NAFCON DENOUNCES MAYWEATHER'S RACIST & HOMOPHOBIC OUTBURST

The National Alliance for Filipino Concerns (NAFCON) strongly takes the position that Boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr.s racist & homophobic rant against Boxer Manny Pacquiao is an attack to the Filipino community in general. Mayweather disingenuously apologized to those who might have been offended, but did not apologize to Pacquiao directly. Similar to the racist episode of Desperate Housewives on September 30, 2007, the apology was insufficient and inappropriate.
Mayweather tempered on about Pacquiaos english skills in a condescending way. We reiterate that the racial & homophobic episode maligned not only the integrity and competence of Filipinos in the United States, the Philippines, and all over the world but also constitutes immigrant bashing that warrants condemnation not only by the victims but all defenders of freedom as well.
We also have not forgotten Adam Carolla, a radio personality from CBS radio, who committed another racial slur back in April 2010 on Filipinos when he stated that Manny Pacquiao "prays on chicken bones" and that the Philippines is only all about "Manny Pacquiao and sex tours".
Sadly, in a country plagued by corruption, poverty and calamities day in and day out, most Filipinos are forced into these unfavorable situations that these personalities ridicule the nation for. Approximately 3,800 Filipinos leave the Philippines everyday as a result of the Labor Export Policy (LEP), and the pains of being away from their motherland and loved ones are already too much of a suffering. Most Filipino-Americans who were born and raised in the US have also been denied of their roots and, sadly, through these racist comments, the Filipino culture is being reduced by these personalities to mere "praying on chicken bones" and "sex tours", which is too far-flung from the rich culture that the Filipino people have fostered for hundreds of years.

We have seen the likes of Carolla, Alec Baldwin, David Letterman, Teri Hatcher and the big networks such as ABC, BBC and CBS commit these kinds of slurs, "apologize" (through email, twitter, etc. but not by broadcast) and yet nothing substantial has been really seen and felt to address the real problem. More than these, Mayweathers actions speak of deep-seated biases and prejudices against the Filipino people which have historical roots. We are concerned that the incident gives encouragement to the immigrant bashing of Filipinos and other nationals as well as contributes to the anti-immigrant hysteria brought about by the failure of the Federal government to enact a genuine and comprehensive immigration reform to benefit the more than 12 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S.
NAFCON believes that these personalities and huge profiteering establishments should take the step higher and show their sincerity not just by apologizing, but to make concrete steps that would make immigrant communities, including Filipinos -- the second largest immigrant population in the U.S., contributing largely not just to the economy of the Philippines, but also, as a big labor force in the United States -- visible and properly represented in the mainstream media. We thus call on our Filipino compatriots and their organizations, along with other individuals and groups in solidarity with the Filipino people, to support and sign up for our cause by signing this online petition.