Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) doctors, nurses, and health care workers alike are now at the front line against the deadly COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. The rapidly growing number of COVID-19 cases continue affect the most vulnerable populations, as the U.S. faces a shortage of health care professionals, especially nurses.
If you were recently hospitalized, you will notice that the nurses are largely Filipino. In an attempt to bridge the shortage of nurses, nursing programs in the Philippines emulate the nursing education in the United States dating back to the 1970s. As an English speaking country, the Philippines became the melting pot for training future foreign educated healthcare professionals.
Filipino nurses all have the American Dream embedded in them to immigrate to the United States, in order to go after opportunities to make their lives better for themselves and their families in the United States and back home in the Philippines. If you were recently hospitalized, you will notice that your nurses are Filipino.
Like many Filipino American nurses, my mom immigrated from the Philippines and worked as a nurse in New York City for more than 40 years. Many Filipino American nurses across the U.S. are now risking their lives to care for their patients.
I’ve read firsthand stories from Facebook posts from members of my Filipino church community, BLD, (Bukas Loob sa Diyo) from New Jersey and New York, who are Filipino American nurses. They are tirelessly working long 12-16 hour shifts to provide adequate care to patients diagnosed with COVID-19. My Filipino friends, who are nurses, have been actively vocal about communicating through social media for the U.S. general public to stay home, the importance of hand washing, and wearing protective masks while outside.
Moreover, health care professionals, including nurses, sacrifice moments of hugging their children back at home after a long shift as one of the preventative measures to minimize the risk of exposing their families to the deadly COVID-19.
Mirroring Republican principles, Filipino core values deeply instilled followed my mom and many Filipino Americans nurses over here in the U.S., including compassion, hard work, respect towards our elders, and most importantly our Catholic faith. President Trump and his administration listened to the concerns of the health care community by increasing the production of masks and gear from companies in various industry to counteract the shortage of protective supplies. Through President Trump’s leadership during the pandemic, he is also developing policies in place to provide adequate compensation for healthcare professionals through hazard pay.
We have to express our heartfelt gratitude and thank our fellow courageous AAPI health care workers, including Filipino American nurses. Let’s continue to Keep America Great as we unite together as a nation of opportunity the AAPI community.
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A tenacious leader and entrepreneur, Lisa Noeth started her content writing business, LM Noeth Solutions, in 2018. She graduated from New York University’s Masters of Science in Global Affairs in 2016 and is currently an aspiring political commentator/journalist. Lisa is on a mission to unite all millennial Republicans across Nevada as the chairwoman for the Young Republicans of Southern Nevada.
