LOS ANGELES—As the United States honored its war veterans Monday, more than 1,000 Filipino-American protesters marched on the Hollywood district to demand full recognition for 43,000 Filipino World War II veterans.
“We have lobbied Congress for 20 years and filed many cases in US courts yet our pleadings have fallen on deaf ears,” said 85-year-old veteran John Aspiras Jr., one of thousands of veterans whose claims for benefits had been denied. “We are here to take our case to the (American) people.”
Aspiras and other members of Justice for Filipino American Veterans (JFAV) led the march to an area teeming with commuters and tourists, prompting a major operator of the bus and rail service in LA County to issue an advisory about bus lines being rerouted because of the protest.
Some protesters held signs reading “Full Equity Now.”
More than 250,000 Filipinos fought for the United States during World War II and were promised equal treatment with American veterans after the war. But in 1946, the US Congress enacted the Rescission Act that took away full recognition of Filipino war vets and stripped them of their benefits.
In 2009, the US Congress approved a stimulus package that included one-time payments of $15,000 to Filipino veterans in the United States and $9,000 to those living in the Philippines.
However, the claims of thousands of other veterans were denied since records from the Philippines proving their service were not accepted by US authorities. Implementing guidelines require certification from the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) that the names of veteran-claimants appear in both the Roster of Troops and the Discharge List prepared by the US Army at the end of the war.
Some aging veterans also said it was unrealistic to get them to file their claims before the Feb. 16, 2010, deadline.
“This is a blot on America’s conscience, when those who fought and won its wars cannot be compensated and are continually denied their dignity and honor,” said JFAV national coordinator Arturo Garcia, who described the march as the biggest protest action staged by JFAV in Los Angeles.
“In the next three years, the last veterans of WWII (could) perish without seeing the light of recognition,” said 96-year-old Felino Punsalan in a letter sent by the JFAV to President Obama, asking him to issue an executive order to give full recognition to Filipino veterans. “As veterans, we do not beg for entitlement. We simply ask (for) the recognition that we earned with our sacrifice.”
Last month, Filipino veterans held a similar rally in front of the federal courthouse in San Francisco with JFAV legal counsel Arnedo Valera filing a lawsuit claiming discrimination against Filipino veterans.
The suit against the US Department of Veterans Affairs said the lump-sum payments of either $9,000 or $15,000 made to Filipino veterans were far below the benefits received by US veterans, including pensions and health care.