ED SANTOS: A Filipino Immigrant's Son Runs for NYC Council

By Marivir R. Montebon

Twenty- seven-year-old Ed Santos is rolling his sleeves up for the upcoming local elections in New York City in September. He is the first Filipino American to run for New York City council, representing the 8th district's Harlem area, under the Democratic Party.

The electoral fight is a tough one, as he is pitted against the incumbent Melissa Mark-Viverito who has both resources and experience. But there is no let up to this young fellow, born and raised in Detroit by feisty mother Emilie Santos who defied being deported by asking help from all the political leaders in Michigan.

(Interestingly, mother Emilie has her own story to tell. Senators Levin and then Senator Vice President Jo Biden sponsored a local bill for her, saving her from deportation and granting her a Green Card, a permanent resident status, thus keeping her family intact).

Such bravery must have been imbibed by Ed too, as he proudly introduces himself as the son of a nanny and the first Filipino to run for public office in the city that never sleeps in his campaign trail.

Ed graduated from the University of Michigan with a bachelor’s degree in Statistics and finished his Master's in Teaching from Pace University in New York City. Ed taught Math at East Harlem schools in 2007.

He says coming from immigrant working parents, immigration issue to him is not only political but personal as well. Ed's mother has been working in Michigan and in New York for many years while his father, Ed Senior, a waiter, lives with his two siblings in Detroit.

Being a teacher himself, Ed focuses on education as his platform of leadership. Excerpts from the interview:

1. What is your policy platform for NYC council?

As a former public school teacher, I believe I am uniquely qualified to address the barriers to educating our children in NYC. I was raised in a working class, immigrant family and my parents knew the way for their children to succeed was through a quality education. I am able to run for office and achieve because of the value my family placed on education. Education opened doors for my students – allowed them to go to the best colleges, but they were the exception in schools across the city.

I am running to ensure our children are getting the quality education they deserve so that they can seek out opportunities otherwise not available to them. But that also means, once they graduate from school and we prepare them for the world, that there are jobs waiting for them.

2. Harlem has its share of economic and social problems. How do you reconcile that with education reforms?

Economic development will breathe new life into my district which suffers from chronic joblessness and 17% unemployment. It will be my priority to make sure our kids are educated, but that they are also employed along with the other residents in my community. And though my district has one of the largest public housing communities – a community under attack by NYCHA’s In-fill development plan – more work will always make more homes affordable.

Put simply, the best way to promote affordable housing in District 8 is to promote economic development and jobs. No home is affordable for someone who is unemployed, and no education, no matter how exemplary is useful without a purpose. Better schools will encourage business development, business development will bring jobs, and more work will make homes affordable again in District 8.

3. What distinction do you make? Why should people vote for you?

I believe my experience as a public school teacher sets me apart from the other candidates in the District 8 City Council race. I am the only candidate in District 8 with experience in the classroom and there are currently just two sitting members on the City Council who have experience working in New York City Public Schools with one of those members leaving office at the end of this term. Given this fact, I would bring a unique background and perspective to New York City Council.

The political environment surrounding mayoral control of NYC public schools is likely to lead to the City Council playing a larger role in shaping the present and future policies that address public education in New York. That is why I believe my first-hand experience as a New York City public school teacher will be valuable toward creating the kind of education system in our city that truly leaves no child behind.

4. What is the most glaring problem which the city that never sleeps faces today?

Underperforming schools. Underperforming schools hurt our families and fail to promote economic development. Children are trapped in failing schools across this city. Parents are caught in a catch 22 between sending their children to bad schools and worse schools. Teachers are rarely provided the professional development they need to support them in addressing the needs of their students, which often extend beyond the classroom.

There is no doubt, that teachers can make a huge difference in the life of children. It was a first grade teacher that taught me English. It was because of her and those like her that led me to become a teacher. But when you are faced with students that come to class hungry, sleep deprived because they live in shelters, or distracted by concerns for their safety on their way to and from school, teaching becomes a real up-hill battle. Professional development and support of teachers can help teachers as they address the daily lesson plans and core curriculum but also the wider concerns of the community in which they teach.

5. In what capacity would you be able to help solve this problem?

I believe publishing the budgets of schools will allow parents to see the priority each school places on education in the classroom relative to other school expenditures. Spending the same dollar, some schools might spend it wiser than others positively impacting the educational experience of the students. Parents have a right to know which of those schools their child attends. Principals also can learn from the experience of others schools and examine how other schools spend their budgets. Imagine if school administrators were allowed the opportunity to learn from one another.

