Congressional Resolution introduced to recognize Filipino American History Month

Filipino American history is American history. To officially recognize October as Filipino American History Month, House Resolution 1504 was introduced by US Congressman Ed Case (Hawaii) on Sept 25, 2024 and Hawaii's US Sen. Mazie Hirono.

Hawaii's United States Senator Mazie Hirono introduced the companion measure in the Senate. 

“This month, we celebrate Filipino American History Month and recognize how the Filipino American community has contributed to our country’s diversity and helped to shape our identity as a nation," stated Hirono. "As we continue working to uplift the voices of Filipino Americans in Hawaii and across the country, I am proud to join my colleagues in commemorating Filipino American History Month, honoring the Filipino American community’s contributions and accomplishments, and celebrating their rich history and culture.”

The Members’ resolution, co-sponsored currently by an additional 33 Members, celebrates the long and distinguished history of Filipino Americans in the United States, where FilAms now number over 4.1 million, the third largest Asian American grouup, according to the US Census.

Initiated by the Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS) in 1992, the celebration of Filipino American History Month in October commemorates the first recorded presence of Filipinos in the continental United States, which occurred on October 18, 1587, when “Luzones Indios” came ashore from the Spanish galleon Nuestra Senora de Esperanza and landed at what is now Morro Bay, California.

FYI: Learn more about Filipino Americans

Across the nation, FANHS Chapters, colleges and universities, museums, and community groups will be commemorating Filipino American History Month with various activities and events to bring awareness of the significant role Filipinos have  in United States history and American culture.

On Oct. 25, Larry Itliong Day in California in honor of the labor leader who instigated the Delano Grape Strike. that led to the formation of the United Farm Workers.

Below is the text of the resolution: 

House Resolution 1504

H.Res.1504 - Recognizing the month of October 2024 as Filipino American History Month and celebrating the history and culture of Filipino Americans and their immense contributions to the United States.

H. RES. 1504

Recognizing the month of October 2024 as Filipino American History Month and celebrating the history and culture of Filipino Americans and their immense contributions to the United States.

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IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

September 25, 2024

Mr. Case (for himself, Mrs. Steel, Mr. Scott of Virginia, Mr. Moylan, Ms. Barragán, Mr. Bera, Ms. Chu, Ms. DelBene, Mr. Gomez, Mrs. Kiggans of Virginia, Mr. Mullin, Mr. Peters, Ms. Porter, Mr. Sablan, Mr. Sherman, Ms. Titus, Ms. Tokuda, and Mr. Vargas) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Accountability

Recognizing the month of October 2024 as Filipino American History Month and celebrating the history and culture of Filipino Americans and their immense contributions to the United States.

Whereas the earliest documented Filipino presence in the continental United States was October 18, 1587, when the first “Luzones Indios” arrived in Morro Bay, California, on board the Nuestra Señora de Esperanza, a Manila-built galleon ship;

Whereas the Filipino American National Historical Society recognizes 1763 as the year in which the first permanent Filipino settlement in the United States was established in St. Malo, Louisiana;

Whereas the recognition of the first permanent Filipino settlement in the United States adds a new perspective to the history of the United States by bringing attention to the economic, cultural, social, and other notable contributions made by Filipino Americans to the development of the United States;

Whereas the Filipino American community is the third largest Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander group in the United States, with a population of approximately 4,500,000;

Whereas, from 2000 to 2019, the Filipino American community grew 78 percent, and Filipinos are the largest Asian community in Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, and West Virginia;

Whereas, from the Civil War to the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts, Filipinos and Filipino Americans have a longstanding history of serving in the Armed Forces of the United States;

Whereas more than 250,000 Filipinos fought under the United States flag during World War II to protect and defend the United States in the Pacific theater;

Whereas a guarantee to pay back the service of Filipinos through veterans benefits was reversed by the First Supplemental Surplus Appropriation Rescission Act, 1946 (Public Law 79–301; 60 Stat. 6) and the Second Supplemental Surplus Appropriation Rescission Act, 1946 (Public Law 79–391; 60 Stat. 221), which provided that the wartime service of members of the Commonwealth Army of the Philippines and the new Philippine Scouts shall not be deemed to have been active service, and, therefore, those members did not qualify for certain benefits;

