History of Filipino Americans
Encyclopedia
Filipinos in what is now the United States were first documented in the 16th century, with small settlements beginning in the 18th century. Mass migration did not begin until the early 20th century, and for a period the History of the Philippines merged with that of the United States. After the independence
of the Philippines from the United States, Filipino Americans continued to grow in population and had events that are associated to them.
; Filipinos, via the Manila galleon
s, would migrate to North American, some finding their way to the United States, others remaining in Mexico. This would end around 1906 with the end of the Spanish East Indies due to the Spanish
and Philippine
American Wars.
The second wave of immigration was during the American colonial period when Filipinos were U.S. Nationals, and were unrestricted from immigrating to the US by laws that restricted other Asians
. This wave of immigration has been referred to as the manong generation. Filipinos of this wave came for different reasons, but the majority were laborers, predominantly Ilocano and Visayan. This wave of immigration was distinct from other Asian Americans, due to American influences, and education, in the Philippines; thefore they did not see themselves as aliens
when they immigrated to the United States. During the Great Depression
, Filipino Americans were also affected, losing jobs, and being the target of race based violence. This wave of immigration ended due to the Philippine Independence Act
in 1934, which restricted immigration to 50 persons a year.
The third wave of immigration followed the events of World War II
. Filipinos who had served in World War II had been given the option of becoming U.S. Citizens, and many took the opportunity, upwards of 10,000 according to Barkan. Filipina War brides were allowed to immigrate to the United States due to War Brides Act
and Fiancée Act, with approximately 16,000 Filipinas entering the United States in the years following World War II. By the 1970s and 1980s Filipina wives of service members reach annual rates of five to eight thousand. Later, due to basing agreements with the Philippines, Filipinos were allowed to enlist in the U.S. Navy
, this continued a practice of allowing Filipinos to serve in the Navy that began in 1901. A source of immigration was opened up with the Luce-Celler Act of 1946 that gave the Philippines a quota of 100 persons a year; yet records show that 32,201 Filipinos immigrated between 1953 to 1965. This wave ended in 1965.
The fourth and present wave of immigration began in 1965 with passing of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 into law. It ended national quotas into law, and provided an unlimited number of visas for family reunification. Navy based immigration stopped with the expiration of the military bases agreement in 1992; yet it continues in a more limited fashion. Many Filipinos of this new wave of migration have migrated here as professionals due to a shortage in qualified nurses
.
Treaty of Manila (1946)
The Treaty of Manila is a treaty of general relations signed on July 4, 1946 in Manila, capital of the Philippines. Parties to the treaty were the governments of the United States and the Republic of the Philippines...
of the Philippines from the United States, Filipino Americans continued to grow in population and had events that are associated to them.
Immigration history
Researchers have looked upon the patterns of immigration of Filipinos to the United States and have recognized four significant waves. The first was connected to the period when the Philippines was part of New Spain and later the Spanish East IndiesSpanish East Indies
Spanish East Indies was a term used to describe Spanish territories in Asia-Pacific which lasted for three centuries . With the seat of government in Manila, the territory encompassed the Philippine Islands, Guam and the Mariana Islands, the Caroline Islands, and for a period of time, parts of...
; Filipinos, via the Manila galleon
Manila Galleon
The Manila galleons or Manila-Acapulco galleons were Spanish trading ships that sailed once or twice per year across the Pacific Ocean between Manila in the Philippines, and Acapulco, New Spain . The name changed reflecting the city that the ship was sailing from...
s, would migrate to North American, some finding their way to the United States, others remaining in Mexico. This would end around 1906 with the end of the Spanish East Indies due to the Spanish
Spanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
and Philippine
Philippine-American War
The Philippine–American War, also known as the Philippine War of Independence or the Philippine Insurrection , was an armed conflict between a group of Filipino revolutionaries and the United States which arose from the struggle of the First Philippine Republic to gain independence following...
American Wars.
