[OPINION] I’m a Filipino American Republican, but I’m voting for Biden

By Nelson Garcia

Having been born in Mandaluyong, and knowing the history of American influence in my country of birth, I have always felt an affinity and a deep appreciation to the United States for the opportunities given to me and my family.

The success we had during the presidency of Ronald Reagan helped make me a die-hard Republican. It was a party that believed in rewarding hard work, maintaining a strong posture against world communism, and providing opportunities with the least amount of burdensome regulations.

In my youth, I formed the first College Republican chapter at the University of California, Riverside. I then served on the California College Republican state board alongside current House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy. I was a California delegate to the 1992 Republican National Convention in Houston, and proceeded to work on various campaigns. After graduation, I landed a job as a legislative staff member with three Republican members of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Still, I knew from the very beginning that support for Donald Trump was going to be impossible, due to his obvious inexperience for the job, but also because of his character flaws — his narcissism, his misogyny, and his racism.

Since the moment he stepped on that escalator at Trump Tower in New York to declare his candidacy in 2015, I knew that the United States of America was in real danger. His initial attacks on Mexicans as bringing drugs, as bringing crime, as being rapists, were tell-tale signs of where we were headed as a people upon his election as president of the United States.

From Charlottesville, to the Muslim-ban, to Tweeting “white power” videos, culminating in his racist labeling of the coronavirus as the “kung flu,” his presidency showed how much in the gutter the office has become.

If this was not enough, we now have over 2.8 million Americans infected with COVID-19, over 140,000 Americans dead, 42.7 million Americans newly unemployed, and an 11.1% American unemployment rate, as among his greatest “accomplishments.”

It is with this in mind that I urge my fellow Filipino American Republicans to join me in endorsing and supporting Joe Biden as our next president. Joe has real solutions that can begin to address the very difficult challenges we Filipino Americans face in these terrible times. Joe has a plan outlined in his website that addresses the scourge of the COVID-19 epidemic, impacting Filipino Americans where they work, as essential workers, in health care, and as small business owners. Joe has a plan outlined that will tackle the difficult issues of immigration and education. And Joe even has ideas laid-out that affect us as a Catholic community.

Finally, Joe has a plan that will restore America’s leadership in the world…where the world looks to as a true beacon of hope, respect, human rights, and democracy. Joe Biden says we are in a fight for the soul of our nation. We need Joe Biden!

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Since 2009, Nelson Garcia served as the founder and current President of the Washington Intergovernmental Professional Group, LLC (WIPG), a non-partisan professional networking organization dedicated to working closely with Congress and the diplomatic community in Washington, DC.  He served in government relations for the Motor and Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA), the Intelligent Transportation Society of America (2003-2008); and the Alliance of American Insurers (2000-2003).  He also served in the legislative staff of California Republican Representatives Gary Miller and Ken Calvert, and served four terms as President of the Congressional Legislative Staff Association.