Also, implementing universal pre-k to NYC four year olds will help get our kids on the right track early. We know pre-school has a durable, long lasting positive impact on the well-being and opportunities available to students who attend pre-school. It gets children into the habit of learning at a young age and immerses them into the educational environment we expect them to attend for the next 20 years of their life. ‘Learn early and learn often’ is a theme we should set for our children now. And that theme should hold true for higher education as well.

For every dollar spent by the city of New York, one penny is devoted to higher education. That is one pathetic penny. While other cities are leading to make higher education achievable and affordable, New York City is being left behind. New York City should be a leader on these very issues and make a greater commitment to higher education.

Also, I believe we need to promote and support afterschool programs and stop the frequent attempts to cut back on these vital programs for kids. After school programs not only provide opportunities for a more rounded education beyond the classroom, they encourage achievement in the classroom by requiring strict standards for students to attend. I had a student, who was nearly failing all of his classes. But when he joined the basketball team, because he had to maintain a certain grade average, he caught up to the rest of the students. He came to school early to study and prepare, and eventually he went on to college, all because of the basketball team. His story is just one of many that time and again prove to us teachers and parents the benefit of afterschool programs. But politicians at City Hall who have no experience teaching in classrooms would have no knowledge of this, which is why too many are half-hearted advocates of many of the issues I have described as profoundly impacting the well being of our kids. Education affects all of us. The sooner we learn that, the sooner we can begin to confront these barriers to learning and success in our schools and communities.

6. What is your take on the immigration bill being discussed in Congress right now?

Growing up with immigrant parents, my family has been touched by the issue of immigration enforcement in the United States. When my mom’s visa expired and she faced deportation we worried about what that would mean for our family. It wasn’t until she decided to appeal to Senator Carl Levin that her fortunes changed. Senator Levin sponsored a bill introduced by Senator Joe Biden in the Congress that was signed by President Reagan granting my mother American citizenship.

The issue of immigration reform and the importance of keeping families together is not just a political issue for me: it’s personal.

As Congress debates immigration reform, they should take seriously the benefits that immigrants provide the economy and the role immigrants play within the fabric of communities across the country. Recent reports about the contents of the new immigration reform proposal make me feel both encouraged and concerned. I’m encouraged by the fact that more congressional Republicans seem to finally want to address immigration in a comprehensive way beyond simply closing the border. A pathway to citizenship is absolutely critical, and I’m glad that some reasonable Republicans have joined with Democrats to endorse this measure.

7. Do you have practical ways to strengthen the immigration system of the US, especially on the city level?

I support the bi-partisan effort to address our failing immigration system. However, I am concerned about what the requirements might be for the pathway to citizenship. I’m concerned that too many people are being left out, because anyone here after December 2011 will not be eligible for citizenship and will still be vulnerable to deportation. I’m also concerned about the excessive fines and back taxes that current undocumented immigrants will be required to pay. I hope as the initial draft proposal is seen and heard, it will be amended to better reflect the needs of communities like the ones in District 8.

I believe the City Council can do a number of things to help undocumented immigrants. One idea I support would be to create a “Big Apple ID Card” that will serve as an identification option for all NYC residents. The card could be used as a library card and for banking services. Additionally, I support efforts to protect more New Yorkers from unjust deportations and support efforts to place limitations on local law enforcement in complying with immigration detainer requests. These are common sense ideas that I will fight for as the next council member for District 8.

THIS GREAT LAND OF IMMIGRANTS

By Marivir R. Montebon

OSM! is 16 weeks old today, pretty much an infant. But for a such a short time, we are happiest to enjoy tremendous readership all over the world. Thank you dear readers, and the advancers of technology, we are able to share good deeds by silent, dedicated individuals meant to help make the world a little better.

The United States of America is a home of greatness, despite its imperfections. A country doesn't become the world's richest or most powerful for nothing. It means vision, it means hard work, it means being resourceful, it means being faithful. And America is ran by immigrants, great immigrants, since the founding forefathers until now.

Former US State secretary Condoleeza Rice aptly puts it Wednesday night at the GOP convention, we must continue to welcome the most ambitious people to be a part of us, citing the immigrants' role in fueling "the knowledge based revolution in the Silicon valley in California, the research triangle of North Carolina, in Austin, Texas, in Route 128 in Boston, Massachusetts, and all across America".

I like her positive note. She did not have to lambast President Obama and the Democrats to put her message across, which was impressively spontaneous. Without having to read a written speech from the teleprompter, Rice knows America and she knows what best to say, about herself and where should leadership focus its direction.

Among America's imperfections is the absence of a comprehensive immigration law. Right now, the immigration system here is broken, having produced about 12 million undocumented immigrants. Clearly, the problem is systemic, and not a matter of individual discretion (how silly for 12 million people to want to be illegal, right?).

