Man in chain, shackles raises eyebrows at parade
A man wearing chains and shackles surprised many spectators and parade participants at the 69th Liberation Day parade. (Jayson Camacho)
Liberation Day parade spectators were treated to a different visual offering yesterday—an Asian man holding a placard that read “Justice” on one side and “Alien worker deserves improved status” on the other.
While Delegate Gregorio Kilili C. Sablan (Ind-MP) and others acknowledged freedom of expression or freedom of speech when they referred to the placard, it’s the depiction of a man in chains and shackles that raised their eyebrows.
Sablan said the depiction is “false” because no one is being forced to remain in the CNMI. He said the depiction would hurt rather than help the cause of long-term foreign workers for an improved immigration status.
“Every individual here has the right to free expression, that’s protection [provided for by] both the U.S. and NMI Constitutions. I think it’s an appropriate display of a statement that is false. No one in the Northern Mariana Islands—whether you are a United States citizen or a citizen of a third country—are in shackles here. No one here is being forced to remain here, so that was a wrong message,” Sablan told Saipan Tribune.
Sablan, who ensured that national immigration reform bills would have provisions giving an opportunity for qualified long-term legal aliens to apply for “green card” which is pathway to U.S. citizenship, said it’s “unfortunate” that someone would resort to a misleading and false depiction of nonresidents’ situations in the CNMI.
“Not the sign, but the fact that’s he in chain and lock. That doesn’t help. It hurts him rather that it helps him. Just untrue and it doesn’t help to advance the conversation on the matter. Unfortunately, he’s wrong,” the delegate added.
From the beginning of the parade, the man could already be seen brandishing the placard. He wasn’t believed to be part of any of the organizations that participated in the Liberation Day parade. However, at the performance of Falun Dafa, the man was again seen parading and stood in front of the main stage along Beach Road in front of Kristo Rai Church.
As for the word “justice” on the placard, Sablan asked, “Justice before the court? Justice for what? No one here is under any restraint to stay here. Everyone is free. They can get up and leave any time they want to.”
Meanwhile, the prospects of any comprehensive national immigration reform bill are “dim,” Sablan said, after U.S. House Speaker John Boehner told President Barack Obama that there will be no vote on immigration reform bill this election year. However, Obama has said he will use executive actions on immigration matters, which Sablan said could include the CNMI.
S. 744 and HR 15, two comprehensive immigration reform bills pending in Congress, have CNMI-specific provisions, specifically granting legal, long-term foreign residents in the CNMI a chance to apply for a “green card.”
what do expect from the exaggeration? Filipinos crucify themselves to the cross on Good Friday. immature and bad taste. but the responsible party for this debacle are the people in the float committee who allowed him to pay for his participation.
are you sure he is a filipino? why do you have to automatically think that he is?
She already apologized. 🙂 No, he is not a Filipino. 🙂
thank you 🙂
You’re welcome. You have apologized….and as soon as you can. Never mind those people who can’t get over it. Maybe they need to do some apologizing themselves to the ones they’ve offended. You did the right thing.!
My understanding in English is that mayet is not saying he is a filipino! Dang bff.
i guess we have a different understanding of the english language. why did she apologize then? Dang scadathebird.
scadathethird (correct spelling of avatar) was right, my wording was literally correct. but the implication was there and i apologized for that. most, if not all, filipinos want improved status and they are the most organized therefore the most visible. online version showed blurry hanzi.
Free speech is fine, but the organizers used incredibly POOR JUDGEMENT in allowing this form of expression in the July 4th celebration parade which deals with U.S. Independence Day.
If I’d had forwarning I would have brought a few over-ripe tomatoes and expressed my opinion by toss them on to his platform.
i agree on your first paragraph, not about the tomatoes though.
Planning on throwing tomatoes on anyone is a bit too melodramatic and bordering on barbaric don’t you think?
Planning on throwing tomatoes on anyone is a bit too melodramatic and bordering on barbaric don’t you think?
All people are accorded freedom to publicly express their views – Thanks to all who have died and are currently serving the country so that anybody, including him, can freely make a statement – consider that freedom of expression paid for with blood, sweat and tears…
this was a celebration and not a protest event. it was highly inappropriate. this freedom of expression in shackles did not belong in the parade.
But I think that was the point. It’s the literary term of irony. Irony is used to prove a point.
my bad, called the mayors office and it was not a Filipino guy. sorry. most people i see seeking improved status are Filipinos.
Yeh, look at the sign it is written in Chinese under English. He wants improved status, he is barking up the wrong tree here, he should be taking it up with the Fed in DC.
sorry, overlook the sign online. senior moment.
Are you talking about the most corrupt people in the world….
Are you talking about yourself?
While I agree this is inappropriate and untrue on the demonstrators part, it is only slightly different from what we get from our elected and the rest of this Admin. day in and day out.
Mostly all lies and inappropriate behavior without any concern of what the people want when they were elected and are suppose to serve the people, NOT themselves as most are doing.
The real shame is that the inappropriate melodramatic imagery provoked hostile responses from people who support the cause of improved status. I’m for improved status, but I didn’t like this, and I don’t like the hyperbole of some who claims that the CW program amounts to slavery, abuse, inhumane treatment, etc.
i agree
well said.
