The documentary film Nurse Unseen sheds light on the often-overlooked contributions of Filipino nurses in the United States, many of whom risked their lives on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic while facing a surge of anti-Asian sentiment in their adopted homeland.
Directed by Michele Josue, the film examines the colonial ties between the Philippines and the United States that have led to Filipino-American nurses becoming the unsung backbone of the U.S. health care system. For more than a century, the U.S. has relied on Filipino nurses to meet its growing needs, creating a pipeline that has sent more than 150,000 nurses to America since the 1960s.
Though Filipinos make up only about 1% of the U.S. population, they account for 4% of America’s nurses. And COVID-19 took an outsize toll on these immigrants. Nearly a third of the nurses who died from the pandemic in the United States were Filipino, many of them sent to battle the pandemic without basic protective gear.
The film — which will be shown at Violet Crown Dallas on Jan 11-12 at 7 p.m. — uses interviews, footage and photos to give viewers a glimpse into the emotional and physical demands placed on these health care heroes.
Details: Violet Crown Dallas is at 3699 McKinney Ave., Dallas. Tickets are $16 for adults and $14 for kids and seniors.
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