pm Weds February 16th, to pressure the ASUC to take a stand on Veteran's Equity.

What do you know about your Veteranos?

Q: There were Filipinos serving in the US Army during WWII?
Yes! Depending on what source you look at, there were approximately 200,000-250,000 Filipinos Serving in the US Military during WWII. Some were in the all-Pilipino Batallions of the US Military, others were part of Philippine troops. It is estimated, according to Ago Pedalizo, president of the Justice for Filipino-American Veterans, that there are 50,000 surviving Filipino veterans today.

Q: What do you mean, they don't have benefits?

For the over 60 years since Pilipino Veterans of WWII served as in the US Military, they have been denied equal access to benefits afforded to all other WWII veterans.
What does this mean and why is this? In 1944 the GI Bill of rights was passed which granted full benefits to all that served in World War II, "irrespective of race, color or nationality." However, 2 years later, the Reciscion act of 1946 removed Filipino's "active duty" status when it came to any U.S. law concerning “rights, privileges, or benefits." This meant that out of the 66 Nationalities/Ethnicities listed under the 1944 GI Bill of Rights, Filipinos who had served bravely and honorably now had no access to healthcare, education loans, home loans, monthly stipends, burial in a national cemetery, etc. In addition, family members of Filipinos who served in WWII have no rights to posthomous benefits accessible by other US Veterans. This lack of access continues to this day.

Q: But I thought that part of Obama's Stimulus Package granted the Veteran@'s their benefits!

Actually, when President Barack Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
(ARRA), part of the legislation did provide for a one-time payment of $15,000 for Filipino
veterans living in the US and $9,000 for veterans in the Philippines. However, due to strict eligibility periods and unrealistic documentation requirements, only about 30% of claims from Filipino Veterans were found eligible. Because of this a class action suit was filed in 2010. Even more, Veterans who did recieve payment under the ARRA unknowingly waived all rights to future payments, including benefits listed above such as healthcare, monthly pensions and burial in a national cemetery.

Q: What can I do about this??

A: In early January, 2011 Representative Speier from San Mateo/San Francisco District
introduced a bill entitled the Filipino Veterans Fairness Act to the US House of Representatives This Act is directly in the language that community organizations and members have been advocating for over 20 years. The act, if passed would repeal the Recision act of 1946, and finally grant our Veteranos and their families full access to benefits, albeit 60 years too late.
What you can do is sign an online petition (to be released soon), call Representative Speier to congratulate her and urge her to continue to push for the bill (she needs our community support!), and call your other representatives to urge them to vote for the bill!

for even more information, take a look at:

http://www.filamako.com/2011/01/filipino-veterans-fairness-act-of-2011/

http://www.bakitwhy.com/articles/equity-under-filipino-veterans-fairness-act-2011

http://www.mercurynews.com/san-mateo-county/ci_17061911?nclick_check=1

much much love!

Veteran's Equity Now!!