My apologies. Before an online ordering service is set up, please consider the following if you like to order a copy. Many thanks for your support.
PLEASE SEND YOUR ORDERS TO:
Rick Rocamora
c/o San Francisco Veterans Equity Center
1010 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA 94103
with your check or money order and shipping instructions for: (Please include your phone number or email address to confirm receipt of your order)
Hard-bound book - $50.00 each
Paper-bound book - $30.00
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Friday, August 7, 2009
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
AMERICA'S SECOND-CLASS VETERANS
OP-ED ARTICLE - On Veterans Day - Waiting for equity
Rick Rocamora -San Francisco Chronicle-Sunday, Nov 11, 2007
In 1947, U.S. Marine Corps Major Austin C. Shofner wrote to Magdaleno Duenas, "I can never repay you for all you did for me in Mindanao." Duenas assisted Shofner and nine other U.S. soldiers on a long trek to freedom after their escape from the Davao Penal Colony on the Philippine island of Mindanao. Under constant threat of recapture by Japanese soldiers, Duenas and other Filipino guerrilla fighters helped the Americans reach Misamis Oriental, where they were rescued by a U.S. submarine crew. When they reached Australia, they told the world of the Bataan Death March and Japanese POW camps. Life magazine described it as a "tale of atrocity, murder and starvation."
The escapees continued their military careers and retired with full benefits and recognition as U.S. veterans. We honor them every year.
Duenas, and the 200,000 thousand Filipinos who fought side by side with the U.S. soldiers as part of the U.S. armed forces in World War II were promised citizenship, and with it recognition of their service and veterans' benefits, by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Congress reneged on that promise.
Forty-five years later, Congress passed the Immigration Act of 1990 allowing the Filipino veterans to apply for citizenship. Many became citizens and, despite their advanced age, decided to live in the United States. They subsist on Supplemental Social Security Income and continue to wait for the veterans' benefits that they thought would come easily.
To survive, they live in sub-standard housing, frequent soup kitchens and avail themselves of free services. They live apart from their families in the hope that, eventually, they will be recognized as full-fledged U.S. veterans, thus entitled to full benefits.
U.S. Rep. Bob Filner, D-San Diego, has tried since 1992 to pass the Filipino Veterans Equity Bill, which would give the Filipino WWII veterans full recognition and some better benefits. "Fifty years of injustice still burn in their hearts and memories. They want justice in their last years. It is time that this country adequately recognized their contributions, recognize the injustice, and act to correct it. We must do this to establish our honor - and the honor and dignity of these veterans."
Many have died waiting for justice. They all have hoped that justice will prevail and that they will be fully recognized as veterans for their services fighting for democracy and freedom during World War II.
The Filipino Veterans Equity Act (HR. 760 and S.57) is again pending before the Congress. The Rescission Act of 1946 gave nationals from 60 other countries veterans' status - but not Filipinos. They were singled out for exclusion. The pending bill will restore this status and bestow full honor and recognition on the Filipino veterans.
For those who died waiting, I will wait for them. They deserve justice, even after death.
Rick Rocamora is a documentary photographer. He has recorded the Filipino fighters' day-to-day lives since 1992. He is working on "H-1B's and Immigrant Entrepreneurs - America's Technology Lifeline."
This article appeared on page E - 5 of the San Francisco Chronicle
Rick Rocamora -San Francisco Chronicle-Sunday, Nov 11, 2007
In 1947, U.S. Marine Corps Major Austin C. Shofner wrote to Magdaleno Duenas, "I can never repay you for all you did for me in Mindanao." Duenas assisted Shofner and nine other U.S. soldiers on a long trek to freedom after their escape from the Davao Penal Colony on the Philippine island of Mindanao. Under constant threat of recapture by Japanese soldiers, Duenas and other Filipino guerrilla fighters helped the Americans reach Misamis Oriental, where they were rescued by a U.S. submarine crew. When they reached Australia, they told the world of the Bataan Death March and Japanese POW camps. Life magazine described it as a "tale of atrocity, murder and starvation."
The escapees continued their military careers and retired with full benefits and recognition as U.S. veterans. We honor them every year.
Duenas, and the 200,000 thousand Filipinos who fought side by side with the U.S. soldiers as part of the U.S. armed forces in World War II were promised citizenship, and with it recognition of their service and veterans' benefits, by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Congress reneged on that promise.
Forty-five years later, Congress passed the Immigration Act of 1990 allowing the Filipino veterans to apply for citizenship. Many became citizens and, despite their advanced age, decided to live in the United States. They subsist on Supplemental Social Security Income and continue to wait for the veterans' benefits that they thought would come easily.
To survive, they live in sub-standard housing, frequent soup kitchens and avail themselves of free services. They live apart from their families in the hope that, eventually, they will be recognized as full-fledged U.S. veterans, thus entitled to full benefits.
U.S. Rep. Bob Filner, D-San Diego, has tried since 1992 to pass the Filipino Veterans Equity Bill, which would give the Filipino WWII veterans full recognition and some better benefits. "Fifty years of injustice still burn in their hearts and memories. They want justice in their last years. It is time that this country adequately recognized their contributions, recognize the injustice, and act to correct it. We must do this to establish our honor - and the honor and dignity of these veterans."
Many have died waiting for justice. They all have hoped that justice will prevail and that they will be fully recognized as veterans for their services fighting for democracy and freedom during World War II.
The Filipino Veterans Equity Act (HR. 760 and S.57) is again pending before the Congress. The Rescission Act of 1946 gave nationals from 60 other countries veterans' status - but not Filipinos. They were singled out for exclusion. The pending bill will restore this status and bestow full honor and recognition on the Filipino veterans.
For those who died waiting, I will wait for them. They deserve justice, even after death.
Rick Rocamora is a documentary photographer. He has recorded the Filipino fighters' day-to-day lives since 1992. He is working on "H-1B's and Immigrant Entrepreneurs - America's Technology Lifeline."
This article appeared on page E - 5 of the San Francisco Chronicle
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Women celebrate Obama's Victory
AFRICAN-American, Latino and youth votes have been largely credited for helping propel Barack Obama to the presidency of the United States. Women voters, however, also figured prominently in Obama’s victory as 56 percent of women who voted in the November 4 elections cast their votes for him.
Meanwhile, efforts by the Republican Party to woo the votes of women, particularly those who supported Senator Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primaries, by choosing Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as John McCain’s running mate only proved to be disastrous. Exit polls showed that four in 10 voters overall were influenced into voting for the Democratic ticket by the selection of Palin as the GOP’s vice-presidential nominee.At the Oakland Convention Center, and in many other places across America, women of all color celebrated Obama’s historic victory with tears and chants of “Yes, We Can.”
Meanwhile, efforts by the Republican Party to woo the votes of women, particularly those who supported Senator Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primaries, by choosing Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as John McCain’s running mate only proved to be disastrous. Exit polls showed that four in 10 voters overall were influenced into voting for the Democratic ticket by the selection of Palin as the GOP’s vice-presidential nominee.At the Oakland Convention Center, and in many other places across America, women of all color celebrated Obama’s historic victory with tears and chants of “Yes, We Can.”
Monday, November 3, 2008
San Salvador - City under Siege
In 1989, with a 10 day visa and 20 day round trip ticket bought at a discount, I spent days documenting the day-to-day life of Salvadorans as they face the militarization of their country financed by the US government aid of one million dollars a day. Images taken during the trip was later used as calendar fund-raising project of the Human Rights Commission of the FMLN (Farimundo Marti Liberation National)
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