Filipino American History Month is observed every October to honor the history, culture, and contributions of Filipino Americans. CAPAA Commissioner Anna Lising shares her reflections as a Filipina American:
CAPAA Commissioner Anna Lising
“Filipinos have a deeply complicated relationship with the US — America is a symbol of both opportunity and our oppression. But what I love about Filipinos, and the FilAm community in particular, is our joy and our resilience; our commitment to making the best with what we have.
Filipino American History Month allows us to show gratitude to our elders who helped build this country — from the first Filipinos who arrived all the way back in 1587 to Lolo Larry fighting for farmworkers rights to the nurses who carried us through a global pandemic. Filipino Americans have helped shape this country for generations and will continue to fight for a brighter future for all of us."
The earliest record of Filipino migration to the United States dates back to October 18, 1587 when a ship of crew members and slaves landed in Morro Bay, California aboard the Spanish galleon Nuestra Señora de Esperanza.
The United States Government enacted a series of discriminatory laws against Asian and South Asian communities throughout the 18-1900’s. The 1935 Filipino Repatriation Act (FRA) was an unsuccessful attempt to reduce the number of Filipinos living in America by offering free transport back to the Philippines on the stipulation they do not return to the U.S. Only about two thousand Filipino adults utilized this contract. The law was later repealed in 1940 by the U.S. Supreme Court who found it unconstitutional. This did not dissuade the growing strength and resilience of Filipino peoples building community along the West Coast. In 1940 there were an estimated 45,000 Filipino people living in the United States according to the U.S. Census. By 1965 during the civil rights era, public sentiment against racist discriminatory policies influenced the passage of the 1965 landmark Immigration and Nationality Act which removed immigration quotas based on national origin.
In the mid 1900s Filipino American and Seattle-based advocate Dorothy Laigo Cordova built grass roots movements to preserve Filipino history, migration stories, culture, and more– from organizing programs for student groups to interviewing families across the nation. Over time she and other leaders built a network that would evolve into the Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS). With over 40 chapters across the United States, this organization influences local and federal efforts to preserve history, promote understanding of Filipino Americans, and to promote education of Filipino contributions to this nation. In 1992, FANHS marked the month of October as Filipino American History month; and by 2009, the U.S. Congress passed a formal resolution culturally recognizing October on a national scale.
According to AAPI Data, Filipino Americans are “the third largest single-origin Asian group in the country (3,076,108)”. The Filipino American population grew by 30% nationally between 2010 and 2020. Washington State is one of the top 5 states of residence for Filipino Americans.