On Feb. 9, Filipino community organizations Malaya Union City and Migrante USA held a community gathering at St. Paul United Methodist Church (UMC) in Fremont. The event attracted dozens of attendees from Malaya Union City, Migrante USA, Barangay Chabot, St. Paul UMC, Save Decoto Hills, UC Divest and community members with backgrounds in law, education, faith and arts to build a network to support vulnerable Filipino migrants.
During the event, participants discussed the political situation for migrants under the Trump administration, held a Know Your Rights training session and discussed how to build a network to defend migrants from fascist attacks and deportation.
Highlights included speakers from Migrante USA who stressed the importance of organizing Filipino migrant workers. Faith leaders from St. Paul UMC shared about how the church plays an important role in keeping migrants safe.
“Church people are called to take the initiative in defending those who are often overlooked, embodying the teaching to love the least of our brothers and sisters,” said Deaconess Divina G. Naoe. “It is both shameful and contradictory to call ourselves Christians if we fail to live out the teachings of Jesus Christ, which emphasize loving our neighbors. Standing up for migrants means believing in their stories of hope and resilience.”
A Filipino student from Chabot College shared, “In times like this when the rights of our fellow community members, regardless of their status, are threatened, the community must come together to protect our most vulnerable. Workshops such as this are very much needed in order to keep our communities informed, share resources and make plans in the event when our communities are threatened.”
The event demonstrated the power of community organizing in keeping vulnerable Filipino migrants safe and empowering them to demand their rights.
