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PRESS RELEASE
Price is the first Arkansan ever inducted into the Knights of Rizal, the official Order of Chivalry of the Republic of the Philippines
Little Rock, Ark, August 30, 2022 – On Saturday, August 20, Joshua Ang Price, former Pulaski County Election Commissioner and new Deputy Director of Arkansas United, was inducted into the Order of the Knights of Rizal, the official Order of Chivalry of the Republic of the Philippines, in Honolulu, Hawaii. As the first county election commissioner and candidate for Secretary of State in Arkansas of Filipino-descent, Price was honored for his work in protecting voting access and advocating for equality and civil rights for Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) and minority communities in the state, as well as nationally. He is the first member of the Knights of Rizal from the state of Arkansas.
"Our most recent Knights of Rizal-Aloha Chapter first degree knighting ceremony was conducted in solemnity presenting a fuller and richer understanding of who we are and what we stand for," said Sir Florencio Jun Suela, Jr., Chapter Commander of the Knights of Rizal-Aloha Chapter.
The Knights of Rizal was created in 1911 to honor and uphold the ideals of Philippine national hero José Rizal. Rizal was a medical doctor, writer, and a key member of the Filipino Propaganda Movement, which advocated political reforms for the colony under Spain. He was executed by the Spanish colonial government on December 30, 1896, for the crime of rebellion after the Philippine Revolution was inspired by his writings.
The Philippine Islands were ceded by Spain to the United States along with Puerto Rico and Guam at the end of the Spanish-American War in 1898. The Philippines was then an American territory for 48 years until it was officially recognized by the United States as an independent nation on July 4, 1946. The Philippines has been a treaty ally and an important security partner of the U.S. since 1951.
“I am incredibly honored to be chosen to be a member of the Order of the Knights of Rizal. Dr. Jose Rizal has been a powerful influence on me personally and in my work in public service, particularly in our underserved minority communities,” said Joshua Ang Price. “My mother immigrated from the Philippines to Arkansas in 1975 to work as a registered nurse in Murfreesboro – I was born and raised in Arkansas and am humbled to represent and serve the Filipino-American community here in my home state and across the U.S. as a Knight of Rizal.”
According to the 2020 Census, there are over 4.3 million Filipino-Americans living in the U.S., making them the second largest AAPI group in the nation. Filipino-Americans are the third largest AAPI group in Arkansas, making up 10,000 out of the nearly 85,000 Asian American Pacific Islanders in the state. Since 2000, the AAPI population in Arkansas has grown by 138%. To address the growing needs of Arkansas’s AAPI community, Arkansas United, an immigrant rights advocacy group working in Arkansas for over a decade, is expanding its services to integrate the AAPI community into current programs and plan future programs specifically addressing AAPI issues and opportunities.
About Arkansas United
Founded in 2021, Arkansas United (AU) is Arkansas’s first immigrant organizing and advocacy coalition, and operates regional Immigrant Resource Centers in Springdale, Fort Smith and Little Rock. AU works to empower Arkansas immigrants to be Change Agents in advocacy and closing service gaps so that all Arkansans can achieve a greater civic and economic potential.
About the Order of the Knights of Rizal
Founded on December 30, 1911, the Knights of Rizal is the one order of knighthood in the Philippines officially recognized and endorsed by an official act of the national government, and its awards and titles are recognized by the Honors code of the Philippines as official awards of the Republic. Since its founding 112 years ago, the Order has grown to more than 25,000 members belonging to 131 active chapters in the Philippines and 61 active chapters around the world. Its international headquarters is located in Manila. Learn more at www.knightsofrizal.org
The Knights of Rizal Code of Ethics:
Loves his country and people;
Promotes international understanding among peoples and nations;
Venerates the memory of the national heroes by making their ideals his own;
Values honor as he values his life;
Strives to do justice to all his fellow men;
Finds meaning and purpose in life;
Upholds freedom at all costs;
Maintains a tolerant & understanding attitude towards his fellow men;
Believes in the value of education essential to the formation of the character of men;
Promotes social justice and general welfare;
Is industrious, self-reliant, persevering and conscious of the plight of the less fortunate
