Homework May, 24th : A Letter to a newspaper as a reaction to the layoffs at SFO

April, 14th 2002

Dear Sir or Madam,

After working for the San Francisco International Airport for more than 5 years, I received my pink slip today. The statutory period of notice was not adhered, too.

About twelve co-workers and colleagues –including me- were simply fired because of our Filipino citizenship and/or heritage. The Aviation and Transportation Security Act – which was enacted by the 107th United States Congress in the immediate aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks – requires screeners to be U.S. citizens.

Many incumbent screeners — who are immigrants — had to take assessment tests, which included English grammar and comprehension. Many contended that this was discriminatory and had nothing to do with airport security. Forty-eight-year-old Felix Carvellida, who is Filipino American, said he took the test and thought he did very well. But when he got his results, he was surprised. “My manager came out and said, ‘No, you didn’t pass,’’’ said Carvellida, who’s been a screener at SFO for nine months. “But they didn’t give me a score, they didn’t tell me what questions I missed, or how I performed in a certain area. They only said by mouth that I didn’t pass. But I never saw my test again. What kind of government picks who they want to work?”

This act can be offhand subsumed in the sad history of institutional racism in the states – the land of the free. 1942 – the Japanese Internment, the weapons pointed inside the camps, 1982 – the Vincent Chin murder, with a judge who fined the murderers 3700$ for a human life, 1992 – The L.A. race riots and finally November, 2001, the Act which ruined life for hundreds of Filipino Americans.

There is absolutely NO reason for those layoffs, we are no terrorists. We are as slicked to the U.S. color than every American.

But this constant and seemingly never ending discrimination weakens our toghetherness to the States.

Please make those things public.

“I don’t know what terrorism has to do with whether you’re a citizen or not. To me, this is a racist
( security) act.”

Manny Diaz, Assemblyman

Yours sincerely,