Asians’ Voices Needed for Immigration Reform

By: Joe Mauricio

The year is coming to a close, and still there is no immigration reform bill as the politicians are just giving lip service again. It’s almost election time, and it is high time for all Asians, documented and undocumented, to rally and voice out their frustrations and participate in the dialogues with politicians who need to pass a bill that will create a path to citizenship.. There are 1.3 million undocumented Asian immigrants in the U.S., making Asians the second largest group following the Hispanics with 8.3 million undocumented. Despite the relatively large numbers of undocumented Asians, they have kept a low profile in the debates over immigration policies. It seems that as Congress considers creating a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, Asians are becoming more vocal on the issue as much as their more conspicuous Hispanic counterparts. Asians are not only more present, they are playing a more important role. Jerry Clarito of AFIRE, activist and founder of this civic organization, is encouraging fellow kababayans to actively participate in the quest for citizenship. He has been instrumental in emboldening others to speak out. Jose Antonio Vargas, an undocumented Filipino since age 12, and a noted Pulitzer-Prize winner who worked as a reporter for the Washington Post, was among the first to raise the issue in 2011 when he disclosed that he himself has been in America illegally for many years. At UCLA, he urged a gathering of undocumented students to speak out. Here, in Chicago, AFIRE encourages the Filipino and Asian American communities to get rid of that shame for being illegals in this country. Undocumented Filipinos face the same challenges with Latinos. They live in fear that they would be deported. The interesting myth of the “model minority” is that we Asians are high-achievers, whether we are here illegally or legally. While most undocumented Hispanic immigrants crossed the border illegally, Asians ordinarily arrived in planes, or on a tourist visa that expired and became a TNT (tago ng tago or always hiding), meaning becoming bona fide illegal aliens. Their immigration status, though undocumented, still contributes to the American economy by paying their taxes, working as caregivers or domestic helps, and other menial jobs that many American citizens won’t dare do. All 12 million undocumented are waiting for their American Dream, maybe someday, maybe next year. Hope is still alive, and someday they can travel back and see their countries of origin — SOMEDAY