Globalized Filipino Activism: Resisting Neoliberalism and State Repression in Diaspora

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Friday, December 15, 2023 | 12pm to 1pm

Online Talk: RSVP

Note: Discussion limited to CUNY faculty, staff and students.

The Philippine national elections in May 2022, resulted in the rise to power of President Ferdinand “Bong Bong” Marcos, Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte, echoing the nation’s immediate and recent pasts under the dictatorships of their fathers. Their first year in office is marked by blatant corruption, violent repression of dissenters, continued alignment with the U.S. military empire, and the commitment to brokering Filipino migrant labor to the global capitalist market. When the Philippines’ neocolonial present has been historically marred by corrupt and repressive political dynasties, resulting in an expansive diaspora of migrant workers and those seeking political refuge, what opportunities arise for democratic movement building in spite of it? Jackelyn Mariano will discuss her research and community activism among diasporic Filipino social movements, particularly the Malaya Movement’s broad anti-fascist coalition building during the Philippine elections, and the Justice for Jollibee Workers campaign that has challenged the fast-food corporation’s systemic abuse of workers’ rights.

Author Bio

Jackelyn Mariano, Esq., is a Filipina American activist, lawyer, and educator from Queens, New York. She is an adjunct assistant professor at the Hunter College/CUNY Asian American Studies Program. She served briefly as an adjunct professor at the CUNY School of Law’s Creating Law Enforcement Accountability and Responsibility (CLEAR) clinic, representing communities targeted by government agencies under the guise of national security and counterterrorism. Currently, Jackelyn serves as the acting executive director of the Mission to End Modern Slavery (MEMS), a nonprofit organization that seeks to build a survivor-led movement to end human trafficking and economic exploitation. Jackelyn channels creativity and rage into her Pinoy punk band Material Support.