Fil-Am students step up to aid migrants amid deportations
Photo from Anakbayan Long Beach/Facebook
Amid escalating fears of mass deportations, the Filipino American youth collective Anakbayan Long Beach has launched the Tanggol Migrante (Defend Migrants) campaign.
Anakbayan Long Beach said the grassroots initiative aims to support undocumented immigrants by providing legal assistance and advocating for their rights through education and community outreach.
The new campaign, launched on Feb. 13, seeks to connect migrant workers with legal networks, spread awareness about immigration policies and migration challenges, and encourage community action.
Founded in 2014, Anakbayan Long Beach is a group of Fil-Am student activists promoting social justice and the advancement of national democracy.
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Support network for Filipino migrants
In a statement, the Fil-Am youth organization urged the public to join the movement and help them build Tanggol Migrante “as a campaign network to defend our kababayan.”
The group has called on faculty to provide meeting spaces and engage students in nursing, health, law and research to support immigrants, according to a Long Beach Current report.
Anakbayan said US immigration policies adversely impact Filipino migrants, who have left the country due to “poverty, unemployment and skyrocketing prices.”
“Now I understand the suffering of the people stems from three core issues: capitalism, feudalism and imperialism,” campaign leader Melia Vindua told the Long Beach Current.
In addition to advocating for Filipino immigrants, Anakbayan Long Beach has also supported communities affected by the recent Los Angeles wildfires, organizing relief drives for displaced families.
The group invites the public to an event on Feb. 24, organized in solidarity with Filipino workers who have reported wage theft.
For more details on how to help Filipino migrants, follow Anakbayan Long Beach on social media.
