Community Organizing and Advocacy

Throughout our history, Filipino Advocates for Justice (formerly Filipinos for Affirmative Action) have been involved in and often led social justice campaigns that push back against injustices and discrimination, promote equal protections for immigrants, access to resources for immigrants, and inclusion of the Filipino community in the political process. We strive to turn the nation’s attention to dealing with the root causes of the global displacement and migration of people. FAJ has responded by working in coalition with other immigrant advocates, and strengthening our community’s ability to participate in the immigrant rights movement. We continue to work on restoring recognition, dignity and equal status to Filipino WWII veterans.

We are an active partner in community organizing and in initiating campaigns in response to attacks on the civil rights of individual Filipinos, sectors of the Filipino community and the broader community.  In this role, Filipino Advocates for Justice strives to research and analyze emerging social and economic justice issues affecting workers, immigrants and youth.  We develop a political analysis, and build greater awareness of issues in the Filipino community through education and dialogue.

Our leadership development targets the empowerment of youth and low wage workers. Training, capacity building, and other forms of engagement are the concrete steps we take towards achieving our long-term outcome of an empowered Filipino community. With the help of Filipino Advocates for Justice , youth and worker leaders fight for their interests by lobbying key decision-makers, elected officials, and in coalitions with the broader social justice movement.

Our civic engagement focus areas include:

1)    Equal Benefits for Filipino WWII Veterans

2)    Surveying of Filipino Community needs particularly in health and youth projects

3)    Everyone Counts—Census 2010

4)    Immigration Reform

To learn more about our advocacy campaigns please visit our Campaigns section.

Electoral Engagement

The growing foreign-born population has increasingly become a significant political force in California. Filipinos have the 2nd largest rate of naturalization in the state and the potential to be a force in the electoral arena. In some cities, like Union City, Filipinos are 13% of the voting population. Filipino Advocates for Justice is increasing our capacity to encourage active voter participation as new citizens and children of immigrants become voters.

In a recent report from Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees (GCIR), more than 2 of 3 foreign-born California residents (6.5 million) are either citizens or eligible to naturalize and vote.  As new citizens and children of immigrants become voters, they (can potentially) become more active in community life.[1] With our high rate of naturalization, increased voter registration and civic engagement, Filipinos could play an important role in challenging anti-immigrant policies in California.  Since 2004, Filipino Advocates for Justice through our participation in Mobilize the Immigrant Vote (MIV) has developed the capacity to access and mobilize Filipino voters using the online voter database, Voter Activation Network (VAN).

Filipino Advocates for Justice strengthens the community’s existing leadership and trains new leaders to expand the Filipino community’s capacity to lead and support social justice and community organizing efforts.  This includes involving the Filipino community’s in the electoral process to defend our rights in the face of regressive legislation.

The Filipino Civic Engagement Project (Fil-CEP)

During the 2008 electoral season Filipino Advocates for Justice conducted voter mobilization for the February, June and November elections.  We mailed over 20,000 Tagalog/English voter guides in Alameda County; and made over 3,000 contacts with voters in Union City, Oakland and Alameda.  Eighty volunteers ranging from youth to seniors participated in the phone banks and precinct walks.  See MIV’s write-up of our 2008 victory and experiences (click here).

With seed funds from ZeroDivide and the San Francisco Foundation Filipino Advocates for Justice has launched FilCEP (Filipino Civic Engagement Project) to build a network of Filipino organizations in California that will increase voter participation and civic engagement of Filipinos in California through a statewide network using technology centered best practices. For more information, contact Geraldine at (510) 465-9876.