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GUESTS: Michael Nailat, Paolo Espiritu, Steering Committee for Justice for Filipino American Veterans

Out of the 250,000 Filipino veterans that enlisted to aid US forces in World War II, only 40,000 are still alive, and 10,000 live in the US. Filipino American vets have struggled for more than six decades to force the US government to make good on their promises – including the rights and benefits that were erased with the passage of the 1946 Rescission Act. Recent bills passed in the House and Senate however, are bringing vets one step closer to the benefits they deserve. Filipino American vets are also demanding passage of a family reunification bill which would bring families back in the Philippines to the US. As vets grow older and older and more die on a daily basis, time is running out to remedy the situation. Veteran, student and community groups are now organizing a campaign to call attention to the vets and to press Congress to vote on the matter. This Sunday, November 11, people will take to the streets of Historic Filipinotown in LA to celebrate and call attention to the largely unknown stories of Filipino American Vets.

For more information, visit www.myspace.com/jfavla