The second wave of immigration was during the American colonial period when Filipinos were U.S. Nationals, and were unrestricted from immigrating to the US by laws that restricted other Asians
Immigration Act of 1917
On February 4, 1917, the United States Congress passed the Immigration Act of 1917 with an overwhelming majority, overriding President Woodrow Wilson's December 14, 1916 veto...
. This wave of immigration has been referred to as the manong generation. Filipinos of this wave came for different reasons, but the majority were laborers, predominantly Ilocano and Visayan. This wave of immigration was distinct from other Asian Americans, due to American influences, and education, in the Philippines; thefore they did not see themselves as aliens
Alien (law)
In law, an alien is a person in a country who is not a citizen of that country.-Categorization:Types of "alien" persons are:*An alien who is legally permitted to remain in a country which is foreign to him or her. On specified terms, this kind of alien may be called a legal alien of that country...
when they immigrated to the United States. During the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, Filipino Americans were also affected, losing jobs, and being the target of race based violence. This wave of immigration ended due to the Philippine Independence Act
Tydings-McDuffie Act
The Tydings-McDuffie Act approved on March 24, 1934 was a United States federal law which provided for self-government of the Philippines and for Filipino independence after a period of ten years. It was authored by Maryland Senator Millard E...
in 1934, which restricted immigration to 50 persons a year.
The third wave of immigration followed the events of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Filipinos who had served in World War II had been given the option of becoming U.S. Citizens, and many took the opportunity, upwards of 10,000 according to Barkan. Filipina War brides were allowed to immigrate to the United States due to War Brides Act
War Brides Act
The War Brides Act was enacted in 1945 to allow spouses and adopted children of United States military personnel to enter the U.S. after World War II. The law temporarily lifted the ban on Asian immigration and the quotas on European immigration that had been established by the Immigration Act of...
and Fiancée Act, with approximately 16,000 Filipinas entering the United States in the years following World War II. By the 1970s and 1980s Filipina wives of service members reach annual rates of five to eight thousand. Later, due to basing agreements with the Philippines, Filipinos were allowed to enlist in the U.S. Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
, this continued a practice of allowing Filipinos to serve in the Navy that began in 1901. A source of immigration was opened up with the Luce-Celler Act of 1946 that gave the Philippines a quota of 100 persons a year; yet records show that 32,201 Filipinos immigrated between 1953 to 1965. This wave ended in 1965.
The fourth and present wave of immigration began in 1965 with passing of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 into law. It ended national quotas into law, and provided an unlimited number of visas for family reunification. Navy based immigration stopped with the expiration of the military bases agreement in 1992; yet it continues in a more limited fashion. Many Filipinos of this new wave of migration have migrated here as professionals due to a shortage in qualified nurses
Nursing shortage
Nursing shortage refers to a situation where the demand for nursing professionals, such as Registered Nurses , exceeds the supply, either locally , nationally or globally...
.
Timeline
- 1573 to 1811, Roughly between 1556 and 1813, Spain engaged in the Galleon Trade between Manila and Acapulco. The galleons were built in the shipyards of Cavite, outside Manila, by Filipino craftsmen. The trade was funded by Chinese traders, manned by Filipino sailors and “supervised” by Mexico City officials. In this time frame, Spain recruited Mexicans to serve as soldiers in Manila. Likewise, they drafted Filipinos to serve as soldiers in Mexico. Once drafted, the trip across the ocean sometimes came with a “one way” ticket.
- 1587, First Filipinos (“Luzonians”) to set foot in North America arrive in Morro Bay, (San Luis Obispo) California on board the Manila-built galleon ship Nuestra Senora de Esperanza under the command of Spanish Captain Pedro de Unamuno.
- 1720, Gaspar Molina, a Filipino from Pampanga province, oversees the construction of El Triunfo de la Cruz, the first ship built in California.