In this election year, we are yet to see a no nonsense plan on how to tackle the burgeoning problem on illegal immigration. It is imperative for leadership to provide an immediate path to citizenship for deserving and good immigrants. This means both economic and social benefits to communities and government coffeurs.

We badly need leaders who walk the talk, especially on crucial internal issues on the economy and immigration, if America were to remain great.

Our writer psychotherapist Debbie Almocera adds a smart note on immigration in her Cranial Corner today.

Our must read mom Janet Villa shares with us a triumphant episode of her life in God is in the Details in Mothering Heights. The Bamboo Stiletto of Diane Fermin-Roeder raves on the marvels of digital technology. Main Feature writer Bisai Ya scribbles on the heroism of a volunteer teacher for street children in Cebu, and Ruth Ezra fills our stomachs with Breakfast Sliders, a good idea to kick off a busy day.

So much for women power writers.

I close with an end note on gender fairness, as an essential element in leadership and personhood.

In my grandmother's old house, the old glass and wood china cabinet stood as an imposing fixture in the spacious dining area. On the topmost third level of the cabinet, two fine china dessert plates are conspicuously put. On one plate, the inscription says: WOMEN'S FAULTS ARE MANY, MEN HAVE ONLY TWO: EVERYTHING THEY SAY AND EVERYTHING THEY DO.

On the other plate, it says: I AM THE CAPTAIN OF THIS HOUSE, WHATEVER MY WIFE SAYS SHALL BE DONE.

I grew up reading these inscriptions over and over again, and realized that these were intended humor, and the joke were on men who knew what gender fairness is. Thanks to my late dearest, most respected grandfather Domiciano Rubi Sr. for showing us gender-fairness through his deeds.

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Mental Immigrants

Mental Immigrants

BY DEBBIE ALMOCERA

When my younger daughter moved to the United States almost 4 years ago, I remembered thinking “I finally did it!” Now both my daughters are here. The feeling of having succeeded in pursuing a personal goal that was grounded on an enormous amount of personal sacrifice was euphoric. The fact that we are in America, is a dream come true, at least for me.

The fact of the matter is that, my older daughter is already deep in the quagmire of the so-called American way of life, with a highly demanding 9 to 5 job, a mortgage, car payment, and the perennial quest for the newest technological gadget she could lay her hands on.

My younger daughter “took off running”, so to speak. She went straight to College, took a part time job, found herself a boyfriend (with no car), and unnervingly declared her highly opinionated views on “facebook”. Needless to say, it appears that my daughters’ adjustment from what I perceived as a difficult transition was in fact, as easy as uprooting an already decaying tree.

I grew up in the Philippines where terminologies such as “depression, anxiety attacks, and premenstrual syndrome”, are as foreign to me as the names of the meteorites in space. Listening to my daughters bounce these terms amongst them and their friends scares me, coming from the field from which these terms originate. I grew up thinking people become sick because they lack food to eat, or got physically hurt in some way. God forbid, if you ever have a “nervous breakdown” (a very common phrase at that time), you shall walk in your knees from the church gate to the main altar, and beg for forgiveness. For what exactly, I have no clue. Now if you happen to have Schizophrenia, a mental disorder I only fully understood when I went to graduate school in the US, you will have to stay indoors for the rest of your life, or your whole family will disown you.

I often wonder to what extent our primary culture has a grip on us, until we slowly let go, and not only assimilate to the culture we are in now, but internalize it, as if, it was always ours.

It is definitely exciting to see my girls live the kind of life I wanted for myself a long time ago. I always tell them how lucky they are, for having the opportunity to see the world early on, and to enjoy a relatively luxurious lifestyle, which I only dreamed of when I was their age. They never had to go through the kind of transition that I went through. I had to depend on friends, relatives, and sometimes strangers to get me to places, sometimes feed me, house me, and give me the inspiration to keep going, when my goals start to get blurry in my head. I remember asking myself why I am so far away from the people I care the most. There were times I wanted to give up, turn around, and drop everything I have worked hard to achieve. If there was ever a time for depression to set in, or any type of temporary psychotic episode, it would have been these times.

But I was more resilient than I thought. The very reasons why I kept going are now annoyingly whining in front of me. There has never been a more stark contrast in the transitions my daughters and I went through. I look at them and I feel proud of myself, until one of them starts complaining about a 2-pound weight gain, or being “profoundly bored and depressed."

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Debbie Almocera is a licensed therapist working in the behavioral medicine department of one of the largest hospitals in St. Louis, Missouri. For her, there has not been a more fulfilling and rewarding career than the one she has now. She can be reached at dholderle@yahoo.com