National Federation of Filipino American Associations

Telltale Signs/ WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS

By: Rodel E. Rodis, November 12, 2007

All roads led to Las Vegas on November 10 for Filipino medical professionals and community leaders seeking a common strategy to pressure ABC-Disney to rectify the Desperate Housewives’ anti-Filipino slur that appeared in its season premier episode on September 30. Dubbed the “Summit Meeting of Fil-Am Leaders”, the conference at the Caesar’s Palace hosted by the UST Medical Alumni Association of America (USTMAAA) and organized by a core group composed of Dr. Stella Evangelista, Dr. Eustaquio Abay, Dr. Joe Evangelista, Dr. Primo Andres and Dr. Dante Gapultos, drew 98 delegates representing at least 12 medical associations and community groups who presented their position statements.

Although ABC issued a public apology after more than 100,000 people signed an online petition demanding it, the delegates believed the apology to be insincere as it did not admit that a grievous mistake had been committed and that steps would be undertaken to correct the mistake. As Dr. Nelson Bocar from Oklahoma City explained, “Without a meaningful apology and the correction of a slur, what ABC is offering still reeks not so much of ignorance now but of arrogance still.”

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Fellow Philippine Medical Schools Physicians and All:

USTMAAA is offering to host under NAFFAA, a Meeting or Council of all Philippine Medical School Alumni Associations, Philippine Medical Societies, Philippine Nurses Assn in America, other interested Philippine Groups :

2:00 to 5:00 PM, Saturday, November 10, 2007
Florentine Meeting Room, Caesar’s Palace
Las Vegas , Nevada.

RSVP: So we might prepare enough seats for everyone.

Please pass on to respective PMA or Phil Med Sch Alum assn.

Jon Melegrito’s effort was done in good will and the arrangement is good. However, the agreement between Jon M and ABC is between them, without the mandate of the Philippine physicians and the Filipinos as a whole. It has no bearing with the Philippine physicians’ issue.

We were all shocked and angered by the insensitive, irresponsible and unfair statement made in US national and international television by Terri Hatcher playing Susan in ABC’s “Desperate Housewives” on September 30, 2007.

The repercussions and damage to our persons and our reputation are deep and serious:

We feel the discomfort of the Philippine Medical Graduates who persevered to provide healthcare in rural America where very few went. They have earned the respects and love of patients and their families. Now their credentials are questionable(?) We feel the pains of the Philippine Medical Graduates who provide quality medical care to the elderly and the abandoned, the handicap in nursing and care homes, when very few cared and bothered to.

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by Baylan Megino
October 15, 2007

Attorneys in San Francisco are seeking at least 50 doctors to join the $500 million class action defamation lawsuit being prepared against ABC.

The not-so-veiled bigotry against Filipinos voiced in the September 30th “Desperate Housewives” episode has sparked worldwide outrage at the slur against doctors educated in the Philippines.

On Saturday, San Francisco Filipinos joined others who already had picketed in Burbank, New York, and Washington, D.C. The Filipino Anti-Defamation Coalition gathered a group of mostly Filipino physicians and nurses in front of The Disney Store to declare their outrage at Terri Hatcher’s offending remark.

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News stories in the mainstream press about the negative reaction of Filipinos to the “Desperate Housewives” denigration of physicians with diplomas from “med schools in the Philippines” caused AOL to conduct a nationwide poll and ask its Internet users whether there was “good reason for some to be offended by this joke”. [AOL already presumed it was just a "joke".]

Surprisingly, notwithstanding the bias of the question, 27% of those polled agreed with the view that “it has racial implications”. This percentage is the same statistic as the number of Americans who still support President Bush’s handling of the Iraq War, according to recent surveys.

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AS I WRECK THIS CHAIR By William M. Esposo Tuesday, October 16, 2007

A group of Filipino doctors in California banded together and announced that they will file a $500 million damage suit against the producers of the ABC TV series Desperate Housewives over that Teri Hatcher slur about Philippine medical schools. This announcement was aired on TV Patrol of ABS-CBN last Friday.

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At high noon today across from the busy Union Square in San Francisco, the Filpino Anti-Defamation Coalition (FAC) organized a well attendedf picket of over 50 people, mostly Filipino phycicians and nurses, along with community people, social justice groups, and students in front of the Disney Store at Powell and Post. with plenty of picket signs and leaflets, the protestors took their angry message about the first episode of ” Desperate Housewives” to the several hundred shoppers, tourists, and Asians who were out on this sunny Saturday. The beautiful day was perfect for our protest.

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Dear friends,

When she was mayor of San Francisco, Dianne Feinstein used to tell her close friends that her favorite ethnic group was the Filipino community. While other ethnic groups would badger her and demand appointments to major commissions and funding for their community programs, the Filipinos, she said, would be satisfied with just getting a little attention, having their photos taken with her. It took take very little to satisfy the Filipino community. Mababaw ang kaligayahan natin.

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