03/16/2010 09:00 AM Senate STATE AFFAIRS

             SCR 14-FILIPINO AMERICAN HISTORY MONTH                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
9:30:25 AM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR MENARD  announced the next  order of business would  be SCR
.                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR EGAN, sponsor of SCR  14, said this resolution designates                                                               
October 2010  as Filipino American History  Month. Filipinos have                                                               
a  rich  history  and  culture  in  Alaska.  The  first  recorded                                                               
Filipino  in  Alaska  came  by  ship in  1788.  In  early  Alaska                                                               
history, Filipinos worked on whaling  ships, in the Alaska-Juneau                                                               
and Treadwell Gold  Mines and in various  canneries. The Filipino                                                               
American community is the largest  Asian American group in Alaska                                                               
with 18,000  people. Alaska has  had strong  Filipino leadership:                                                               
the  Alaska Legislature  had the  first Filipino  American female                                                               
legislator  in the  nation. Thelma  Buchholdt came  to Alaska  in                                                               
1951 and served  in the House of  Representatives from 1974-1982.                                                               
The intention  of SCR 14 is  to celebrate and honor  the Filipino                                                               
community in Alaska.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  MENARD asked  if October  2010 a  celebration of  anything                                                               
else.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR EGAN replied that October 18th is Alaska Day.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR MENARD said having Filipino  American Month join ranks with                                                               
Alaska day is appropriate.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
9:33:56 AM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR MENARD opened testimony.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
ELLERY  LUMBAB,  originally  from the  Philippines,  representing                                                               
himself and his family, said his  father who is 88 now and fought                                                               
with  American World  War II  soldiers against  the Japanese.  He                                                               
said his family  consists of his mom and dad,  their 15 children,                                                               
their spouses, and 62 grandchildren.  He is the artistic director                                                               
of  the  Alitaptap Philippine  Folkloric  Group  of the  Filipino                                                               
Community Incorporated  (FCI) in  Juneau. The  FCI is  the oldest                                                               
organized   Filipino   community   in  Alaska.   Filipinos   have                                                               
contributed a  great deal  to Alaska working  as laborers  in the                                                               
fish canneries  and gold  mines, in  retail and  food businesses,                                                               
and  helping  to  build  Alaska's   economy  since  1788.  Today,                                                               
Filipino teachers,  bankers, doctors and nurses,  are involved in                                                               
almost  every  facet  of Alaskan  society.  Maintaining  original                                                               
Filipino   cultures  and   traditions   among  younger   Filipino                                                               
Americans in Alaska is important.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
9:36:34 AM                                                                                                                    
RAFAEL  CASTANOS,  representing  himself,  said he  was  born  in                                                               
Manila. He  was one of  the student leaders demonstrating  in the                                                               
streets  during  the Filipino  revolution  of  1986, kicking  out                                                               
Marcos.  In November  2009, the  FCI president,  Jenny Strickler,                                                               
told Mr.  Castanos that  she had  attended the  Filipino American                                                               
Historical Society  in Anchorage. He explored  the possibility of                                                               
declaring a Filipino American history  month. He noted that there                                                               
are  4 million  Filipinos  in  the U.S.  He  also  noted that  he                                                               
obtained a joint  resolution from the City and  Borough of Juneau                                                               
declaring Filipino American history  month to be celebrated every                                                               
October.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
9:39:08 AM                                                                                                                    
DANTE  REYES, representing  himself, said  his family  moved from                                                               
the Philippines to Juneau in 1996  and he has been here since. He                                                               
found  out  about  a  very  organized  Filipino  organization  in                                                               
Juneau,  the  FCI,  with  a   program  to  promote  cultures  and                                                               
traditions of  the Philippines.  If SCR  14 passes,  the Filipino                                                               
association  in Juneau  is  planning to  celebrate  the month  of                                                               
October and  present some shows,  dances and other  traditions to                                                               
Alaska.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
9:42:14 AM                                                                                                                    
ARLENE LUMBAB, board of directors,  Filipino Community Inc (FCI),                                                               
said  she  comes   from  one  of  the  central   islands  of  the                                                               
Philippines.  She initially  came to  America through  California                                                               
and then moved to  Juneau three years ago. SCR 14  is an honor to                                                               
all  Filipinos throughout  Alaska. FCI  in Juneau  is the  oldest                                                               
organized Filipino organization, incorporating  in 1956, and many                                                               
founding families reside in Juneau  today. Filipinos, it has been                                                               
said, are the second largest  ethnic group in Alaska after Alaska                                                               
Natives. She urged the passage of SCR 14.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
9:44:30 AM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR MENARD closed public testimony.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR MENARD noted that all committee members at the table have                                                                 
signed as co-sponsors of SCR 14.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR MEYER moved to report SCR 14 from committee with                                                                        
individual recommendations and attached fiscal note(s). There                                                                   
being no objection, the motion carried.