Obama action helps Filipino-Americans in the U.S.
Improvements to the Obama administration‘s immigration reform program will make it easier for families of World War II Filipino veterans to reunite in the United States.
According to a White House announcement Wednesday, one refinement allows certain family members of Filipino veterans, who are currently in immigration backlogs, to seek parole so they can care for these aging veterans.
Rep. Dina Titus, D-Nev., praised the administration‘s action in a news release.
"For far too long the visa backlog has prevented many of these heroes from reuniting with their loved ones," said Titus, a member of the House Veterans Affairs Committee.
"With most of our Filipino World War II veterans in their nineties, we must not wait another moment to address this critical issue," she said.
After a 142 percent increase from 2000 to 2010 in Nevada‘s Filipino-American population, it now stands at more than 138,000 with most living in the Las Vegas Valley. Nevada‘s Filipino-American community is the fifth largest in the United States, according to the Census Bureau.
Luke Perry, former spokesman for the now-inactive Filipino-American Veterans of Nevada, said the White House announcement is good for the more than 100 Filipino-American veterans in the Las Vegas area who are already recognized for benefits by the Department of Veterans Affairs. "But this administration has not gone the extra mile for those who are unrecognized," he said.
Contact Keith Rogers at krogers@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0308. Find him on Twitter: @KeithRogers2.