KPBS Midday Edition

How Filipino WWII Veterans Are Being Reunited With Family Overseas

By Maureen Cavanaugh / KPBS Midday Edition Co-Host, Marissa Cabrera / News Producer, KPBS Midday Edition

Published July 12, 2016 at 8:04 AM PDT

This story was published more than 8 years ago.

Left to right, Filipino-American World War II veterans Joaquin Tejada of Washington, Guillermo Rumingan of Arlington, Va., and Celestino Almeda of Alexandria, Va., visit the National World War II Memorial in Washington Thursday, April 29, 2004.

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The federal government is offering a final thank you to Filipino veterans who fought with the U.S. during World War II.

Decades after the war, the veterans were allowed to become U.S. citizens but not their children.

Under the Filipino WWII Veterans Parole Program, which took effect this month, veterans' children are eligible to come to the U.S. before their immigrant visas become available.

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The program will allow relatives of Filipino U.S. veterans or their spouses to reunite with their families, which can be especially important if the children need to care for their parents.

About 250,000 Filipinos fought under the U.S. flag during World War II, including 60,000 who lost their lives.

It's not known how many San Diegans will be affected by the new policy, but San Diego County has about 182,000 Filipinos, according to the 2010 U.S. Census. A forum on the program will be held Tuesday in San Diego.

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Maureen Cavanaugh

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Maureen Cavanaugh has been a familiar voice for KPBS listeners for more than 15 years, serving in a variety of capacities including announcer, host, and producer. As host of KPBS Midday Edition, Maureen has interviewed a wide range of notables, such as comedienne Sandra Bernhardt, actor John Lequizamo, author Chuck Palahniuk, composer Marvin Hamlisch, artist Robert Irwin, and designer Zandra Rhodes. But of all the interviews Maureen has conducted, her most special was with His Holiness, the Dalai Lama. Before joining KPBS in 1997, she worked as a news anchor for KSDO and KOGO News Radio in San Diego. While working for commercial radio stations in San Diego and in Salt Lake City, Utah, Maureen reported on both hard news and lifestyle features. Maureen has received three "Golden Mike" awards from the Radio and TV News Association of Southern California for economic reporting and breaking news. She has also received a "Best of Show" and “Best Radio Newscast” awards from the San Diego Press Club and the "Flo" Award from Public Radio Program Directors Association for Best Public Radio Announcer in a large market. Maureen is a native of Queens, New York, but after more than 20 years in San Diego she feels she qualifies as a real Southern Californian.

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Marissa Cabrera

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Marissa Cabrera worked as a producer for KPBS Midday Edition and had previously served as a Newscast Producer for KPBS' Morning Edition. Before joining KPBS she reported on Vatican affairs, social, and cultural issues in Rome, Italy. She also contributed to a documentary on sex abuse in the Catholic Church. Marissa has worked as a multimedia journalist at various news stations in San Diego and Monterey as well as Columbia, Missouri. Marissa graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a bachelor's degree in broadcast journalism.

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