The Philippine American Bar Association, Filipino Lawyers of Orange County, and Thurgood Marshall Bar Association issued the following joint statement, which is endorsed by APABA:

We must not applaud a wrong “corrected” or fall complacent. The reinstatement of Representative Justin Jones and Representative Justin Pearson swiftly rebukes the racially motivated expulsion of two Black-Fil-Am and Black lawmakers. Three lawmakers who took action based on their aligned ideology, engaged in the same conduct of free speech. But only two were expelled. The only difference was the color of their skin. Their expulsion highlights the present-day perpetuation of institutionalized racism in this country. In 2023, we are still fighting, not only remnants of four centuries of this country’s racist past, but also overt acts of prejudice at the highest levels of contemporary politics.

We remain outraged by the blatant racism and discrimination against Rep. Jones and Rep. Pearson. We remain vigilant against all abuses of power including abuse by the Tennessee House of Representatives in voting for expulsion. We remain courageous and stand in solidarity, in the face of criticism and oppression, with the resolve of always fighting for what is right.

Gun violence is neither a political issue nor a topic for debate. But gun violence is not the issue at play now. We stand with our lawmakers, in pursuit of their own due process and equal protection under the law, so they can continue to advocate for the most vulnerable in our society, including children. We stand with The Tennessee Three, because “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere” (Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.).