As Asian Americans continue to grapple with increasing hate during the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, a Filipino teen’s message from the mid-1950s makes a crucial reminder of the problem of prejudice. “How in the world could you have liberty and justice for all?” asked 15-year-old Raul Contreras, challenging the truth in America’s pledge of allegiance. Contreras, who pursued a career in public relations, posed the question as the Philippines’ representative in a 1956 episode of “The World We Want.” Produced by WOR-TV and the New York Herald Tribune, the series brought high school students from all over the world to discuss global affairs and social issues.
