FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE–Domestic Workers Celebrate Victory in New York, Bill Ends a Legacy of Discrimination: Bay Area Nannies, Housecleaners and Caregivers Hope California will be next

San Francisco, CA–On Tuesday, August 31st, Housekeepers, nannies and caregivers celebrated the historic Domestic Workers Bill of Rights (A.1470B/S.2311E) bill signing in New York. This landmark legislation, the first of its kind in the nation, guarantees privately-employed nannies, housekeepers, and elderly caregivers in New York benefits such as paid leave, overtime and protection from discrimination (see NYTimes article here). Bay Area domestic workers support the New York bill and advocate for similar legislation in California.

Juana Flores, a former domestic worker who is now Director of a Bay Area immigrant women’s center Mujeres Unidas y Activas which runs the Caring Hands Workers Association said that the legislation sets a new standard for protecting vulnerable workers. “This is a historic moment. The time has come for domestic work to be valued and respected,” she said. A resolution recognizing the contributions of domestic workers (ACR 163) just passed the California legislature last week.

Providing testimony on behalf of Filipina caregivers at the celebration, Patricia Aceberos said, “I care about my patient, but caring for my patient shouldn’t mean I can’t care about my own family. I’m fighting for the Domestic Worker Bill of Rights because our work is hard work that feeds people, keeps their homes clean and keeps them alive. Many of us caregivers are people that had to leave our homeland to support our families. We are people that make many sacrifices to serve the elderly and mentally disabled. We deserve the same rights as any other worker.”

Assemblymember Tom Ammiano, co-author of the resolution in California expressed support for the Bill in New York and hopes California will be next. “Equality is at the heart of our American values but we are long overdue in treating domestic workers as equals. They are the mothers and daughters that provide vital assistance to our families, to our seniors and who take care of our children yet they lack the basic protections under the law that many of us take for granted. This resolution is the first step in California towards improving the rights of the people who provide so much to our society and yet get so little reward.”

To learn more, visit the National Domestic Worker Alliance or contact Katie Joaquin at (510) 465-9876

Over the last year a group of organizations and individuals have been meeting to affirm the need for an immigration reform bill based on human rights. This bill would include immediate legalization of the undocumented; de-criminalization of immigrants; equal rights; reunification of families; an end to temporary worker programs, and an end to trade and foreign policies that cause the dislocation of people. We seek meaningful immigration reform that is an alternative to the kind of proposals coming from Congress.

We are calling this effort the Dignity Campaign for Real Immigration Reform. What immigrants need are real solutions to the denial of migrants’ rights, to the economic and political forces that force migration, and to the economic crisis that affects working people in general. By developing this alternative we hope to raise our collective aspirations for immigration reform, rather than limit our political work to criticizing Congressional proposals that we know reflect corporate America’s need for exploitable labor.

We believe the Dignity Campaign is an effective education and organizing tool — a positive alternative to Congressional proposals and policies that continue to criminalize immigrants. We can use the alternative ‘bill’ in community forums, union meetings, marches, lobbying visits to Congress members, newspaper articles and other ways to raise our expectations for real solutions and rally support.

We welcome the input of groups and individuals on this proposal and encourage communities and unions to use it in formulating your own proposals. Some communities are already using the proposal this way. We invite you to join the Dignity Campaign in developing an immigration bill that represents the reforms we really need. To sign-on to this campaign or for more information please contact Renee Saucedo at La Raza Centro Legal (415-575-3500 and 415-553-3404, renee [at] lrcl.org), Lillian Galedo at Filipino Advocates for Justice (510-465 9876, lgaledo [at] filipinos4justice.org), Fred Hirsch (408-821-1394, fredhirsch [at] cruzio.com), David Bacon (510-851-1589, dbacon [at] igc.org), Bill Chandler at the Mississippi Immigrant Rights Alliance, (601-968-5182, b.chandler [at] yourmira.org), Rosalinda Guillen at Community to Community (360-738-0893, rosalindag [at] qwestoffice.net) or Hamid Khan at South Asian Network (562-230-4578, hamid [at] southasiannetwork.org).

