Arturo P. Garcia
Alliance-Philippine s (AJLPP)
Many have been said about the historical significance of the election of Barack Obama as the 44th president of the United States Some says that the this is the apex of the four centuries, of African Americans enslavement, Jim Crow segregation, lynch mob terror and racist discrimination manifested in countless ways.
Other says a final blow to racism against African Americans and other oppressed nationalities that has in reality been far more integral to so called American democracy.
It will not suffice to say millions of people yearned for real change, for an end to war, unemployment, foreclosures, and more. The popular revolt expressed in millions of voters turning out, millions out in the streets waiting for the result of the election is an outpouring never seen before in American history. The sight of millions out in the streets of major cities like Washington DC, New York. Chicago and other areas for sure, send jitters to some of the ruling class who labeled Obama as “socialistic” and left of the far left”.
This was expressed in the second largest voters turnout of 82% less than the 1968’s 86% in a country where the usual presidential elections merit less than 30% turnout. We credit the Democratic Party who learned its lessons from two election beatings from the Republicans and the more aggressive progressive organizations and unions who mobilized for Obama.
Challenges to the Filipino American Community
But for the Filipino American community the challenges as well as the opportunities are enormous. The Democratic Party is as much a party of the bankers and bosses as is the Republican Party. McCain and Obama shared a common list of corporate and banking sponsors. The only difference is that, in the 2008 election, the Democratic candidate received more of the big money donations than the Republican did.
The Filipinos and other minorities shared an affinity to Obama and the fact that an African American has at long last been elected to the highest office in the United States is being greeted with euphoric celebrations in our communities across the country.
Obama’s victory was a big blow to Filipino racist especially in the upper middle class. The Filipino racist who made joke about “the White House will be a black house” are now subdued keeping their colonial mentality and pro-White bias very low nowadays.
For those who are euphoric and are hoping for the best must expect the worst for the coming years.
Obama’s record is clear:
Obama and the Democratic Party ran his campaign, however, by distancing himself from affirmative action, the struggle against police brutality, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, and other issues and images historically associated with the struggle of the Black and other nationalities community.
Obama and McCain, along with Democratic and Republican leaders in Congress, have backed and defended the bailout plans in the face of widespread popular anger. Obama, along with McCain, opposed inclusion of a provision in the bailout bill that could have made it possible for millions of people facing foreclosure to remain in their homes. Why? Because the big banks were against it.
Obama is quiet on genuine immigration reform. Although he supports the DREAM Act and in favor of giving licenses to immigrants in California and other states, he must make himself clear on the issue of amnesty to 12 million human beings.
Still there is the lingering and unresolved issue of the 18, 000 Filipino veterans recognition, justice and equity. This clear issue of racism and discrimination for 62 years must be settled once and for all by the US Congress. This is an outstanding issue for the Filipino community both in the Philippines and the United States.
How Obama will engage the present US-Arroyo regime is another issue. Obama made clear that he supports Arroyo’s war on terror as its policy in Southeast Asia. On how he will react to the current war in Mindanao human rights abuses and human and women trafficking in the Philippines is an interesting to watch.
For the Filipino-American community the time for its empowerment has come. Struggle for Filipino Studies must be pursued in all states most especially where Filipinos abound. We should not be relegated to the minority of the minorities because we have the numbers and needs to acquire and build more power.
New Situation, New tasks
Overall. The new situation presents great challenges and opportunities for the Filipino American community and the progressive movement as a whole. As the crisis deepens, more and more workers, students, and others will be open to a socialist critique, not only of policies, but also of the system itself. The crisis creates the possibility for the emergence of a truly mass, working-class movement.
We must take full advantage of these opportunities that requires tactics and slogans that address the unfolding crisis of capitalism at a time when many progressive sectors will be generally supportive of the incoming president.
We are highly optimistic that the masses will engage in struggle to demand the new administration carry through this program that addresses their needs. To the extent that an Obama White House resists these demands, it will be exposed as another agent of the capitalist bankers and corporate bosses.
As our American comrades say “ revolutionary party can not skip over this stage of the political process. It cannot function as a "radical substitute" for the masses” Real changes in consciousness on a mass scale can only come about by large numbers of people going through their own experiences in the struggle. The tactics of the coming period must be created with that essential fact in mind.