- 1763, First permanent Filipino settlements established in North America near Barataria Bay in southern LouisianaLouisianaLouisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
. - 1781, Antonio Miranda Rodriguez chosen a member of the first group of settlers to establish the City of Los AngelesLos Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. He and his daughter fell sick with smallpoxSmallpoxSmallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
while en route, and remained in Baja CaliforniaBaja CaliforniaBaja California officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is both the northernmost and westernmost state of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1953, the area was known as the North...
for an extended time to recuperate. When they finally arrived in Alta CaliforniaAlta CaliforniaAlta California was a province and territory in the Viceroyalty of New Spain and later a territory and department in independent Mexico. The territory was created in 1769 out of the northern part of the former province of Las Californias, and consisted of the modern American states of California,...
, it was discovered that Miranda Rodriguez was a skilled gunsmith. He was reassigned in 1782 to the Presidio of Santa BarbaraPresidio of Santa BarbaraThe El Presidio Real de Santa Bárbara, also known as the Royal Presidio of Santa Barbara, was a military installation in Santa Barbara, California. It was built by Spain in 1782, with the mission of defending the Second Military District in California...
as an armorer. - 1796, The first American trading ship to reach Manila, the Astrea, was commanded by Captain Henry Prince.
- 1812, During the War of 1812, Filipinos from Manila Village (near New Orleans) were among the "Baratarians" who fought against the British under the command of Jean Lafitte in the Battle of New Orleans.
- 1870, Filipinos mestizos studying in New Orleans form the first Filipino Association in the United States, the “Sociedad de Beneficencia de los Hispanos Filipinos.”
- 1888, Dr. José RizalJosé RizalJosé Protacio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda , was a Filipino polymath, patriot and the most prominent advocate for reform in the Philippines during the Spanish colonial era. He is regarded as the foremost Filipino patriot and is listed as one of the national heroes of the Philippines by...
visits the United States whom he described as "...a great country with many defects, and has no real civil liberty" and predicts that the Philippines will one day be [a United States] colony in his essay, The Philippines: A Century Hence. - 1898, The Philippines declares its independencePhilippine Declaration of IndependenceThe Philippine Declaration of Independence occurred on June 12, 1898 in Cavite II el Viejo , Cavite, Philippines. With the public reading of the Act of the Declaration of Independence, Filipino revolutionary forces under General Emilio Aguinaldo proclaimed the sovereignty and independence of the...
on June 12, 1898 in Cavite II el Viejo, CaviteCaviteCavite is a province of the Philippines located on the southern shores of Manila Bay in the CALABARZON region in Luzon, just 30 kilometers south of Manila. Cavite is surrounded by Laguna to the east, Metro Manila to the northeast, and Batangas to the south...
; Philippines, and other parts of the Spanish EmpireSpanish EmpireThe Spanish Empire comprised territories and colonies administered directly by Spain in Europe, in America, Africa, Asia and Oceania. It originated during the Age of Exploration and was therefore one of the first global empires. At the time of Habsburgs, Spain reached the peak of its world power....
, ceded by Spain to the United States in the Treaty of ParisTreaty of Paris (1898)The Treaty of Paris of 1898 was signed on December 10, 1898, at the end of the Spanish-American War, and came into effect on April 11, 1899, when the ratifications were exchanged.... - 1899, Philippine-American WarPhilippine-American WarThe Philippine–American War, also known as the Philippine War of Independence or the Philippine Insurrection , was an armed conflict between a group of Filipino revolutionaries and the United States which arose from the struggle of the First Philippine Republic to gain independence following...
begins.
- 1902, Philippine Bill of 1902Philippine Organic Act (1902)The Philippine Organic Act, popularly known as the Philippine Bill of 1902 and sometimes known as the Cooper Act after its author Henry A. Cooper, was the first organic law for the Philippines enacted by the United States Congress during the American Colonial Period in the Philippines...
passed by the U.S. Congress; makes it illegal for Filipinos to own property, vote, operate a business, live in an American residential neighborhood, hold public office and become a naturalized American citizen; it provided for a Bill of Rights, and established a bicameral legislature - 1903, First Pensionados, Filipinos invited to attend college in the United States on American government scholarships, arrive.