Whereas 26,000 Filipino World War II veterans were granted United States citizenship as a result of the Immigration Act of 1990 (Public Law 101–649; 104 Stat. 4978), which was signed into law by President George H.W. Bush on November 29, 1990;

Whereas, in 1991, the Filipino American National Historical Society made efforts to recognize October as Filipino American History Month for the first time;

Whereas, in 2009, Congress first recognized October as Filipino American History Month (S. Res. 298; H. Res. 780);

Whereas, on February 17, 2009, President Barack Obama signed into law the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111–5; 123 Stat. 115), which established the Filipino Veterans Equity Compensation Fund to compensate Filipino World War II veterans for their service to the United States;

Whereas, since June 8, 2016, the Filipino World War II Veterans Parole Program has allowed Filipino World War II veterans and certain family members to be reunited more expeditiously than the immigrant visa process allowed at that time;

Whereas, on December 14, 2016, President Barack Obama signed into law the Filipino Veterans of World War II Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2015 (Public Law 114–265; 130 Stat. 1376) to award Filipino veterans who fought alongside troops of the United States in World War II the highest civilian honor bestowed by Congress;

Whereas, on October 25, 2017, the Congressional Gold Medal was presented to Filipino World War II veterans in Emancipation Hall in the Capitol Building, a recognition for which the veterans had waited for more than 70 years;

Whereas Filipino Americans have received the Congressional Medal of Honor, the highest award for valor in action against an enemy force that may be bestowed on an individual serving in the Armed Forces, and continue to demonstrate a commendable sense of patriotism and honor in the Armed Forces;

Whereas the late Peter Aquino Aduja of Hawaii and the late Thelma Garcia Buchholdt of Alaska became the first Filipino American elected to public office and the first Filipina American elected to a legislature in the United States, respectively, inspiring their fellow Filipino Americans to pursue public service in politics and government;

Whereas Filipino American farmworkers and labor leaders, such as Philip Vera Cruz and Larry Itliong, played an integral role in the multiethnic United Farm Workers movement, alongside Cesar Chávez, Dolores Huerta, and other Latino workers;

Whereas, on August 3, 1948, the late Victoria Manalo Draves became the first Filipino American and Asian American to win an Olympic Gold Medal;

Whereas, on April 25, 2012, President Barack Obama nominated Lorna G. Schofield to be a United States District Judge for the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, and she was confirmed by the Senate on December 13, 2012, to be the first Filipina American in United States history to serve as an Article III Federal judge;

Whereas Filipino Americans play an integral role in the healthcare system of the United States as nurses, doctors, first responders, and other medical professionals, and approximately 1 in 4 working Filipino adults in the United States is a frontline healthcare worker;

Whereas Filipino Americans contribute greatly to music, dance, literature, education, business, hospitality, journalism, sports, fashion, politics, government, science, technology, the fine arts, and other fields that enrich the United States;

Whereas, as mandated in the mission statement of the Filipino American National Historical Society, efforts should continue to promote the study of Filipino American history and culture because the roles of Filipino Americans and other people of color have largely been overlooked in the writing, teaching, and learning of the history of the United States;

Whereas it is imperative for Filipino American youth to have positive role models to instill—

(1) the significance of education, complemented by the richness of Filipino American ethnicity; and

(2) the value of the Filipino American legacy; and

Whereas it is essential to promote the understanding, education, and appreciation of the history and culture of Filipino Americans in the United States: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the House of Representatives—

(1) recognizes the celebration of Filipino American History Month as—

(A) a testament to the advancement of Filipino Americans;

(B) a time to reflect on and remember the many notable contributions that Filipino Americans have made to the United States; and

(C) a time to renew efforts toward the research and examination of history and culture so as to provide an opportunity for all people of the United States to learn more about Filipino Americans and to appreciate the historic contributions of Filipino Americans to the United States; and

(2) urges the people of the United States to observe Filipino American History Month with appropriate programs and activities.

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