 Hon. Jon Amores Delegate, House of Delegates, West Virginia |
"We must fight for each other, not with each other, to build the Filipino American Dream." |
| "...You and I are about to embark on a new and difficult journey. A continuation of earlier journeys already made on behalf of Filipino empowerment, to be sure, but a new journey nevertheless. And make no mistake, the road to be taken on this journey will be long, winding, and obstacle-strewn, as we struggle toward our glorious destination." |
| "...Think about a time in the not-too-distant future when we can roll out to the country and the world a shared vision for all Filipino Americans. Imagine having a strong national organization in place that serve as a tireless advocate for implementing this shared vision. Consider further the existence of an organizational infrastructure for this entity, which will nurture our people, coordinate the actions that must be taken and exist in perpetuity from generation to generation.".. |
| "...I am proud to be a Filipino American. I hope and dream for the future of Filipino Americans moving into the 21st Century to be the most economically powerful and politically forceful ethnic group in this country." |
| "Aside from our great numbers and high household incomes, the third fact that truly gives me hope for our future is simply the nature of our people. We are a family devoted to God, committed to education, value work and believe in the family¼. A family that still honors the authority and influence of parents which in many communities seems diminished or lost as an old-fashioned tradition. "...We live in families with multi-generational members - we are not a people who abandon our parents or grandparents in their old age, as is often done in America. We value our elders!" |
| "...I am dismayed by Filipinos who think that quarreling with other Filipinos is a natural and preferred state of being...While I concede that conflict and competition can sometimes yield positive outcomes, make no mistake: Long before racism or any short-sighted public policy explodes us as a community here, our internal dissentions and crab mentality will implode us and render us powerless as a people. Our greatest threat is from within!" |
| "...The plague of ‘anarchy’ in the Filipino community beset with internal bickering and infighting is the source of greatest sadness for me as a Filipino American. The other plaque is ‘apathy’ which is just as bad as ‘anarchy’!....When I talk to some Filipinos about true political and economic power, they reply: ‘Why do I need to spend time on those issues? I have a nice house, cars, and I am already living the "American Dream!" |
| "...I made a research on the term American Dream from a 1931 ‘Epic of America’ by James Truslow Adams. He said that the American Dream has really nothing to do with material riches or wealth. ‘It is about creating an environment for all which allows a person to achieve his or her potential.’ ...The American Dream is not about possessing an object. It is about crafting an opportunity and ability for all Filipinos to attain their fullest potential. That is the true American Dream and it can only be realized through political and economic empowerment." |
| "...Two most important issues we must face: Number One - We must place our faith in the hands of the young people of our community, and secondly, we must ultimately understand, and tell the world that our struggle for empowerment is not a Filipino issue; it is, indeed, and American issue. ...Filipino empowerment means ‘Filipino youth empowerment’ which means that we must make our young people not token observers but full participants and stakeholders in the empowerment process. If we do not, we are doomed to fighting tomorrow’s battles with yesterday’s tools and warriors. We will faill!" |
| "All of the hopes I have talked about for the future are within our reach if we build an organization which makes our whole greater than the sum of our parts!" |
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