Rooted in our values of kapwa (shared identity) and respect, NaFFAA considers any comments or imagery that dehumanize others, especially those invoking racist tropes, as deeply harmful.
Regardless of politics, language matters, and depicting Black leaders as apes, particularly a former President and First Lady, is reprehensible and has no place in civic discourse, especially during Black History Month.
Filipino communities, too, have historically been dehumanized, labeled as ‘jungle savages,’ and compared to monkeys during colonial and wartime propaganda. We also remember that Black American Buffalo Soldiers like David Fagan stood with Filipinos in the fight for Philippine Independence.
We stand in solidarity with Black Americans and all communities targeted by racism, and we call for the rejection of bigotry in all its forms while upholding human dignity and respect for all.
Since 1997, the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) has been the standard-bearer for promoting the welfare and well-being of the four million Filipinos and Filipino Americans throughout the United States. NaFFAA is the largest non-partisan, non-profit organization and national affiliation of Filipino American institutions, umbrella organizations, and individuals. Its fourteen-member regions cover the continental United States, Alaska, Hawaii, and the Pacific Islands.