Restoring Equity and Opportunity for All Americans
We, at the Filipino-American Human Rights Alliance (FAHRA) are joyous as well as optimistic of our task in rebuilding America at the onset of the Biden-Harris victory in this last presidential elections. As a nation, we have been deeply wounded for the last four years with hatred, misogyny, and racism and other divisive tactics. We are a given another chance to remedy past political failures.
It is a resounding victory for the immigrant community, the corner stone of the American society. We hope that the anti-immigrant policies of Trump will be reversed on DACA, DAPA, anti-asylum, anti -family reunification. We also hope for the reversal of the parole program for Filipino WW II veterans by Trump, which will allow our beloved military heroes to be able to petition their families to the US.
It was a clear victory for Blacks, Indigenous and People of Color (BICOP ), LGBTQ and women who turned the tide in the battle ground states and worked so hard to make the democratic party win. Special thanks to the Black Lives Matter movement and the Asian-Americans who helped to elect the first Asian American and first female Vice-President Kamala Harris.
It was a signal of victory for us, the human rights workers and activist all over the world and especially the Philippines. This is a clear repudiation of Duterte and the strongman cult that helped shaped an administration marred by extra-judicial killings, corruption, misogyny, stifling of press freedom, and harassment of political opponents—greatly manifested in the push for the anti-terror law. Foreign policies of the US moving forward can see the light of being anchored on human rights and democratic principles.
The US is plagued with almost a quarter million deaths due to COVID-19 and a surge of 125,000 new cases in one day. No one can deny that Trump’s policy of perennial denial and rejection of science have led to this massive disaster. It’s time Biden and Harris reverse the trend. Filipino nurses who constitute 4% of the national supply of nurses, yet, contribute to one-third of the total casualty, would surely welcome a national mandate to address the pandemic head-on.
So much needs to be done to reverse the pandemic, recession, racism and deep hatred that shaped the last regime. Unseating a racist and bigoted leader may not be the complete solution, but it offers political relief and hopes– that we can start all over again. Collectively, we will savor this victory for now and promise to continue on the struggle for the restoration of equity and opportunity not for the few but for everyone.
(The Filipino Human Rights Alliance (FAHRA)-USA is an alliance that advocates for the protection and defense of human rights, as well as promotion of solidarity within the United States’ Filipino-American community, in the Philippines and worldwide.)