Click here to view a side-by-side comparison of immigration reform proposals.

Click here to view the Dignity Campaign’s outline for real immigration reform.

Click here to read “Another Immigration Policy is Possible!” by David Bacon on truthout, (7/2/10).

In solidarity,

Filipino Advocates for Justice, Oakland, CA

La Raza Centro Legal, San Francisco, CA

San Francisco Living Wage Coalition, San Francisco, CA

San Francisco Day Labor Program, San Francisco, CA

Labor Council for Latin American Advancement, San Francisco, CA

MAIZ, San Jose, CA

South Asian Network, Los Angeles, CA

Mississippi Immigrant Rights Alliance, Jackson, MI

Community2Community, Bellingham, WA

Priority Africa, Oakland, CA

Dominican Development Center, Jamaica Plain, MA

National Domestic Worker Alliance

May 1 Coalition, New York, NY

Frente Indigena de Organizaciones Binacionales, U.S./Mexico

Asocaicion de Jorneros de San Diego, San Diego, CA

Mujeres Unidas y Activas, San Francisco and Oakland, CA

San Francisco Labor Council, San Francisco, CA

California Healthy Communities Network

Frente Unido de Inmigrantes, Chicago, Il

“Is $50 a day enough pay for me? I think the assemblyman can agree, it’s not.”

Because her compensation is so low, Emiliana Acopia continues to work multiple jobs to support her family here in the U.S. and the Philippines earning less than $50 a day to provide live-in care giving and domestic work for a family of 4 in San Leandro. At 77 years old, she still cannot afford to retire.

Domestic workers labor behind closed doors, and are vulnerable to widespread abuses. A growing movement of domestic workers is seeking protections under state, national and international labor laws. Just last week (6/2/10) the New York State Senate passed a Domestic Worker Bill of Rights that would require paid holidays, vacation and sick days, as well as overtime wages for domestic workers. The bill would also require 14 days notice (or termination pay) before firing a domestic worker. Read the New York Times full text here.

California domestic workers and their advocates hope to introduce a similar bill in the California State Legislature in 2011. This year, Assembly members V. Manuel Perez and Tom Ammiano have co-authored a resolution in support of California domestic workers ACR 163, CA Domestic Worker Rights Resolution.

For California to experience a similar victory, the first step came last week (6/9/2010) in Sacramento. Assembly members, advocates, and domestic workers gathered for the Assembly Labor Committee’s Informational Hearing on working conditions for California Domestic Workers. Many personal experiences and testimonies were shared, including Emiliana’s video testimony. In the coming weeks, the Coalition will be collecting letters of support addressed to the Committee on Labor and Employment Chair, Andre Swanson. (see sample text below) Please submit your letter of support by Friday, June 18 to Assemblymember.Swanson [at] assembly.ca.gov and copy us as well.

Filipino Advocates for Justice is a member of the National Domestic Worker Alliance & the California Domestic Worker Coalition, along with CHIRLA, Women’s Collective of La Raza Centro Legal, POWER, Graton Day Labor Program, Caring Hands Worker Association, Mujeres Unidas y Activas, Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights. Learn more about the campaign at: http://www.nationaldomesticworkeralliance.org

Sample Letter

[Date Here]

Honorable Assemblyman Sandré Swanson

Chair, Committee on Labor and Employment

LOB, Room 155

Sacramento, CA 95814

Assemblymember.Swanson [at] assembly.ca.gov

RE: SUPPORT for ACR 163 (V.M. Pérez, Ammiano) Domestic Workers Rights

Dear Chairman Swanson,

[YOUR ORG HERE] is pleased to support ACR 163 by Assemblymen V. Manuel Pérez and Tom Ammiano, which declares domestic workers are entitled to industry-specific protections and labor standards that eliminate discriminatory provisions in labor laws and guarantee basic workplace rights.

