Resolution to honor Filipino-Americans filed in US Congress

WASHINGTON — A resolution to celebrate the achievements and contributions of Filipino Americans over the past century and to formally recognize 2006 as the centennial of sustained immigration from the Philippines to the United States has been filed in the US Congress.

Democratic Congressman Ed Case of Hawaii who introduced the measure in the House of Representatives on Tuesday said the contributions of Filipino Americans to all aspects of society, including business, labor, politics, medicine, media and the arts have won them a "well-deserved place in our national fabric."

The history of Filipino Americans is the quintessential American immigrant story of early struggle, pain and sacrifice, leading to success in overcoming ethnic, social, economic, political and legal barriers, said Case, whose home state boasts a population of 275,000 Filipino Americans, second only to California’s 1.1 million.

There are currently about 2.4 million Filipinos or Filipino-Americans nationwide. Case said immigration from the Philippines to the United States began in 1906, when the first group of 15 "sakadas" (contract farm workers) arrived in Hawaii to work in sugarcane fields.

Today about 60,000 new Filipino immigrants come to the United States every year, making Filipinos the largest immigrant group from the Asia-Pacific region.

Case’s concurrent resolution "H.Con Res.218" recognizes the centennial of sustained immigration from the Philippines to the United States and acknowledges the contributions of Filipino Americans to the country. 

Co-sponsored by 29 other congressmen including Dan Burton (Republican, Indiana), Bob Filner (Democrat, California) and Darrell Issa (Republican, California), the measure has been referred to the House Committee on Government Reform.

A similar concurrent resolution will be introduced in the Senate.A concurrent resolution is a legislative measure generally employed to address the sentiments of both chambers. It carries no legal weight but is adopted for moral support.

Esther Kiaaina, a spokeswoman for Case, told The STAR "this specific resolution is asking President Bush to issue a proclamation. We believe that it is a reasonable request."

The centennial of Filipino migration will be commemorated with special events such as scholarly discussions, film showings and cultural performances across the United States.

In Washington the Smithsonian Institution will observe the centennial with public programs and projects that will provide a historical overview of Filipino-Americans in the United States — their struggles, contributions, challenges and achievements. The series of programs will evolve around the theme "A century of challenge and change: The Filipino-American story."

Public programs will also be held in a number of cities including San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Honolulu, Las Vegas and Seattle.

In Hawaii there will be a yearlong observance of the centennial starting in December, Case said. One of the inaugural events will feature the unveiling of a monument in Keaau, Hawaii, the site of Ola’a Sugar Plantation, where the pioneer sakadas first worked.