- 1906, First Filipino laborers migrate to the United States to work on the Hawaiian sugarcane and pineapple plantations, California and Washington asparagus farms, Washington lumber, Alaska salmon canneries. About 200 Filipino “pensionados” are brought to the U.S. to get an American education.
- 1910, First Filipino, Vicente LimVicente LimBrigadier General Vicente Lim was an Filipino General in the Philippine Army who served during the Second World War.-Early life:He was born in the town of Calamba, Laguna, on the 24th of February, 1888, the third of Jose Ayala Lim-Yaoco’s four children. His father was a full-blooded Chinese who...
, attends West Point. - 1912, Filipino American Association of Philadelphia, Inc. (FAAPI) is founded and organized by Mr. Agripino Jaucian along with 200 Filipino mariners in Philadelphia, and is the oldest ongoing Filipino organization in the United States.
- 1913, On June 15 The Battle of Bud Bagsak ends the Moro RebellionMoro RebellionThe Moro Rebellion was an armed military conflict between Moro revolutionary groups in the Mindanao, Sulu, and Palawan and the United States military which took place in the Philippines as early as between 1899 to 1913, following the Spanish-American War in 1898...
- 1916, The US “recruited” Filipinos for service during World War IWorld War IWorld War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. - 1920s, Filipino labor leaders organize unions and strategic strikes to improve working and living conditions.
- 1924, Filipino Workers’ Union (FLU) shuts down 16 of 25 sugar plantations.
- 1927, Anti-Filipino riots occur in the Yakima ValleyYakima ValleyYakima Valley may refer to:*Yakima River Valley in southeastern Washington*Yakima Valley AVA...
. - 1928, Filipino Businessman Pedro FloresPedro Flores (Yo-yo manufacture)Pedro Flores is widely considered as the first yo-yo maker in the US and with his Flores yo-yo created the start of an international craze.-Early history:Pedro Flores was born in Vintar, Ilocos Norte, Philippines and came to the United States in 1915...
opens Flores yo-yos, which is credited with starting the yo-yoYo-yoThe yo-yo in its simplest form is an object consisting of an axle connected to two disks, and a length of twine looped around the axle, similar to a slender spool...
craze in the United States. He came up with and copyrightCopyrightCopyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time...
ed the word yo-yo. He also applied for and received a trademark for the Flores Yo-yo, which was registered on July 22, 1930. His company went on to be become the foundation of which would latter become the DuncanDuncan Toys CompanyThe Duncan Toys Company is an American toy manufacturer based in Middlefield, Ohio, best known for its Yo-yo line. The company was founded in 1929 by Donald Duncan. In 1968, it became a division of Flambeau, Inc..- Yo-yo Product Line :...
yo-yo company. Anti-Filipino riots occur in the Wenatchee Valley. - 1929, Anti-Filipino riot occurs in ExeterExeter, CaliforniaExeter is a city in Tulare County, California, United States. It is situated near the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range. The population was 10,334 at the 2010 census....
. - 1930, Anti-Filipino riots break out in WatsonvilleWatsonville, CaliforniaWatsonville is a city in Santa Cruz County, California, United States. The population was 51,199 according to the 2010 census.Located on the central coast of California, the economy centers predominantly around the farming industry. It is known for growing strawberries, apples, lettuce and a host...
and other California rural communities, in part because of Filipino men having intimate relations with White women which was in violation of the California anti-miscegenation laws enacted during that time. - 1933, After the Supreme Court of CaliforniaSupreme Court of CaliforniaThe Supreme Court of California is the highest state court in California. It is headquartered in San Francisco and regularly holds sessions in Los Angeles and Sacramento. Its decisions are binding on all other California state courts.-Composition:...
found in Roldan v. Los Angeles County that existing laws against marriage between white persons and "MongoloidMongoloid raceMongoloid is a term sometimes used by forensic anthropologists and physical anthropologists to refer to populations that share certain phenotypic traits such as epicanthic fold and shovel-shaped incisors and other physical traits common in East Asia, the Americas and the Arctic...
