Images from the 2005 JFAV March in Historic Filipinotown (Photo Credits:  Producer Mike)

On November 11, 2017, Filipino American Veterans, students, and their allies will gather in Hollywood, CA for the 17th Annual Justice For Filipino American Veterans (JFAV) march.  In fact, for many years now, throughout the country, Filipino Americans have been organizing protests, actions, remembrances, and celebrations in honor of Filipinos who fought for the United States in World War II, many of whom never got the recognition or benefits they deserved and were promised.  Many of us here at TFAL have been a part of the Filipino Veterans movement in LA since the very first march, and continue to support local advocacy efforts to this day. But how can we best honor the sacrifices of our elders? What can we do now, with so many Veterans passing away each day?

In this episode, we dive into these issues and talk with both national and local leaders of the movement for justice and equity for Filipino Veterans of WWII.  Calling in all the way from Washington DC, Ben de Guzman of The Filipino Veterans Recognition and Education Project shares his perspectives on the national movement, and Stephanie Sajor and Eddy M. Gana Jr. from KmB Pro-People Youth join us in the studio to talk about the upcoming JFAV March.

Listen, subscribe to and rate us on iTunes, learn, and join the discussion in the comments!  And you can email us at thisfilipinoamericanlife@gmail.com or leave a voice message on (805) 394-TFAL.  Who knows, we just might share your thoughts on a future episode!

And check out this mini documentary from 2004 by our friends Michele Gutierrez and Christine Araquel:

Broken Promises Short Version from Science Friction on Vimeo.