PRESS RELEASE
WDC-36-2022
20 OCTOBER 2022
WASHINGTON D.C. – In celebration of Filipino American History Month (FAHM), the Sentro Rizal of the Philippine Embassy in Washington D.C. and the Southeast Asia League of Students (SEALS) of the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) hosted a special screening of “Quezon’s Game” at the SAIS Kenney-Herter Auditorium on 20 October 2022. Quezon’s Game is directed by Mr. Matthew Rosen and distributed by iWant TFC.
In his welcoming remarks, Consul General and Minister Iric Cruz Arribas emphasized the importance of remembering this historical event and how deeply embedded migrant hospitality is to Filipino culture: “Tonight, I hope that everyone gets a chance to look back to one of the most significant moments in history between the Philippines and the United States, especially in the context that both countries are known sanctuaries for refugees and asylum seekers. I am especially proud to say that the Open Door policy was done in the spirit of Filipino hospitality and simply because it was the right thing to do.”
Quezon’s Game pays tribute to President Manuel L. Quezon and his “Open Door Policy” that allowed Filipino diplomats to issue more than 10,000 Philippine visas to European Jews, and save at least 1,300 of them from the Nazi regime. President Quezon was the Resident Commissioner to Washington, D.C. from 1909-1916 prior to becoming President of the Philippine Commonwealth and is one of the most important figure in the long-standing PH-US relationship. He played an important role in the passage of the Jones Act and Tydings-McDuffie Independence Law that eventually led to Philippine Independence.
FAHM is annually celebrated in the United States in October to commemorate the first recorded presence of Filipinos in the continental United States. The Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS) introduced this in 1992 and the U.S. Congress officially recognized October as FAHM in the U.S. in 2009.###
