Since 1973, Filipinos for Affirmative Action (FAA) has been an advocate for immigrant and civil rights. We have served the more vulnerable in the Filipino community by helping recent arrivals, youth and low wage workers navigate the challenges and hurdles of life in the U.S.
We are proud to unveil our new name, Filipino Advocates for Justice and to launch our new website. We feel that this new name better reflects our vision, mission and commitment to social justice for all and our continued service to the Filipino community.
Injustice Anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. ~Martin Luther King, Jr.
Read FAQs about what has changed.
About our Name Change: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Thank you to the TapRoot Foundation and the incredible volunteer professionals, who over the last two years provided Filipino Advocates for Justice with guidance and expertise in marketing, messaging, branding and design through consecutive service grants.
Why change the name?
Since 1973, Filipinos for Affirmative Action has been an advocate for immigrant and civil rights and has led and participated in numerous social justice campaigns for equal rights, access and opportunity for all Americans.
For nearly 37 years, we have also served our community, by helping recent arrivals, youth, and low wage workers address the challenges they face and gain access to available resources.
Since the mid-1990’s, in response to the changing demographics of our community, and changes in the social, economic, and political environment, our mission and work continued to evolve.
Today, our mission is to build a strong and empowered Filipino community by organizing constituents, developing leaders, providing services, and advocating for policies that promote social and economic justice and equity. Our vision is for a Filipino community with the power to advance social and economic justice and to realize democratic and human rights for every one.
Our new name—Filipino Advocates for Justice—better captures who we are and what we do.
Does this mean we are moving away from our support for affirmative action?
No. We have in the past and will continue to work in coalitions to defend and expand policies and programs that promote equal access to resources and equal opportunities for underrepresented and disadvantaged populations, including affirmative action.
Does this name imply that we will be doing legal work?
We will not be doing legal work. We approach social justice mainly through public education, policy advocacy and development and community organizing campaigns.
How did you decide on the new name?
We have been thinking about changing our name for about 15 years. Through an intensive and deliberate process involving our staff, board, and key stakeholders, we decided that the name Filipino Advocates for Justice best represented who we are and what we do. We were fortunate to have the support of the Taproot Foundation, which gave us access to professional advisors skilled in the fields of marketing, communications and brand strategy.
What else is changing?
While our name and visual identity is changing, our commitment to serving youth, newcomers, and low-wage workers, leadership development, and to civic engagement on social justice issues remains the same. Our mission (stated above) remains the same—in fact, the new name provides added clarity of purpose for our target population as we seek to further develop existing programs and take on new ways of advocating for newcomers, youth and low-wage workers, and the Filipino community in general.
Will we use a short version of our name?
We prefer that everyone use our whole name Filipino Advocates for Justice. In emails, letters, phone calls, and other official communications, we will be using the full name.
When is this all happening?
We are launching our new name, visual identity, and website by the end of November 2009.