His float should have never been able to motorcade. It is a day of celebration & independence. To pose in chains and locks, with a sign that reads, “Justice” is opposite of what this day stands for. Why didn’t anyone stop him? Yes, freedom of speech and expression..but this is not the place, nor the time.
If this is how people feel living in the CNMI they can leave.
Boehner vs. Obama is a major issue! Many people want the status of legal US Citizenship and the American Dream, because there is something special about it. But when everyone is allowed, there won’t be anything special about it anymore.
His float should have never been able to motorcade. It is a day of celebration & independence. To pose in chains and locks, with a sign that reads, “Justice” is opposite of what this day stands for. Why didn’t anyone stop him? Yes, freedom of speech and expression..but this is not the place, nor the time.
If this is how people feel living in the CNMI they can leave.
Boehner vs. Obama is a major issue! Many people want the status of legal US Citizenship and the American Dream, because there is something special about it. But when everyone is allowed, there won’t be anything special about it anymore.
Your post is well-written. However, I don’t agree with the last sentence you’ve stated that “But when everyone is allowed, there won’t be anything special about it anymore.” There are several reasons America is considered special. One of them is for religious freedom and the other for economic advancement. While the man in chains could have thought of a better way to convey his message, I understand and see why he possibly could have resorted to that method. Everyone deserves to immigrate to or exit out of a country, and that includes “America, the Beautiful.” Besides, even before America has become so diverse, it had been multicultural from the very beginning anyway. I mean aside from the Native Americans that have lived there for a long time already, there were different groups of “Caucasians” and other nationalities that sought better economic and social statuses in the land of America. America is a democracy, not something to be available just for the ones that can affort it or endure the hardships of “pulling oneself up by one’s own bootstraps.”
you are right. except for Native Americans, all americans in america are immigrants.
You might understand why this man resorted to this method, but I don’t. And I find it appalling that people who feel this way are still here, if this is how they feel. And still, it was not a right way to celebrate a victorious day for our citizens. Yes, America has always been multicultural and diverse…when you marry a citizen and when children are born half cast, etc.
America is a democracy for its rightful citizens, and for the eligible of the state. You might not see it as an issue, if you are seeking citizenship. But for the ones who would like to respect that territorial integrity for our home, it is an issue.
Your quote, “pulling oneself up, by one’s own bootstrap” is not necessary for this matter. But “pulling oneself up, by MY bootstrap” is how it seems. And this cannot just happen because “china man” decides he wants in, let me throw chains on myself & pose at liberation.
Immigration is a tricky subject because two people who are in support of an open immigration police can have different desired outcomes. From what I read you want a more open immigration process because there are needy people who are seeking to make a better life. If that is true check out this video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPjzfGChGlE
this is why we need to encourage our Chamorros/Saipanese students to return to our small island nation to work towards bringing prosperity to the CNMI. good video using common sense and gumballs. i will look at gumballs differently from now on. LOL
i apologized almost 20 hours ago. all us asians look alike. i was mistaken for a filipina when i was in your country and i smiled and said salamat po! and i will shut up if you return to your country and get help for all the street children and protect them from predators. i would happily shut up then.
Where does your prejudice against Filipinos coming from? You have no right to call anyone “immature and [in] bad taste” just because you don’t understand their culture and beliefs.
if you are Filipino and want improved status then you would also be afforded something called freedom of speech. i understand this about your beliefs: your people are highly religious yet allow children to live in the worst conditions. i also understand your culture: Money talks and the rest, well, takes a long walk on a short plank.
Wait, are you describing your own government?
This is nothing new, Richard. There’s an actual term for this called “Anchor Baby”, look it up here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anchor_baby.
This has been happening in mainland, United States as well. They haven’t been able to do anything about it, so I don’t think we will be able to do anything about it either. And please don’t single out a ethnic group like that, there are other ethnic groups that are doing this as well since the 1970’s-1980’s.
Hi Cedie i understand that happen in the Mainland but here in Saipan they don’t need to apply US visa so they took advantage of it. our island relied on Tourist so we don’t want some other people took advantage of our island. other ethinc groups needed to apply visa to step on the US mainland soil including china. u know that how hard to get US visa.
He is very fortunate ,he could do it here. I don’t believe, he can do the same if this were his home place.
I saw the lock and chain as a symbol of a long time resident whose status is in limbo or imprisoned by the injustice of not being given the opportunity to acquire improved status. I saw his sweaty, half naked, body as his struggle to be where he is today and against the injustice of being neglected.
Independence day is a celebration of freedom from the same suppression of “inalienable rights”. The very preamble of the United States Constitution, which protects individuals and groups from a tyrannical government.
It was quite poetic actually, although a bit gruesome – LOL!
I gave him a bottle of water.
We don’t celebrate Independence day, we celebrate Liberation Day.
Oh? I thought it was the same. What were you liberated from?
There is quite a distinction between the Independence day celebrated on July 4th in the US – the independence gained from the British rule and the July 4th we celebrate here in the CNMI – our 4th of July is the day the American forces liberated the islands from the Japanese rule…symbolically equal
I believe so too.
The minute he lands on Saipan his immigration status has improved. Its better than where he came from. Otherwise he won’t be here in the first place.