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| Filipino Forum | |
|---|---|
| Name | Filipino Forum |
| Formation | 1980s |
| Type | Community organization |
| Headquarters | New York City |
| Region served | United States |
| Membership | Filipino Americans |
| Leader title | President |
Filipino Forum
Filipino Forum is a community organization and discussion group focused on issues affecting Filipino Americans in the United States, with ties to cultural, political, and diaspora networks. It engages with civic life in metropolitan areas such as New York City, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, and connects with institutions like University of the Philippines, Ateneo de Manila University, and Filipino diaspora associations. The Forum has intersected with broader movements and figures including Jose Rizal, Corazon Aquino, Ferdinand Marcos, Benigno Aquino Jr., and transnational organizations such as the United Nations and Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund.
Filipino Forum functions as a hub for Filipino American civic engagement, cultural preservation, and policy advocacy, linking local chapters in cities such as Chicago, Seattle, Boston, Houston, and Philadelphia with national networks like the Filipino American National Historical Society and the National Federation of Filipino American Associations. Its programming frequently addresses migration issues alongside partners such as International Organization for Migration, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and legal advocates associated with the American Civil Liberties Union. The Forum interacts with artistic and scholarly communities connected to figures like Carlos Bulosan, José García Villa, Nick Joaquin, Leandro Locsin, and institutions such as the Smithsonian Institution and the Asian Art Museum.
The organization traces roots to activist and cultural gatherings in the 1970s and 1980s that involved exiled and diaspora opponents of Ferdinand Marcos and supporters of Corazon Aquino and Benigno Aquino Jr.. Early conveners included alumni networks from University of Santo Tomas, De La Salle University, and the Philippine Women's University, and collaborated with civil society groups such as Southeast Asia Resource Action Center and labor unions like the United Farm Workers and Service Employees International Union. Over time the Forum has responded to events including the People Power Revolution, US immigration reforms connected to the Immigration and Nationality Act, and transnational crises that engaged the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
Membership draws from professionals, students, activists, and artists linked to universities and cultural institutions such as Columbia University, University of California, Berkeley, New York University, Harvard University, and community organizations like the Filipino Veterans Recognition and Education Project and the Kababayan Community Center. Governance typically involves elected officers, advisory boards composed of leaders associated with Manila Bulletin, ABS-CBN Corporation, GMA Network, and nonprofit partners like Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance and National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development. The Forum maintains relationships with consular offices including the Philippine Consulate General in New York and advocacy groups tied to immigration law firms and policy centers such as the Migration Policy Institute.
Programming has included panel discussions, cultural festivals, legal clinics, and commemorations tied to historical moments like anniversaries of the Bataan Death March and the EDSA Revolution. The Forum partners with performance artists and institutions linked to Lea Salonga, Liza Macuja-Elizalde, Basil Valdez, Nick Deocampo, and museums such as the Museum of the City of New York for exhibitions. It organizes voter mobilization with groups like Rock the Vote and civic education with affiliations to the League of Women Voters and policy briefings involving scholars from Johns Hopkins University, Georgetown University, and think tanks such as the Brookings Institution.
The Forum has produced newsletters, position papers, and multimedia projects, collaborating with journalists and media outlets including Philippine Daily Inquirer, The Philippine Star, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and public broadcasters like NPR and PBS. Contributors and interviewees have included historians and writers such as Ambeth Ocampo, Resil Mojares, Nick Joaquin, Cecilia Tiu, and filmmakers and documentarians affiliated with Kartemquin Films and festivals like the Sundance Film Festival and Asian American International Film Festival.
Filipino Forum's influence is evident in civic campaigns, cultural preservation efforts, and policy dialogues involving officials from the United States Congress, leaders such as Alex Padilla, Mazie Hirono, Nydia Velázquez, and diplomatic engagement with the Embassy of the Philippines. Scholars in Filipino and Asian American studies at institutions like University of California, Los Angeles, University of Washington, Stanford University, and Cornell University have cited its role in diaspora organizing. Coverage and critique have appeared in outlets connected to media figures like Maria Ressa and commentaries in journals associated with Harvard University Press and University of California Press.
As a nonprofit entity, the Forum has navigated US federal and state regulations overseen by agencies such as the Internal Revenue Service and state departments of charitable organizations, and has engaged legal counsel from firms with ties to immigrant rights litigation including attorneys who have worked with National Immigration Law Center and Asian Americans Advancing Justice. Controversies have occasionally arisen over political endorsements, fundraising transparency, and affiliations with advocacy campaigns linked to figures like Imelda Marcos or policy disputes involving the Philippine Commission on Elections. Disputes have been adjudicated in civil forums and administrative reviews involving municipal offices and nonprofit oversight bodies.
Category:Filipino American organizations