California’s domestic workers – comprised of housekeepers, nannies and caregivers for children, work in private households to care for the health, safety and well-being of the most important aspects of Californians’ lives, their families and homes. Domestic workers play a critical role in California’s economy by working to ensure the health and prosperity of California families and freeing others to participate in the workforce. The vast majority of domestic workers are women of color and immigrants who, because of race and sex discrimination and fear of deportation, are particularly vulnerable to unlawful employment practices and abuses.

Domestic workers are excluded from the most basic protections afforded the rest of the labor force, including the right to fair wages, safe and healthy working conditions, workers’ compensation, protection from discriminatory and abusive treatment and the right to engage in collective bargaining. Domestic workers often labor under harsh conditions, work long hours for low wages, and face termination without notice or severance pay. In the worst cases domestic workers are stripped of their privacy and dignity due to verbal and physical abuse or sexually assault.

In closing [YOUR ORG HERE] urges your support of ACR 163, an important labor and workforce protection resolution.

Sincerely,

[Name]

[Organization]

This year’s annual event honors the work and recent victories of youth and youth organizers who continue to build the Filipino American movement with new energy, resilience, and inspiring leadership.

Please join us Thursday, May 13th, 2010 from 6 to 10 p.m. at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center located at 388 9th St. in historic Oakland Chinatown.

We will be honoring: Rachel Aceberos; Daniel Banatao; Eden Jequinto; Dexter Ligot-Gordon; and Armael Malinis

Performances by:  immij; Kasamas, Josef Anolin; Yaminah Lunar; Ervin Lopez and more!

MC: Jen Soriano

Tickets: General Admission $60/Youth (under 20) $20

Purchase tickets at: Brown Paper Tickets or by clicking here.

Sponsorships and advertisement space still available! Please contact Judith or Geraldine at (510) 465-9876. (Deadline for advertisements is April 23rd)

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Press Contacts:              Stephanie (510) 316-9982 / filhealth [at] ahschc.org or

Chris (510) 487-8552 / ccara [at] filipinos4justice.org

FILIPINO HEALTH SURVEY REVEALS MULTIPLE CONCERNS
In 2009, Filipino Advocacy and Outreach (FAO) conducted a health survey of 300 Filipinos in Union City, CA, where Filipinos are 20% of the population.  The joint project of Asian Health Services and Filipino Advocates for Justice (formerly Filipinos for Affirmative Action) produced one of only a handful of comprehensive studies on the health disparities of the Filipino community.

Some of the findings are:

•  The rate of uninsured increased to 19% during the recession from a Filipino statewide average of 11%.

•  For most, English is a second language and there is strong evidence that interpreters are needed in medical settings.

•  More than 50% of respondents are overweight to obese.
•  A traditional meat-centered diet contributes to chronic diseases like diabetes, obesity and hypertension.
•  Economic stressors ranked highest among reasons for anxiety and stress.
•  Newly arrived women were most likely to have the fewest resources, but served as the main provider for their family in the US and Philippines.

The report back and discussion will take place Sunday March 21, 2010 at St. Anne’s Church Social Hall, 32223 Cabello Street (@ Dyer St.), Union City, CA. The event starts at 1:30pm and is open to the public.  Community members, survey respondents, health advocates, and policy makers are all encouraged to attend.

Light lunch (merienda) will be served.  There will also be a raffle* of an HD TV, Wii Fit Bundle and other prizes.

For more information contact:  Stephanie at (510) 316-9982 / filhealth [at] ahschc.org or Chris at (510) 487-8552 / ccara [at] filipinos4justice.org

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*Raffle is limited to survey respondents only.  Must be present to win.

