Posted on 05/21/2009 2:51:22 PM PDT by nickcarraway
If Rick Rocamora takes your picture, it may not be pretty. That's because the 62-year-old photojournalist doesn't consider himself to be your typical photojournalist; he's a "socially concerned documentary photographer," the Oakland resident says.
"There's a difference. There are two kinds of photographers: There are those who take pictures of issues that concern them, but, in reality, they're doing that to improve their resume. ... But I'm doing it because whether I have a camera or not, I'll still be there."
Rocamora's work, mostly in black-and-white, focuses on the two subjects foremost on his conscience: the immigrant community and its contributions to the United States, and civil liberties issues that affect that community. His book "Filipino World War II Soldiers: America's Second-Class Veterans" addresses both.
"It's painful," the self-taught photographer says. "The pictures are not beautiful, but that's reality. Without these photographs, we will not remember what happened 20 to 30 years from now."
Rocamora says thousands of Filipinos who fought alongside American soldiers during World War II in the Philippines often died waiting for the U.S. government to recognize their wartime sacrifices and fulfill its promises of American citizenship and veterans benefits.
His book follows the veterans' daily struggles; many of them lived in San Francisco's rough neighborhoods, separated from their families, eking out an existence by collecting cans and living in single-room occupancy hotels.
Over the years, the issue of Filipino World War II veterans' equity has had intermittent victories, but it wasn't until the passage of PresidentObama's stimulus package that funding came through for the Filipino Veterans Act of 2008. The bill gives $15,000 to those who are U.S. citizens and $9,000 to noncitizens, but in order the receive the benefits, the veterans must fill out and sign an application and submit proof of verifiable military service.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
Well, at least we'd be rewarding allies with citizenship, unlike the current 'contingency' where Obama wants to put terrorists on the path to citizenship.
The Philippines were not independent of the United States until 1946. They were a Commonwealth of the United States, and before that a territory of the United States.
Filipino by my mother’s side, the family lost a few people fighting the Japanese.
Around 20% of the males are now in the (US) service.
Why were they not treated the same way as Puerto Rico, which remains to this day a Commonwealth of the US?
"The quest for compensation stems from President Franklin D. Roosevelt's decision in July 1941 to draft 140,000 soldiers from the Philippines, then an American colony.
A year later, Congress passed a law allowing Filipino soldiers to become U.S. citizens with full military benefits.
But in 1946, after Filipino soldiers fought and died with U.S. troops, President Truman signed two bills denying them citizenship as well as most veterans' benefits. The bills were postwar cost-saving measures that Truman said he regretted."
The US freed the Philippines from brutal Japanese occupation at the cost of thousands and thousands of American lives. Do they want to be paid for working with the US in this endeavor?
Truman.
Not our proudest moment.
One thing that our allies should be well aware of is that their position and relationship with the US could be short lived and could change drastically every 4 years. Our abandonment of the South Vietnamise and our Eastern European Allies, particularly Serbs, was shameful.
We lived in the PI when I was a kid. We had a Filipino housekeeper whose husband had helped the Americans during WW2. At that time (back in the early 60s) they liked Americans there, and she thought we were great. (we thought she was great too—she was a wonderful person). I think she got a pension from the US government (her husband was killed in the war). We also had a guy who worked in our yard who was Negrito. If memory serves, they also helped the Americans in WW2. I will say both of them detested the Japanese.
Just from what I’ve seen on TV over the years, tho, the Filipinos don’t seem to like us anymore. Then again, the current generation doesn’t remember WW2.
The Philippines was part of the United States, at that time.
You have a point. The problem is our 2 party system, we change administrations and the new one tends to demonize everything the one in power before did. Of course, I’m not suggesting we not have a 2 party system, but it would be nice if we didn’t change directions every 4 to 8 years...well, except of course when we’re going in the wrong direction! LOL
We went to the American cemetery there, with beautifully manicured lawns and impressive mosaics in the chapel area ... each mosaic about 18 feet high and maybe 10 feet across.
Every battle was outlined and had a legend ... all in magnificent color.
They honored our men with that cemetery
My wife’s grandfather was a filipino scout for the US. He located the Japs and led the soldiers to them and helped fight. She said he was always very proud of his service until he died several years ago. Never got a nickel for his troubles.
At her dad’s farm, there was a coconut tree with a shell hole right through it, old foxholes, etc. They used to find rings and cartridges in the rice fields.
Shouldn't that be thousands of Americans fought alongside Filipinos in World War II? It was their country that we were liberating (Yeah, I know it was a territory at the time but we were ready to give it independence and in 1941, I think)
Thanks. I thought there was a lot missing from the sfgate.com article.
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