The Pilipino community in the United States lacks the amount of visibility one would expect from what the 2010 US Census ranks as the second most populous Asian American ethnic group, but within the over 3 million estimated Pilipinos included in the count, there is another large sub-group that often receives little to no recognition in news and political conversation. Sometimes referred to as TNT or tago ng tago (always hiding), this group is made up of America’s undocumented Pilipinos.
In terms of political language and debate, many dialogues tend to be aimed at the influx of undocumented immigrants coming from Mexico. Still, in terms of immigration from Asia, for the past few years, the Pilipino community has led the count in the amount of those living in the United States without American citizenship. Within the estimated one million undocumented immigrants from Asia, 280,000 were said to have come from the Philippines in 2010. In contrast, India and Korea, the next two Asian countries with the highest undocumented population in the United States, have an estimated 200,000 and 170,000 respectively. These numbers, compiled by the US Department of Homeland Security, contrast largely from the estimates of the National Alliance for Filipino Concerns (NAFCON), which puts the undocumented Pilipino population in America alone at over one million.
Recently though, the plight of undocumented Pilipinos have begun to resurface into discussion through news such as the halt of the deportation of 31-year-old Jose Librojo. Librojo, who moved to the United States when he was 15 after being given political asylum, had been targeted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to be deported because his visa was not renewed. Through campaigns from groups such as Change.org and NAFCON, the deportation order was discontinued.
Back in the Philippines, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who was visiting this month to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the U.S.-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty, also commented on how to address the undocumented Pilipino population in the United States. She remarked that those brought to America as children deserve a chance to stay, referencing the flawed US immigration system that still needs to be fully reevaluated.
As the struggle for policies helping to aid undocumented students in the United States have been receiving some successes (such as Governor Jerry Brown’s signing of both AB130 and AB131, otherwise known as the California DREAM Act), there is still a long way to go for all undocumented populations to be able to achieve a legitimate path to citizenship and our communities cannot continue to be silent anymore. As this topic becomes an even larger issue, many Pilipinos should ask themselves what role, if any, they will take in shaping the future of the collective Pilipino community in America. Given recent events, it’s been proven that a few voices have the ability to spark a revolution.
Related Links:
- Report Compiles and Summarizes Data on Asian American Communities
- Activist and Undocumented UC Student calls on Pil-Am Communities to rally for Immigration Reform
- Philippine News: Undocumented U.S. kids should get chance to stay
- NAFCON: Community Action Stops Deportation of Bay Area Filipino: Bay Area Dreamer Saved at the Airport
*Photo by Malingering
