FROM THE BARREL OF MY PEN
Gonzalo “Jun” Policarpio

RISE OF FILIPINO AMERICAN REPUBLICANS

It is confirmed that Republican presidential candidate John McCain will be marching in the Israeli Day Parade on 5th Avenue, Manhattan, on June 1st in response to Sen. Lieberman’s invitation.

The FILIPINO AMERICANS FOR MCCAIN, a Queens-based organization of Filipinos supporting McCain for President, also requested the Republican candidate to join the Philippine Independence Day Parade along Madison Avenue, Manhattan, on June 1st in coordination with the Filipino parade officials. Kishan Kumar Putta, McCain’s overall coordinator of the ASIAN AMERICAN COALITION FOR MCCAIN based in McCain’s Washington, D. C campaign office and Edward Cox, McCain’s New York State Campaign Chairman, promised to work on the request.

It has been a false impression that Filipinos are mostly Democrats. When Len Almaddin-Thornhill of ABS-CBN remarked to me in a recent interview that Filipino-American Republicans have not been visible presumably because there are not too many of them, I said that it may be true to Philippine media but not to mainstream media in the United States.

American media has covered for years the increasing presence of Filipino-American Republicans in pushing for their candidates during presidential and midterm elections. It started during the BUSH-QUAYLE presidential campaign in the mid80s. The following mayoral election in New York City also featured an enthusiastic and visible role of Filipino American Republicans showing their support for Rudy Giuliani.

One reason why Filipino Americans are somewhat more identified with the Democratic Party is their being a minority group like the Hispanics and African-Americans. In reality, Filipino Americans favor the Republican Agenda of lower taxes, individual responsibility rather than welfare, family values rather than a liberal lifestyle, patriotism rather than an anti-American posture, and the importance of national security.

The way the two Democratic contenders for the presidency are bashing each other to the last breath for selfish intentions would usher four more years of Republican control of the White House under John McCain, a true American hero and patriot. Surely in this next Republican administration, the presence of Filipino Americans in the halls of power would be felt.

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junpolicarpio@gmail.com