BILL NUMBER: AJR 25	CHAPTERED
	BILL TEXT

	RESOLUTION CHAPTER  113
	FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE  AUGUST 30, 2010
	ADOPTED IN SENATE  AUGUST 18, 2010
	ADOPTED IN ASSEMBLY  MAY 24, 2010
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  MAY 24, 2010
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  FEBRUARY 23, 2010

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Furutani
   (Coauthors: Assembly Members Block, Brownley, Eng, Evans, Feuer,
Fletcher, Fong, Hagman, Hernandez, Hill, Jones, Knight, Lieu, Ma,
Monning, Salas, Torrico, Tran, Yamada, Adams, Ammiano, Anderson,
Arambula, Beall, Bill Berryhill, Tom Berryhill, Blakeslee,
Blumenfield, Bradford, Buchanan, Caballero, Charles Calderon, Carter,
Chesbro, Conway, Cook, Coto, Davis, De La Torre, De Leon, DeVore,
Emmerson, Fuentes, Fuller, Gaines, Galgiani, Garrick, Gilmore,
Harkey, Hayashi, Huber, Huffman, Jeffries, Logue, Bonnie Lowenthal,
Mendoza, Miller, Nestande, Niello, Nielsen, John A. Perez, V. Manuel
Perez, Portantino, Ruskin, Silva, Skinner, Smyth, Solorio, Audra
Strickland, Swanson, Torlakson, and Torres)
   (Coauthors: Senators Cedillo, Ducheny, Liu, and Yee)

                        AUGUST 27, 2009

   Relative to Filipino World War II veterans.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AJR 25, Furutani. Filipino veterans: family reunification.
   This measure would have the Legislature join the Congress of the
United States in further acknowledging the service of Filipino World
War II veterans in the Armed Forces of the United States by
recognizing that these veterans should be reunited with their
children during their golden years, and would request that the
President and the Congress of the United States pass S. 1337 and H.R.
2412, which would exempt children of certain Filipino World War II
veterans from the numerical limitations on immigrant visas, thus
allowing for family reunification.



   WHEREAS, Filipinos honorably served in the Armed Forces of the
United States and aided the United States during World War II; and
   WHEREAS, On April 9, 1942, after surrendering in the Battle of
Bataan, 75,000 Filipino and United States prisoners of war force
marched a treacherous 60 miles in the Bataan Death March; and
   WHEREAS, Some soldiers did not surrender and created anti-Japanese
guerilla units that were comprised of United States and Filipino
officers who continued to fight underground to help the United States
in their war victory; and
   WHEREAS, Congress passed legislation that discriminated against
Filipino World War II veterans by denying them veterans benefits.
Filipino World War II veterans are the only group of veterans
negatively impacted by this legislation; and
   WHEREAS, The Supplemental Surplus Appropriations Rescission Act of
1946 denied the service of Filipino veterans in the Armed Forces of
the United States; and
   WHEREAS, The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
authorized payments to Filipino World War II veterans, thereby
finally recognizing their service in the Armed Forces of the United
States; and
   WHEREAS, The Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1990 offered
Filipino World War II veterans who had not been naturalized pursuant
to the Nationality Act of 1940 the opportunity to obtain United
States citizenship, however, those veterans were still not eligible
for most of the benefits provided by the United States Department of
Veterans Affairs; and
   WHEREAS, Many Filipino World War II veterans filed for visa
petitions for their children shortly after passage of the Immigration
and Naturalization Act of 1990, however, our current immigration
structure limits the chance for these families to reunite; and
   WHEREAS, Many Filipino World War II veterans are now in their 80s
and 90s and they continue to wait for their children, who languish on
the visa waiting list, to join them; now, therefore, be it
   Resolved by the Assembly and the Senate of the State of
California, jointly, That veterans of the United States Armed Forces
should not be separated from their children; and be it further
   Resolved, That the Legislature of the State of California joins
the Congress of the United States in further acknowledging the
service of Filipino World War II veterans in the Armed Forces of the
United States by recognizing that these veterans should be reunited
with their children during their golden years; and be it further
   Resolved, That the Legislature of the State of California
respectfully requests the President and the Congress of the United
States to pass S. 1337 authored by Senator Akaka and H.R. 2412
authored by Congresswoman Hirono, which would exempt the children of
certain Filipino World War II veterans from the numerical limitations
on immigrant visas, thus allowing for family reunification; and be
it further
   Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of
this resolution to the President and Vice President of the United
States, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Majority
Leader of the Senate, and each Senator and Representative from
California in the Congress of the United States.