s" did not bar a Filipino man from marrying a white woman, California's anti-miscegenation law, Civil Code, section 60, was amended to prohibit marriages between white persons and members of the "MalayMalay raceThe concept of a Malay race was proposed by the German scientist Johann Friedrich Blumenbach , and classified as the brown race. Since Blumenbach, many anthropologists have rejected his theory of five races, citing the enormous complexity of classifying races...
race" (e.g. Filipinos). - 1934, The Tydings-McDuffie ActTydings-McDuffie ActThe Tydings-McDuffie Act approved on March 24, 1934 was a United States federal law which provided for self-government of the Philippines and for Filipino independence after a period of ten years. It was authored by Maryland Senator Millard E...
, known as the Philippine Independence Act limited Filipino immigration to the U.S. to 50 persons a year (not to apply to persons coming or seeking to come to the Territory of Hawaii). - 1936, Philippines becomes self-governing. Commonwealth of the Philippines inaugurated.
- 1941, Washington Supreme CourtWashington Supreme CourtThe Washington Supreme Court is the highest court in the judiciary of the U.S. state of Washington. The Court is composed of a Chief Justice and eight Justices. of the Court are elected to six-year terms...
rules unconstitutional the Anti-Alien Land Law of 1937 which banned Filipino Americans from owning land. - Early 1942, Filipinos communities began to designate themselves as Filipinos to avoid anti-Japanese discrimination
- April 1942, First1st Filipino Infantry Regiment (United States)The 1st Filipino Infantry Regiment was a segregated United States Army infantry regiment made up of Filipinos and Filipino Americans from the continental United States and a few veterans of the Battle of the Philippines that saw combat during World War II. It was formed and activated at Camp San...
and Second Filipino Regiments formed in the U.S. composed of Filipino agricultural workers.
- May 1942, After the fall of Bataan and Coregidor to the Japanese, the US Congress passes a law which grants US citizenship to Filipinos and other aliens who served under the U.S. Armed Forces.
- 1942-1944, After the official surrender of USAFFE under the command of LTG WainwrightJonathan Mayhew Wainwright IVJonathan Mayhew "Skinny" Wainwright IV was a career American army officer and the commander of Allied forces in the Philippines at the time of their surrender to the Empire of Japan during World War II...
, ongoing local guerrilla resistance groups operated throughout the islands against the Japanese occupationJapanese occupation of the PhilippinesThe Japanese occupation of the Philippines was the period in the history of the Philippines between 1942 and 1945, when the Empire of Japan occupied the previously American-controlled Philippines during World War II....
until the islands liberation by American lead Allied forces. - October 1944, American General Douglas MacArthurDouglas MacArthurGeneral of the Army Douglas MacArthur was an American general and field marshal of the Philippine Army. He was a Chief of Staff of the United States Army during the 1930s and played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during World War II. He received the Medal of Honor for his service in the...
with the Philippine Commonwealth President Sergio OsmeñaSergio OsmeñaSergio Osmeña y Suico was a Filipino politician who served as the 4th President of the Philippines from 1944 to 1946. He was Vice President under Manuel L. Quezon, and rose to the presidency upon Quezon's death in 1944, being the oldest Philippine president to hold office at age 65...
together with the Armed Forces of the PhilippinesArmed Forces of the PhilippinesThe Armed Forces of the Philippines is composed of the Philippine Army, Philippine Navy and Philippine Air Force...
General Basilio J. Valdes and General Carlos P. RomuloCarlos P. RómuloCarlos Peña Rómulo was a Filipino diplomat, politician, soldier, journalist and author. He was a reporter at 16, a newspaper editor by the age of 20, and a publisher at 32...
including the U.S. Liberation forces land the beaches at Palo, LeytePalo, LeytePalo is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Leyte, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 47,982 people in 9,272 households.-Barangays:Palo is politically subdivided into 33 barangays.* Anahaway* Arado* Baras...
