State Legislature Approves Language Access Bill by Serafin Colmenares Jr., Ph.D
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CANDID PERSPECTIVES IMMIGRATION GUIDE Did You Forget? It's 3 How Drinking and 7 Asian American Pacific Driving Could Result Islander Heritage Month in Deportation MAY 25, 2013 H a w a i i ’ s O n l y w e e k l y F i l i p i n O - a m e r i c a n n e w s p a p e r State LegiSLature approveS Language acceSS BiLL by Serafin Colmenares Jr., Ph.D. and Rebecca Gardner, JD filiPino aPPointed to high seat in canadian court by Camille Diola ANILA, Philippines - The Canadian M justice department recently elevated a Fil- ipino-Canadian to hold a seat in the Superior Court of Justice in Ontario, a major Canadian province. Justice Steve Anthony -the first time a Filipino Coroza, who came from occupied a high posi- the Ontario Court of Jus- tion in the country's ju- tice in the city of Saint diciary. Catharines, was ap- The Department of pointed to the provincial Foreign Affairs in a Justice Sabrina McKenna speaking at the Language Access Law Forum at the UH Law School in January 2013 superior court last month- (continued on page 5) he 2013 State Legislature unanimously passed House Bill 266, Relating to Language Access, on April 30, 2013. It now awaits Phl won’t confront T Gov. Neil Abercrombie’s signature. china shiPs by Jaime Laude The bill establishes Hawaii’s population speaks from essential government and provides appropria- a language other than Eng- and government-funded tions for a statewide lish at home and approxi- services. These barriers Language Access Re- mately 151,187 residents of have also prevented them source Center (LARC) Hawaii are limited English from contributing to our Xxxx and a Multilingual Web- proficient (LEP). According community and living up to site Pilot Project to be to the Immigration Policy their potential. administered by the Of- Center of the American Im- To address this, the fed- fice of Language Access migration Council, approxi- eral government through (OLA). mately 18 percent of Title VI of the 1964 Civil Hawaii’s residents are for- Rights Act and President ANILA, Philip- Instead of con- Background eign born, while 14 percent Clinton’s Executive Order pines - Chinese fronting the intruders, According to the of Hawaii’s children with im- 13166 directs all federal M ships have again the Western Com- U.S. Census Bureau, migrant parents are LEP. agencies to ensure that all intruded into Philippine mand of the Armed American Community Language barriers have programs receiving federal territory. What does the Forces of the Philip- Survey 2009-2011, al- prevented our LEP popula- funds provide meaningful government do? (continued on page 6) most 24 percent of tion from fully benefiting (continued on page 4) HAWAII FILIPINO CHRONICLE PHILIPPINE NEWS MAINLAND NEWS 94-356 WAIPAHU DEPOT RD., 2ND FLR. CBCP: Pope 12 Hirono Votes 13 WAIPAHU, HI 96797 Francis May For FinalPassage Visit Philippines of Immigration in 2016 Reform Bill 2 News Edition may 25, 2013 editorial Who Could Emerge as Democrats’ Should Sen. Schatz get re-elected, it could only bolster Abercrom- New Quarterback? bie’s chances for re-election himself and carry a symbolic, tacit under- standing that Abercrombie just very well could be Hawaii’s new awaii politics is not quite the same with the quarterback for the Democrat party, especially passing of the legendary U.S. Sen. Daniel In- since his former lieutenant governor, would be H ouye. The quarterback for the state’s Demo- holding a senate seat. cratic party, Inouye was someone who represented the interests of our state with commanding influ- age and a Bright Future ence. He left behind a power vacuum in D.C., that That could be the case. But what is the chance will take years to fill, if at all possible. for Schatz to win a re-election? As we have seen, As soon as next year, Hawaii voters will take anything could upend the career of any rising polit- part in the first post-Inouye election season. All ical star. The argument Schatz supporters are eyes will be focused on the race for U.S. Senate using—a need to establish seniority at the senate not only because it will be the first election to fill In- by the election of a younger, talented politician— ouye’s seat, but in many ways that race will help sounds very familiar. Remember former congress- clear the political haze over who will emerge as the man Ed Case, his attempt to unseat former U.S. next leader for Democrats in our state, similar in a Sen. Daniel Akaka, and the cascading turn of way that Inouye was. events that followed Case’s political career from Those on a short list of Democrat titans who that point? While a similar parallel could be drawn, could become the party’s new quarterback are the simple fact that Schatz was initially appointed Gov. Neil Abercrombie, U.S. Rep. Colleen to his seat could spare him from a public percep- Hanabusa and U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz, who all tion that he is being too ambitious or too impatient happen to be connected to the upcoming U.S. Senate race. (Sen. as Case was unfairly characterized. Mazie Hirono is another obvious consideration.) The protocol among local Democrats was (or perhaps still is) that “you had to wait for your turn” in order to seek higher office. Who deter- the governor’s decision mined when that “turn” came up “unofficially” rested with the party’s quar- Abercrombie has a lot riding on the outcome of the senate race. terback (formerly Inouye) and the party’s innermost leadership with the He was responsible for selecting Inouye’s replacement upon the sen- blessings from the “old boy's network”—referring to Hawaii’s top power ior senator’s passing. The governor made a bold, somewhat contro- brokers in government, unions and to an extent, business. versial decision which could have a lasting impact on his own political The fact that two of the most highly prized, blue chip Democrats in future because Abercrombie went against Inouye’s “last wish” to have Hanabusa and Schatz (backed by Abercrombie) are set to go head-to- Hanabusa as Inouye’s appointed successor. head next year further suggests the absence of a party quarterback to Abercrombie instead opted to choose the less experienced Schatz organize orderly succession. It also suggests a power struggle within the who at the time had no congressional experience. The governor’s de- party and possibly competing interests of Hawaii’s “old boy network.” cision, however, is far from being unmerited. Schatz, while inexperi- enced, already had possessed all the brilliance and charisma to hanaBusa—Lead QuarterBack For dems? become a national rising political star. To put age into perspective, The obvious spoiler of an Abercrombie-Schatz lock as the Democ- Schatz, who is 40, is about the same age as current Republican na- rats’ new top leaders is Hanabusa. Should Hanabusa win the senate, tional leaders and presidential hopefuls for the Republican Party—U.S. she would solidify what many insiders already see her as, among the Rep. Paul Ryan (43) and U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio (42). very top political leaders in the state, if not already at the helm. Evidently Abercrombie, who served in the nation’s Capitol for nu- Since entering local politics, Hanabusa immediately became a merous terms, understood the importance of building a power base for leader. Her rise in the state senate was quick and memorable. She’s Hawaii in Congress by establishing seniority among younger, talented held powerful positions as chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, sen- politicians as Schatz. ate majority leader and became the first woman state senate president. (continued on page 3) NEWS EDITION www.thefilipinochronicle.com www.efilipinochronicle.com Contributing Writers Advertising/Marketing Director Belinda Aquino, Ph.D., Clement Bautista, Teresita Chona A. Montesines-Sonido Charlie Y. SONIDO, M.D. Columnists Bernales, Ed.D., Jorge Camara, M.D., Serafin Gov. Neil Abercrombie Carlota Hufana Ader Publisher and Executive Editor Colmenares, Jr., Ph.D., Linda Dela Cruz, Fiedes Account Executives Mayor Peter Carlisle Sen. 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