Filipino war veterans will now find their place in history textbooks in California in the United States, more than 60 years after they fought alongside American troops during the Second World War. According to the Asian Journal, California Governor Jerry Brown signed on October 8 AB 199, or the “Filipinos in World War II (WWII) Social Studies Curriculum Act," which encourages schools in California “to include instruction on World War II and the role of Filipinos… who fought courageously in the United States Army." Authored by Assembly members Fiona Ma (D-San Francisco and San Mateo Counties) and Paul Cook (R-Yucca Valley), the legislation instructs educators of Grades 7 to 12 to show personal testimonies from the war veterans. These testimonies should:
exemplify the personal sacrifice and courage of the wide range of ordinary citizens who were called upon to participate [in the war]; contain the views and comments of their subjects regarding the reasons for their participation in World War II; and solicit comments from their subjects regarding the aftermath of World War II and the immigration of Filipinos to the United States. Recognition AB 199 was reintroduced to legislators early this year, after former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger earlier declined to sign it, saying it should be taken up by the educational board instead. The bill went through readings in Assembly and Senate, winning over an overwhelming support. On August 25 this year, members of the Senate voted 74-0, which pushed it up to the Governor’s office on August 31. “Many of our Filipino veterans of WWII are aging and dying. It is important to ensure that their stories are not lost, they deserve our recognition and respect in our history," Ma said when the Assembly passed the bill in April with a 72-0 vote. Ma also authored Assembly Joint Resolution 6, which urges the US Congress and the President to enact House Resolution (HR) 210, or the “Filipino Veterans Fairness Act of 2011." HR 210, filed by California 12th district Rep. Jackie Speier early last year, seeks to “restore the benefits" that were stripped from Filipino veterans by the Rescission Act of 1946. ‘Forgotten’ heroes After the war, Filipino veterans had to undergo a longer "battle" — this time for the rights promised to more than 250,000 of them who signed up to fight for the US. After the war ended, Filipino volunteers did not receive the same pension and benefits as American soldiers after President Harry Truman signed the Recission Act. This act stripped Filipino veterans of the benefits stated in the GI Bill of Rights because “certain practical difficulties exist" in applying it to the Philippines, its former commonwealth. The US government cited the $200 million it gave the Philippine Army after the war as its reason for stripping the benefits. “However, the passage and approval of this legislation do not release the United States from its moral obligation to provide for the heroic Philippine veterans who sacrified so much for the common cause during the war," Truman said. It took six decades for the veterans’ efforts to be recognized via a $198 million appropriation passed by President Barack Obama in 2009. War veterans who became US citizens received $15,000 each, while non-US citizens $9,000 each. In an interview with CNN.com, some of the remaining 15,000 veterans said they were thankful for the lump sum but admitted that it was not enough. “After what we have suffered, what we have contributed for the sake of democracy, it’s peanuts. It’s a drop in the bucket," Celestino Almeda said. American Coalition for Filipino Veterans leader Franco Arcebal said they appreciated the awaited recognition, as they felt that “the United States has forgotten us in many ways." - VVP, GMA News 
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