Several Filipino business-owners from restaurants such as Perlas Ng Silangan, Ihawan, Krystal’s, Renee’s Kitchenette and others have already committed to participating in the street gathering and will donate refreshments for the open community gathering called “Pagtitipon para sa Legalisasyon” (Gathering for Legalization) on April 2 at Roosevelt Avenue. Bayan-USA said that 95 percent of the businesses between 69th and 70th streets in this avenue are Filipino-owned, thus considered the Filipino commercial district in New York.
If the Senate will pass this law, Filipinos in the U.S. under the umbrella organizations Bayan-USA and Migrante International, will support the call for a general strike dubbed as “A Day without Immigrants.” Bayan-USA also pledged to join the upcoming protests like the May 1 mobilization in Southern California.
Back home
In the Philippines, Migrante International, an alliance of groups composed of overseas Filipinos and their families which include Filipino organizations in the U.S, said that protest actions at the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the U.S. embassy are underway along with efforts to raise awareness about the effects of the Sensbrenner-King Bill on immigrants.
“We’re also uniting with immigrant groups from other nationalities to mount the strongest opposition to this anti-migrant bill as well as other repressive legislation that targets migrants,” said Connie Bragas-Regalado, Migrante International chairperson, citing lobbying of legislators in the Lower House.These include coordinated protest actions in the U.S. and releasing of a Filipino version of Bayan-USA’s primer, she said. (Bulatlat.com)