. - 1944-1945, Beginning the Allied LiberationPhilippines campaign (1944-45)The Philippines campaign of 1944–45, the Battle of the Philippines 1944–45, or the Liberation of the Philippines was the American and Filipino campaign to defeat and expel the Imperial Japanese forces occupying the Philippines, during World War II. The Japanese Army had overrun all of the...
of the PhilippinesPhilippinesThe Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
was the country by joint Filipino and American soldiers fought the Japanese Imperial forces until the end of World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. - February 1946, President TrumanHarry S. TrumanHarry S. Truman was the 33rd President of the United States . As President Franklin D. Roosevelt's third vice president and the 34th Vice President of the United States , he succeeded to the presidency on April 12, 1945, when President Roosevelt died less than three months after beginning his...
signs the Rescission Act of 1946Rescission Act of 1946-Summary:Service before July 1, 1946, in the organized military forces of the Government of the Commonwealth of the Philippines, while such forces were in the service of the Armed Forces of the United States pursuant to the military order of the President dated July 26, 1941, including among such...
, taking away the veterans benefits pledged to Filipino service members during world War II. Only four thousand service members were able to gain citizenship during this period. - 1946, The United States recognizes Philippine Independence through Treaty of ManilaTreaty of Manila (1946)The Treaty of Manila is a treaty of general relations signed on July 4, 1946 in Manila, capital of the Philippines. Parties to the treaty were the governments of the United States and the Republic of the Philippines...
. Republic of the Philippines reclaims legacies from the Generation of 1898 including Philippine Flag and National Anthem. During the 1946 parade Emilio AguinaldoEmilio AguinaldoEmilio Aguinaldo y Famy was a Filipino general, politician, and independence leader. He played an instrumental role during the Philippines' revolution against Spain, and the subsequent Philippine-American War or War of Philippine Independence that resisted American occupation...
marches with Filipino veterans of the War of Independence, carrying the flag he designed and originally unfurled after he declared Philippine Independence on June 12, 1898; America Is in the HeartAmerica Is in the HeartAmerica Is in the Heart, sometimes subtitled A Personal History, is a 1946 semi-autobiographical novel written by Filipino American immigrant poet, fiction writer, short story teller, and activist, Carlos Bulosan...
by Carlos BulosanCarlos BulosanAlso known as Julius Zafra , a Filipino, an English-language novelist and poet who spent most of his life in the United States, and is best known for the semi-autobiographical America Is in the Heart.-Life and career:Carlos Bulosan was born to Ilocano parents in...
published. - 1948, California Supreme Court rules California's anti-miscegenation law unconstitutional in the case of Perez v. SharpPerez v. SharpIn 1948, in the case Perez v. Sharp, also known as Perez v. Lippold and Perez v. Moroney, the Supreme Court of California recognized that interracial bans on marriage violated the Fourteenth Amendment of the Federal Constitution....
, ending racially based prohibitions of marriage in the state (although it wasn't until Loving v. VirginiaLoving v. VirginiaLoving v. Virginia, , was a landmark civil rights case in which the United States Supreme Court, in a unanimous decision, declared Virginia's anti-miscegenation statute, the "Racial Integrity Act of 1924", unconstitutional, thereby overturning Pace v...
in 1967 that interracial marriages were legalized nationwide). Celestino Alfafara wins California Supreme Court decision allowing aliens the right to own real property. - 1955, Peter AdujaPeter AdujaPeter Aduja was the first Filipino American elected to public office in the United States when he was elected as a representative in the Hawaii Legislature.-Biography:...
becomes first Filipino American elected to office, becoming a member of the Hawai'i State House of Representatives. - 1956, Bobby BalcenaBobby BalcenaRobert Rudolph Balcena was an outfielder in Major League Baseball who played briefly for the Cincinnati Redlegs in . Balcena batted right-handed and threw left-handed. He was born in San Pedro, California.Balcena became the first player of Filipino ancestry to appear in a major league game...
