View source for Filipino Veterans Fairness Act

{{Update|inaccurate=yes|date=March 2013}}
The '''Filipino Veterans Fairness Act''' is the name of a number of acts that have been introduced to the [[United States Congress]] in both the [[United States House of Representatives]] and the [[United States Senate]] since the [[103rd United States Congress|103rd Congress]] in 1993.<ref name=s120>{{Citation
|url=http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s103-120
|title=S. 120 (103rd): Filipino Veterans Equity Act of 1993
|publisher=GovTrack.us
|access-date=2007-01-13}}</ref> Since then, nearly every session of Congress has seen a new version of the bill introduced. The purpose of these bills is to amend [[Title 38 of the United States Code]] to grant [[citizenship]] to Filipinos who have completed an enlistment in the [[American Armed Forces]]; at least some versions of this bill would grant citizenship to other foreign nationals under the same provisions.<ref name= "dunnigan">[[Jim Dunnigan|Dunnigan, James F.]] and [[Albert Nofi|Nofi, Albert A.]] "Dirty Little Secrets". Quill (1990) {{ISBN|0-688-11270-6}}</ref> Currently, every version of the bill introduced has died in committee. Despite this, the bill has been re-introduced in nearly every session of Congress since 1993.<ref name=hr760>{{Citation
|url=http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h110-760
|title=H.R. 760: Filipino Veterans Equity Act of 2007
|publisher=GovTrack.us
|access-date=2007-01-13}}</ref>

== History of the ''Veteranos''==
[[File:Veterans333jf.JPG|thumb|right|150px|1995 [[World War II]] [[Aurora (province)|Aurora]] Veterans monument and memorial at Quezon Park, [[Baler, Aurora]].]]
Filipinos, called ''veteranos'', have fought as members of the American armed forces for over a century. Originally this was limited to U.S. nationals, Filipinos that had emigrated to the U.S. Under a special provision of the Base Agreement between the U.S. and the Republic of the Philippines, which allowed the U.S. to build bases and station troops in the host country, Filipino nationals are allowed to enlist in the U.S. armed forces.<ref name="dunnigan"/> This arrangement is unique, under normal circumstances foreign nationals are not allowed to enlist in U.S. armed forces unless they are resident aliens of the United States. However, since Filipino enlistees are neither U.S. nationals nor resident aliens, they are not granted citizenship upon completion of their first enlistment, and are entitled to fewer benefits.<ref name="dunnigan"/> Proponents of the bill often point out that thousands of Filipinos have enlisted so far (including many in the [[United States Army Forces in the Far East]] in [[World War II]]) and that ninety-percent choose to reenlist,<ref name="dunnigan"/> even though they are the only non-citizen veterans that are not given citizenship upon completion of their enlistment. Since the bill has never made it out of committee, it is unknown what arguments might be used against it. The bill is widely supported by the [[Filipino-American]] community, as well as a US Conference of Mayors unanimous vote of passage for a resolution authored by Filipino-American Mayor [[Christopher Cabaldon]] that called for the full support of the Filipino Veterans Fairness Act. Most versions have been introduced by congressmen with Filipino-American communities among their constituents.<ref name=s623>{{Citation
|url=http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s105-623
|title=S. 623 (105th): Filipino Veterans Equity Act of 1997
|publisher=GovTrack.us
|access-date=2007-01-13}}</ref>

== The Bill ==
Since 1993, versions of this bill have been introduced to congress by members of both parties.<ref name=hr491>{{Citation
|url=http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h107-491
|title=H.R. 491 (107th): Filipino Veterans Equity Act of 2001
|publisher=GovTrack.us
|access-date=2007-01-13}}</ref><ref name=s57>{{Citation
|url=http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s110-57
|title=S. 57: Filipino Veterans Equity Act of 2007
|publisher=GovTrack.us
|access-date=2007-01-13}}</ref> All but the most recent version are dead, most died in committee before even being scheduled for debate.<ref name=hr4574>{{Citation
|url=http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h109-4574
|title=H.R. 4574 (109th): Filipino Veterans Equity Act of 2006
|publisher=GovTrack.us
|access-date=2007-01-13}}</ref> The bill is typically assigned to a veterans affairs committee after its introduction. The most recent version, introduced in the House of Representatives in 2007 is in committee and was scheduled for debate. It was never voted upon.<ref name=hr760 />

In June 2007, Mayor [[Christopher Cabaldon]] of [[West Sacramento, California|West Sacramento]] proposed a resolution to the United States [[Conference of Mayors]] in support of the Filipino Veterans Act.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.usmayors.org/resolutions/75th_conference/uep_07.asp |title=USCM 2007 Adopted Resolutions |website=www.usmayors.org |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090427132623/http://www.usmayors.org/resolutions/75th_conference/uep_07.asp |archive-date=2009-04-27}} </ref>  The Cabaldon resolution was adopted by unanimous vote.
 