Census 2010 is EASY, IMPORTANT & SAFE

April 1st, 2010 is officially Census Day. This happens every ten years. On this day, the US Census Bureau attempts to count everyone in the United States in order to determine political representation, identify community needs, collect demographic information and allocate government funding. Census data is also used when planning for vital services such as senior programs, hospitals, schools, employment training centers and much more. Despite the importance of each person completing Census forms, many in our community remain uncounted. In fact, during the last Census in 2000 the Asian Pacific Islander population was greatly under-counted which resulted in an estimated $2.1 billion loss in federal funding in California.

Some of the main issues facing Filipino newcomers that can contribute to a Census undercount are: 1) fear of complicating or revealing their immigration status (per the Migration Policy Institute, there are more than 1 mil. undocumented Filipinos in the U.S.); 2) fear of complicating their employment or financial stability, especially in an economic crisis; 3) language access barriers; 4) suspicion there is no confidentiality; and 5) negative prior experiences in the Philippines with government-run programs.

None of the above should be a barrier to completing the Census questionnaire. The collected information is, by law, confidential. Individual information will not be shared with anyone, including other federal and law enforcement agencies. Download this fact sheet for FAQs about the API community and Census 2010 called 10 Minutes, 10 Questions to help improve our community.

What’s new about the Census in 2010?

This time around, the Census questionnaire has only 10 questions, the shortest form yet. The Census Bureau is focusing on reaching under counted communities such as ours and will begin mailing forms to households in the months of February and March. To request a form in Tagalog, please contact us for assistance at (510) 465-9876. To view a sample Tagalog questionnaire, please click here.

Return your completed forms to the Census Bureau by April 1st–it’s EASY, IMPORTANT & SAFE.

Census 2010 Nasa Ating mga Kamay

Graphic designed by: Henry Smith

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.

Our great friend and long-time worker leader, Danilo Orcullo, died from heart complications on Monday October 26 after going into cardiac arrest on Sunday morning at Oakland Airport, where he worked for over 15 years. He was a father, grandfather, husband, friend, and a joker who improved lives with equal parts laughter and struggle.

Danilo fought tirelessly for the workers! An active union leader, Danilo defended workers’ rights to a union contract with UNITE HERE 2850 and was critical in leading his co-workers to win union recognition with SEIU 1877. As the Chair and founding member of the Peoples Association of Workers and Immigrants (PAWIS), Danilo was relentless in fighting discrimination against immigrant workers and supporting his co-workers to overcome their fears and act together to improve their situation.

(video courtesy of Balitang America, ABS-CBN Intl.)

Danilo’s death hits close to home for many workers in the U.S. that work themselves to the bone, way past the age of retirement, until their health literally forces them to stop. Workers often have no other choice but to work multiple jobs to exhaustion because of meager wages and a lack of retirement funds and benefits. Particularly in these economic times, workers also feel constant pressure to work through fatigue in order to hang onto their jobs. In fact, Danilo is the 3rd airport worker and PAWIS member to literally collapse while at work at Oakland International – a painful example of how widespread the experience of working till ragged is amongst the many Filipino workers struggling to meet their needs in the U.S. while supporting family in the Philippines and around the world. Danilo devoted his life to understanding and improving this trying situation of Immigrant and all Workers.

He leaves us a legacy of fearless struggle, laughter and a fire that we will all keep alive!

Filipino Advocates for Justice

We wanted a name that better captured who we are and what we do. Rest assured that we remain true to our vision and mission. We are still committed to serving youth, newcomers and low-wage workers. We will continue to fight for social justice and advocate for policies that will address the challenges faced by the people we serve. And we will continue to develop leaders and bolster the civic engagement of the Filipino community in the East Bay.

Our continued success depends largely on your support and generous contributions to help us achieve our goals.

For almost 40 years, FAA has served the most vulnerable members of the Filipino community which we will continue to do as Filipino Advocates for Justice. We would not have survived previous recessions and deep cuts in government and private funding without you.

To help support and sustain our work please make an online donation of any size here or send a check for “Filipino Advocates for Justice” to 310 8th Street, Suite 308, Oakland, CA 94607.

THANK YOU for all your generous support and Happy Holidays.