By Hawaii State Teachers Association
October is Filipino American History Month, a time to recognize, celebrate, and learn about the rich history and contributions of Filipino Americans to the United States and Hawaiʻi. This month honors the achievements of the generations of Filipino Americans who came before.
The history of Filipinos in what is now the United States dates back centuries. According to the California Teachers Association, on October 18, 1587, the first recorded group of Filipinos, known as the “Luzones Indios,” arrived at Morro Bay, Calif. Their landing marks one of the earliest documented Filipino presences in North America.
Since then, Filipino Americans have made lasting contributions in agriculture, education, healthcare, business, public service, the arts, the fishing industry, and the U.S. military. Filipino American History Month was established in 1988 by the Filipino American National Historical Society to promote awareness of Filipino American history.
Today, about four million Filipino Americans live within the United States. Approximately 383,000 Filipino Americans live in Hawaiʻi, making up about 26% of the state’s total population. In the public school system, approximately 38,400 to 39,500 Filipino students (roughly 22% to 23% of total enrollment) attend Hawaiʻi public and charter schools, making them the second-largest ethnic student group after Native Hawaiians.
Filipino labor history in Hawaiʻi began on December 20, 1906, when the first 15 Sakada (contract plantation workers) arrived in Honolulu by ship to cut sugarcane. Recruited by the Hawaiʻi Sugar Planters’ Association, over 125,000 Filipinos migrated to the islands over the next four decades to face grueling 10-hour workdays under harsh conditions.
On Sept. 9, 2006, the Kauaʻi Filipino Centennial Celebration Committee dedicated a concrete marker in the Hanapēpē Town Park in memory of 16 Filipino workers killed by police during a territory-wide strike of Filipino plantation workers in 1924. Four Kauaʻi police officers were also killed in the incident known as the Hanapepe Massacre.
A Farrington High teacher, along with other educators and students, recently developed a new Filipino history and culture class for Hawaiʻi high school students, which the National Education Association highlighted to a national audience in February.
The service of Filipinos and Filipino Americans in the military during World War II has often gone unnoticed and unrecognized. More than 260,000 Filipino and Filipino American service members joined the U.S. military during this time.
However, their struggle for recognition hasn’t received much attention. Following the war, the Rescission Act of 1946 denied many Filipino veterans the benefits promised for their military service. The resulting fight for acknowledgment, equity, and justice became an important part of the Filipino American experience and serves as a reminder that history includes both triumphs and challenges.
Organizations such as the Filipino Veterans Recognition and Education Project (FilVetREP) help tell these stories by educating the public about the contributions of Filipino and American World War II veterans. Through its educational efforts and its free online resources, FilVetREP ensures that future generations understand the important history of these service members.
Filipino American History Month is a celebration of the past and also a reminder of the contributions Filipinos continue to make to American society today.
EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news, views and chismis from an AANHPI perspective, follow me on Threads, on X, BlueSky or at the blog Views From the Edge. If you find this perspective interesting, feel free to repost.
No comments:
Post a Comment