On January 17, 2008, Senators [[Daniel Inouye]] and [[Theodore Stevens]] made a [[courtesy call]] on President [[Gloria Macapagal Arroyo]] at Malacañang and assured her of the early passage of the Filipino Veterans Equity Bill to benefit 18,000 surviving [[World War II]] veterans. Executive secretary [[Eduardo Ermita]], defense secretary Gilbert Teodoro, acting foreign affairs secretary Francisco Benedicto, Armed Forces chief of staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, Jr., US Ambassador [[Kristie Kenney]], and US Deputy Chief of Mission [[Paul W. Jones|Paul Jones]]. Arroyo conferred the Order of the Golden Heart with the Rank of [[Grand Cross]] on Stevens contributing to "the amelioration and improvement of the moral, social, and economic conditions of the Filipino people."<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20080110144238/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-01/06/content_7374464.htm  news.xinhuanet.com, Philippine official: U.S. Congress to vote on Filipino WWII veterans payment bill]</ref><ref>[http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2008/01/07/18470785.php  www.indybay.org,  JFAV Asks De Venecia to Stop Raising False Hopes on Equity Bill]</ref>

In February 2018, the bill was reintroduced by Senators [[Brian Schatz]] and [[Lisa Murkowski]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Basco |first=Isabella |date=5 May 2018 |title=Filipinos Who Fought for US Still Battle for Recognition |url=https://www.voanews.com/a/filipinos-who-fought-for-united-states-still-battle-for-recognition/4381247.html |work=Voice of America |access-date=11 May 2019 }}</ref>

==Support by Lao and Hmong-American Veterans, and Other NGOs in Washington==

The Filipino veterans efforts in Washington, D.C., and in the [[US Congress]], have been repeatedly supported by Hmong- and Lao-American veterans groups who served with U.S. forces during the Vietnam War in [[Kingdom of Laos]], as well as various non-profit, and non-governmental organizations ([[NGO]])s, including the [[Lao Veterans of America]], Inc.<ref>Smith, Philip, Lao Veterans of America, Inc., Washington, D.C. (04 April 1997), http://www.laoveteransofamerica.org {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161227015927/http://www.laoveteransofamerica.org/ |date=2016-12-27 }}</ref>

== See also ==
*[[Filipino American]]
*[[Bataan Death March]]
*[[Lao Veterans of America]]
*[[Rescission Act of 1946]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}
*{{Citation
|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CdKp9D3PN00C
|title=Dirty Little Secrets; Military Information You're Not Supposed to Know
|first=James F. 
|last=Dunnigan
|first2=Albert A. 
|last2=Nofi
|publisher=HarperCollins
|year=1990
|isbn=0-688-11270-6}}

== External links ==
* 103rd Congress: {{USBill|103|S.|120}}, Filipino Veterans Equity Act of 1993
* 104th Congress: {{USBill|104|S.|55}}, {{USBill|104|H.R.|1136}}, Filipino Veterans Equity Act of 1995
* 105th Congress: {{USBill|105|S.|623}}, Filipino Veterans Equity Act of 1997, {{USBill|105|H.R.|836}}, Filipino Veterans Equity Act of 1995 ([[sic]])
* 106th Congress: {{USBill|107|H.R.|491}}, Filipino Veterans Equity Act of 2001
* 107th Congress: {{USBill|108|H.R.|677}}, Filipino Veterans Equity Act of 2003
* 108th Congress: {{USBill|109|S.|146}}, Filipino Veterans Equity Act of 2005
* 109th Congress: {{USBill|109|H.R.|4574}}, Filipino Veterans Equity Act of 2006
* 110th Congress: {{USBill|110|S.|57}}, {{USBill|110|H.R.|760}}, Filipino Veterans Equity Act of 2007

[[Category:Asian-American issues]]
[[Category:History of veterans' affairs in the United States]]
[[Category:United States Department of Veterans Affairs]]
[[Category:United States proposed federal immigration and nationality legislation]]
[[Category:Veterans' affairs in the Philippines]]
[[Category:Acts of Congress]]