II. Support the DREAM Act!
III. Pilipino Scholars' Day 2007
IV. Filipina gets $125K in lawsuit
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I. JFAV Presents...
Remember: A Re-enactment of the Bataan Death March
Sunday, September 9th, 2007 at 2:00 PM
at The Festival of Philippine Arts and Culture (FPAC)
Point Fermin
807 W Paseo Del mar
San Pedro, CA
Admission is $5.00 per day. Support Fil-Am Arts and help keep events
like FPAC alive!!
Join us at FPAC in commemorating the sacrifices Filipino veterans have
made in the name of freedom, and help us remind everyone that justice
and equity for these veterans are still long overdue!
We need volunteers to play the roles of:
Filipino and American soldiers
Civilians
as well as folks to help with crowd control, and to work the JFAV booth.
If you plan on being a part of this re-enactment, please bring costumes,
as we will have a limited amount of attire at the festival.
Filipino and American soldiers: brown shorts, white shirts, and/or
camo/fatigues, as well as bandages
Civilians: native attire, or plain clothes are fine
ALSO, We will be having a work meeting to put together props and signs on
Wednesday, September 5th, at 7:00 PM
at SIPA
3200 W. Temple St.
Historic Filipinotown
Los Angeles, CA 90026
For more information, please contact Michael Nailat at (213) 382-1819
x109 or at mnailat@esipa.org.
THANK YOU!!!!
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II. Support the DREAM Act!
As Pilipinos, we sometimes take for granted our status here in America. However what many don't know is that there are thousands of undocumented Pilipinos in the U.S. today.
Because our orgs. support and promote higher education, equal human rights and the betterment of the image and treatment of our people please support the Dream Act. If you are unfamiliar with the current Legislation, the Dream Act will allow undocumented students (MANY being here since early childhood) who have graduated a chance to practice their degrees and contribute back to the American society by becoming residents. These students pay to be like any other student, contribute to science, research and community organizing, yet cannot reap the fruits of their labor.
Hear are a few reasons why you should support the act...
Coming from a former SPEAR Counselor and Outreach Coordinator of PTSP, I have worked with and come across many students who are undocumented. These very people, are in your organizations, they are in Samahang, some are transfers, others go to high schools that Bayanihan, SPACE and PREP both outreach to, and yes they are Women, Men, Queers, Engineering majors, Singers and graduate students as well! Why don't you know this? People are too embarrassed to share this highly infamous and threatening issue. But if your organizations are truly their for the Pilipino students at UCLA, you will show that you are in some way familiar with the issue and that you can help them even if it is just signing a petition or calling your house representatives and simply stating that you support the California and Federal Dream Act.
The issue and presence of ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS is not a "Latino Problem" it is a struggle that many other communities face as well.
If you feel as if you need to be educated more on this issue please feel free to contact me, IDEAS @ UCLA or the Labor and Workplace Studies Department @ UCLA! I really want the Pilipino community to show their support because we and the greater AAPI community are the lease versed with the issue and quite frankly we need to educate ourselves so we may join the fight for the right reasons. I can't tell you how much this is an important issue to our community but if your orgs are truly community organizers then you will make the effort to support the campaign on the DREAM ACT! Thank you very much!
Please sign the petition and learn more about the current legislation!
http://www.gopetition.com/online/13970.html
With great respect,
Alyssa Jane M. Titong
UCLA Labor Center Intern
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III. Pilipino Scholars' Day 2007
Hello, everyone! My name is Randy Bautista, and I am the Academic Supports Director for the UCLA Pilipino Alumni Association. I'm excited to tell you that we are bringing back the Pilipino Scholars' Day Celebration this October! For those of you who don't know, Pilipino Scholars Day is meant to celebrate Pilipinos with advanced degrees, are in the process of attaining their advanced degrees, and/or researching/teaching subjects about Pilipinos. The first Pilipino Scholars Day in 2005 was a tremendous success, and we want to follow that spirit for this year.
I am still gathering ideas as to the format for this year's program, so I have a short questionnaire for you to fill out. Please send your responses as soon as possible to rundmb@gmail.com. Also, any contributions, big and small, are welcome, so if there's any way you feel you can help out, by all means contact me. Generosity was a big reason why our first event was a great success, and will no doubt be a major factor for this year.
Thank you everyone for your help. And make sure to look out for updates as we get closer to this great event!
Sincerely,
Randy
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Name:
What's your role at UCLA ?(ex: undergrad, faculty, alum, etc.)
1) Did you attend Pilipino Scholars' Day in 2005? If so, what did you think of the event, and are there any things you would like to change for this year's event? If were not around for the event in 2005, what would you like to see in this year's celebration?
2) Logistics: Would you prefer a large event, or an intimate one? Morning, afternoon, or evening? Where would be an ideal venue?
3) Please place an "(X)" on the level of involvement you can contribute to Pilipino Scholars' Day:
() None
() Volunteer (Day of Event)
() Planning Committee Member
3a) If you are able to join the Planning Committee, please place an "(X)" next to the challenges would you like to tackle?
() Designing/printing the program
() Soliciting donations
() Finding a caterer
() Publicity
() Other _____________________________________________________
4) Any additional comments?
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IV. Filipina gets $125K in lawsuit
Yong B. Chavez, Aug 22, 2007
LOS ANGELES -- Ruby De Vera, a former Los Angeles councilman office manager was awarded a $125,000 settlement last week by the City of L. A. after she alleged in a lawsuit that her former boss fired her because she ran for office against a candidate he was endorsing.
"It's a victory for our Filipino community," said De Vera.
Philippine News ran a story about her firing in 2005 where De Vera related what her boss, Councilman Ed Reyes, gave as a reason for her firing.
"He just told me I embarrassed him when I ran for office," De Vera said at the time.
In 2005, De Vera was working as Reyes' office manager when she ran for the City Council's 14th District, an area where many Filipinos reside. She came in third among 12 candidates. A candidate that Reyes was backing won the seat.
Elected officials in Los Angeles can hire and fire at will without dealing with civil service requirements but Reyes' council colleagues reportedly voted 9 to 2 to settle the case. Without the settlement, the case would go to court and Reyes and possibly other council members would probably have to testify.
De Vera had been working for the City for about 10 years. After her firing, De Vera went to work as a clerk/typist at the City controller's office.
In her lawsuit, De Vera asked for compensatory, injunctive and punitive damages for, among other reasons, labor code violations and discrimination based on race/ethnic origin.
Her legal filing, posted on a prominent Los Angeles political blogsite, also mentioned that "throughout her employment with the city, Plaintiff had always performed her duties competently, received favorable performance evaluations, and maintained an unblemished work history.
Plaintiff was terminated not only because of her political activities and affiliations, but also because of her race (Filipino). Defendants treated non-Filipinos more favorably by, among others, paying them higher salaries despite holding the same or less senior position than Plaintiff. Plaintiff was also terminated because she was a visible and vocal member of the Filipino community, and was involved with various activities which supported the Filipino community."
Source: www.philippinenews.com
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