becomes first Filipino American to play Major League baseball, playing for the Cincinnati Reds. - 1965, Congress passes Immigration and Nationality Act which facilitated ease of entry for skilled Filipino laborers, raises quota of Eastern HemisphereEastern HemisphereThe Eastern Hemisphere, also Eastern hemisphere or eastern hemisphere, is a geographical term for the half of the Earth that is east of the Prime Meridian and west of 180° longitude. It is also used to refer to Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australasia, vis-à-vis the Western Hemisphere, which includes...
countries, including the Philippines, to 20,000 a year. - 1965, Delano grape strikeDelano grape strikeThe strike began when the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee, mostly Filipino farm workers in Delano, California, led by Philip Vera Cruz, Larry Itliong, Benjamin Gines and Pete Velasco, walked off the farms of area table-grape growers, demanding wages equal to the federal minimum wage...
begins when members of Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee led by Philip Vera CruzPhilip Vera CruzPhilip Vera Cruz was a Filipino American labor leader, farmworker, and leader in the Asian American civil rights movement. He was a co-founder of the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee, which later merged with the National Farm Workers Association to become the United Farm Workers...
, Larry Dulay Itliong, Benjamin Gines, Andy Imutan and Pete Velasco with mostly Filipino farm workers. - 1967, The Philippine American Collegiate Endeavor (PACE) founded by Filipino American students at San Francisco State College.
- 1969, Filipino Students Association (FSA) founded by Filipino American students at University of California, Berkeley during the Third World Movement; later renamed the Pilipino American Alliance(PAA).
- 1973, Larry Asera becomes the first Filipino American elected in the continental United States.
- 1974, Benjamin Menor appointed first Filipino American in a state's highest judiciary office as Justice of the Hawaii State Supreme CourtHawaii State Supreme CourtThe Supreme Court of Hawaii is the highest court of the State of Hawaii in the United States. Its decisions are binding on all other courts of the Hawaii State Judiciary. The principal purpose of the Supreme Court is to review the decisions of the trial courts in which appeals have been granted...
. - 1975, Governor John A. BurnsJohn A. BurnsJohn Anthony Burns served as the second Governor of Hawaii from 1962 to 1974. Born in Fort Assinniboine, Montana, Burns was a resident of Hawaii from 1913....
(D-HI) convinces Benjamin J. Cayetano to run and win a seat in the Hawaii State Legislature, despite Cayetano's doubts about winning office in a white and Japanese AmericanJapanese Americanare American people of Japanese heritage. Japanese Americans have historically been among the three largest Asian American communities, but in recent decades have become the sixth largest group at roughly 1,204,205, including those of mixed-race or mixed-ethnicity...
dominated district; Kauai's Eduardo Enabore Malapit elected first Filipino American mayor.
- 1981, Filipino American labor activists Silme Domingo and Gene Viernes are both assassinated June 1, 1981 inside a Seattle downtown union hall.
- 1981, International HotelI-HotelThe I-Hotel, officially known as the International Hotel, was built in 1907 after the devastating 1906 earthquake and was a low-cost residential hotel located at the corner of Kearny and Jackson Streets in the Manilatown section of San Francisco...
in Manilatown, San Francisco is demolished. - 1987, Benjamin J. Cayetano becomes the first Filipino American and second Asian American elected Lt. Governor of a state of the Union.
- 1990, David Mercado Valderrama becomes first Filipino American elected to a state legislature on the mainland United States serving Prince George's CountyPrince George's County, MarylandPrince George's County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland, immediately north, east, and south of Washington, DC. As of 2010, it has a population of 863,420 and is the wealthiest African-American majority county in the nation....
in Maryland. Immigration reform Act of 1990 is passed by the U.S. Congress granting U.S. citizenship to Filipino WWII veterans resulting in 20,000 Filipino veterans take oath of citizenship. - 1991, Seattle's Gene Canque Liddell becomes first Filipino American woman to be elected mayor serving the suburb of Lacey City.
