As I write this on an evening in a timezone 15 hours behind the Philippines’, I await with the rest of the world the outcome of the United States general election, and what kind of world we will face in the coming four years.
Right now, we are watching the neck-and-neck race unfold between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump for the presidency. As forecasted, the traditionally red states in the center of the country voted Republican. Democrats are counting on the blue wall of the west—the West Coast states of California, Oregon, and Washington—to defend against the red tide. But the race isn’t over till the first horse crosses the finish line.
Whatever the outcome of this election, it will have a significant impact on the lives of Filipinos in the US.
There are over 3.53 million Filipinos in the US, which is the top destination for Filipino emigrants, according to 2013 data from the Commission on Filipinos Overseas. However, not all of them have a voice in this election. This spells the difference between citizens and “lawful permanent residents” (LPRs), more familiarly known as “green card holders.”
Joe from San Francisco, who has lived in the US for 30 years, voted Trump, because he dislikes President Obama. “Obama put in that Obamacare, and its premiums are high and increasing in cost,” he said. “How can I now afford to pay the premiums for my wife and daughter, who aren’t working?” The Obama administration admits the rise in the cost of its government health insurance, and Clinton says she will fix this.
But promises are not enough for the people on the ground who are actually having to pay more for their health protection. Joe also believes that Clinton is a criminal because of her email scandal, and that Trump is “sincere and transparent”—akin to how some people voted for President Duterte because they felt he is less of a trapo than his other opponents.
Ray, who has lived in Los Angeles for nearly 15 years, is pro-Clinton, saying, “Clinton is a steady hand in spite of her missteps. Trump is in it for himself.” He thinks that President Obama did a good job in reviving the slumped economy after the recession, and that Clinton’s experience will see her through.
Many Fil-Ams are like Joe—political conservatives. In an Oct. 8 article for Asian Journal, Klarize Medenilla reported the Oct. 5 National Asian American Survey found that while 55 percent of Asian American and Pacific Islanders said they were likely to vote for Clinton, 25 percent of the Fil-Am registered voters surveyed said that they were picking Trump, the highest rating among the surveyed ethnic groups.
Fil-Ams also had the highest opposition ratings on progressive issues: they opposed accepting Syrian refugees into the US (41 percent), equal rights for black Americans (22 percent), and climate change initiatives (18 percent).
Unlike Joe, who became a US citizen 25 years ago, not all Fil-Ams were able to participate in this general election. Many, like Ray, are LPRs-non-citizens.
According to the Department of Homeland Security website, LPRs “may live and work permanently anywhere in the United States, own property, and attend public schools, colleges, and universities.” They may also “join the Armed Forces and apply to become US citizens if they meet certain eligibility requirements.”
As non-citizens, LPRs cannot carry US passports, nor can they vote. But like citizens, they pay taxes and other government fees. If their services are required, they will have to go to war or serve the US Armed Forces in an appropriate capacity.
Through their work, permanent residents contribute to the growth of the economy and the communities that they belong to. They have just as much invested in this country as citizens, and have had to make sacrifices to come here, but they are unable to elect national and state leadership or deciding on issues affecting the states where they reside, such as the legalization of recreational use of marijuana.
Fil-Am green card holders, whatever their opinion of the two US presidential candidates, will have to wait how others with the vote made choices for them, choices that will engender implications and consequences that will affect their and their families’ lives for at least four years, and likely more.
Dr. Ortuoste is a California-based writer. Follow her on Facebook: Jenny Ortuoste, Twitter: @jennyortuoste, Instagram: @jensdecember.