- 1992, Velma Veloria becomes first Filipino American and first Asian American elected to the Washington State LegislatureWashington State LegislatureThe Washington State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Washington. It is a bipartisan, bicameral body, composed of the lower Washington House of Representatives, composed of 98 Representatives, and the upper Washington State Senate, with 49 Senators.The State Legislature...
. - 1993, Mario R. RamilMario R. RamilMario R. Ramil was an Associate Justice of the Hawaii State Supreme Court and was the second Filipino American in the United States to rise to the office. He served his tenure from 1993 to 2002....
appointed Associate Justice to the Hawai'i Supreme Court, the second Filipino American to reach the court. - 1994, Benjamin J. Cayetano becomes the first Filipino American and second Asian American elected Governor of a state of the Union.
- 1995, The nation's largest Filipino mural, Gintong Kasaysayan, Gintong Pamana (Filipino Americans: A Glorious History, A Golden Legacy) in Los Angeles, CA is unveiled and dedicated with over 600 people attending.
- 1999, US Postal worker Joseph Ileto murdered in a hate crime by Aryan NationsAryan NationsAryan Nations is a white supremacist religious organization originally based in Hayden Lake, Idaho. Richard Girnt Butler founded the group in the 1970s, as an arm of the Christian Identity organization Church of Jesus Christ–Christian...
member Buford Furrow. - 1999 , First permanent museum display honoring a Filipino American, the Carlos Bulosan Memorial Exhibit opens in Seattle's Eastern Hotel in the International District, honoring Filipino American literary great Carlos BulosanCarlos BulosanAlso known as Julius Zafra , a Filipino, an English-language novelist and poet who spent most of his life in the United States, and is best known for the semi-autobiographical America Is in the Heart.-Life and career:Carlos Bulosan was born to Ilocano parents in...
. - 2000, Robert BundaRobert BundaRobert "Bobby" Bunda is a former Democratic member of the Hawaii Senate, representing the 22nd District from 1994 through 2010, when he resigned his position in a bid for Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii...
elected Hawai'i Senate President and Simeon R. Acoba, Jr.Simeon R. Acoba, Jr.Simeon R. Acoba, Jr. has been an Associate Justice on the Hawaii State Supreme Court since 2000. Acoba is currently serving his first ten-year term, which expires in 2010....
appointed Hawai'i State Supreme Court Justice. - 2000 , 'Price of Freedom' (100' x 30') US Veterans War Memorial mural near Vandenberg Air Force BaseVandenberg Air Force BaseVandenberg Air Force Base is a United States Air Force Base, located approximately northwest of Lompoc, California. It is under the jurisdiction of the 30th Space Wing, Air Force Space Command ....
in Lompoc, CA includes the Philippine American War - 2001, Bataan Death March Memorial, a federally funded project, was dedicated in Las Cruces, New MexicoLas Cruces, New MexicoLas Cruces, also known as "The City of the Crosses", is the county seat of Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 97,618 in 2010 according to the 2010 Census, making it the second largest city in the state....
. - 2003, Philippine Republic Act No. 9225, also known as the Citizenship Retention and Re-Acquisition Act of 2003 enacted, allowing natural-born Filipinos naturalized in the United States and their unmarried minor children to reclaim Filipino nationality and hold dual citizenship.
- 2006, Congress passes legislation that commemorates the 100 Years of Filipino Migration to the United States.; Hawaii celebrates the centennial of Filipinos in Hawaii.
- 2006, First monument dedicated to Filipino soldiers who fought for the United States in World War II unveiled in Historic Filipinotown, Los AngelesHistoric Filipinotown, Los Angeles, CaliforniaHistoric Filipinotown is a newly created district of the city of Los Angeles, California,that makes up the southwest portion of Echo Park, Los Angeles, California . It was created by a resolution proposed by city council member Eric Garcetti on August 2, 2002...
, CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. - 2007, First American public park built with Filipino themed design features unveiled in LA's Historic Filipinotown.
See also
- History of Asian Americans
- Filipino American military history in World War II