California marks day honoring Filiipino American labor leader Larry Itliong

The late labor leader Larry Itliong's birthday is Oct. 25.

California is still the only state that marks the birth of Filipino American labor leader Larry Itliong.

Governor Jerry Brown first signed the law creating Larry Itliong Day in 2015 and every year since, the state has officially recognized the day. Wednesday, Acting Governor Eleni Kounalakis signed the proclamation since Gov. Gavin Newsom was on a trade mission in China.

The proclamation read, in part:

While working as a laborer in the fisheries and canneries of Alaska, Itliong helped found the Alaska Cannery Workers Union. His efforts helped secure a contract that gave workers an eight-hour workday with overtime. Following his service in the U.S. Army during World War II, Itliong settled in Stockton, California.

Itliong continued his work in the labor movement, emerging as a leader in the Filipino-American community of respected elders known as Manongs. He was involved in organizing the asparagus strike of 1948 – the first major agricultural strike after World War II – and in 1956, Itliong founded the Filipino Farm Labor Union in Stockton. Itliong, Philip Vera Cruz, and Manong leaders helped create the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee.

            RELATED: Why all states should honor Larry Itliong

In the Spring of 1965, Itliong allied with grape workers in the Coachella Valley, fighting for increased pay. Following that victory, the Manongs voted in September 1965 to organize against grape growers in Delano who were exploiting workers toiling in their fields. The Manongs joined César Chávez, Dolores Huerta, and the National Farmworkers Association to launch a nationwide boycott of grapes, ultimately delivering the first farmworker union contracts.

The UFW recognized the significance of Itliong and other Filipino American labor leaders in the formation of a union that joined Mexican and Filipino farmworkers.

"Both Larry Itliong and Cesar Chavez knew growers had defeated unions for 100 years by using one race to break the strikes of another. So from the outset of the walkouts, they insisted both Filipino and Latino strikers share the same picket lines and union hall, and eat in the same strike kitchen. The two unions merged in 1966, to form what today is the United Farm Workers of America. Solidarity between the races helped produce the first union contracts with table grape growers in 1970, and was a key factor in establishing the first enduring farm workers union in American history," read the UFW statement.

"Tough and courageous, Larry Itliong joined other Filipino American leaders such as Peter Velasco and Philip Vera Cruz who built the UFW alongside Cesar Chavez and his Latino colleagues such as Dolores Huerta and Gilbert Padilla," the statement concluded.

The historic five-year long Delano Grape Strike ended successfully with farmworkers receiving fair wages, benefits and better working conditions.

In 2014,  the overpass over Route 54, also known as the Filipino American Highway, in the City of San Diego was renamed the "Itliong-Vera Cruz Memorial Bridge.

In 2015 the Alvarado Middle School in Union City, California was officially renamed the Itliong-Vera Cruz Middle School, after Itliong and his friend and fellow Filipino American labor leader, Philip Vera Cruz.

Itliong passed away on February 8, 1977 at the age of 63. He was survived by his wife and seven children. 

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow me at Threads.net/eduardodiok, @DioknoEd on Twitter or at the  blog Views From the Edge.

Filipino American History Month: 1898 was a wathershed year for the Philippines and Filipino America

Filipinos were excluded from the Treaty of Paris that which Spain ceded the Philippines to he US.

Filipino American history did not begin well 125 years ago. It began with an act of betrayal.

The significance of 1898 is the theme of this year's Filipino American History Month. That year the US and Spain schemed behind the Philippines began with an act of betrayal and blatant racism by excluding the Filipinos in the signing of the Treaty of Paris.

The year of 1898 is a "watershed year for both the Philippines and the United States," states the Filipino American National History Society, which lobbied for making October Filipino American History Month since it was the month in 1587 when the first Filipinos set foot in the US as crew of the Spanish galleon Nuestra Señora de Buena Esperanza.

Careful not to use the words "celebrate" or "commemorate, in their statement, the FANHS, recognizes that "this history was integral to our trajectories as Filipino Americans, and we encourage critical thinking about the impact of 1898 specifically, and American colonialism generally, in our lives," as Filipino Americans.

For a measly $20 million, the agreement between Spain and the United States ended the Spanish American War and led to the US annexation of the Philippines as part of the American empire along with Puerto Rico and Guam. Cuba was also granted independence from Spain.

The year 1898 also marks an important year in Philippine history. After centuries of Filipinos fighting against Spanish colonizers – with the most successful uprising being the Philippine Revolution (1896-1898) – the people of the Philippines declared their independence on June 12, 1898. 

Filipinos were militariily successful against Spanish forces and were on the verge of capturing Manila, the last Spanish stronghold, when the US declared war against Spain. The Spanish colonial government preferred to surrender to the American naval forces that had just decimated the Spanish fleet in Manila Bay. To accomplish this, the US an Spain stagd a mock battle in which Spain was "defeated" by US Marines, even as Filipino revolutionaries were kept on the sidelines outside the city.

However, both Spain and the US ignored the Filipinos' declaration of independence  and signed the Treaty of Paris on December 10, 1898 – without including any representation from the Philippines in the negotiation. In fact, Filipino diplomat Felipe Agoncillo traveled to Paris but was not allowed into the negotiating room.

Because the Treaty of Paris meant transferring control of the archipelago from one colonial power to another – completely ignoring the efforts of the Philippine Revolution – Philippine insurrectionists continued to fight the US, unsuccessfully, in what would later be referred to as the Philippine American War. This uprising is historically documented as transpiring from 1899-1902, though regional efforts (like the Battle of Bud Bagsak) endured until 1913. The Philippines did not become a fully independent nation until the end of World War II in 1946.

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American media actively encouraged American imperialism as an act of "benvolenct assimilation" as this cartoon from "Puck" Magazine depicted.

US President William McKinley justified the colonization of the Philippines as an exercise in “benevolent assimilation” – or the notion that the nation was in need of civilization and that it was the American government’s responsibility to colonize its people. William Taft (who served as Governor-General of the Philippines from 1901-1904 and later as President of the U.S. from 1909-1913) referred to the Philippines as their “little brown brothers”, and American propaganda portrayed the Philippines and other colonized nations as children in need of being saved.

Birth of Filipino America

As a result of the Treaty of Paris, Filipino people gained access to the US during an era when other Asian countries were prohibited from doing so, said FANHS in a statement.

First, while federal immigration laws severely restricted the immigration of people from Asian countries from 1882 to 1965, Filipino migrants were considered US Nationals – allowing them to migrate to the US (and its territories) without restrictions. This made them an attractive (and cheap) labor force to American agricultural corporations in Hawai’i and the west coast of the United States.

Second, the Pensionado Act of 1903 also allowed for many pensionados (or Filipino students) to attend prestigious American universities between 1903 and 1943; while many students returned to the Philippines to apply their degrees in the new infrastructures created by the US government, some pensionados settled in the US.

Third, American curricula and educational systems were introduced to the Philippines, resulting in English proficiency among its citizens and the recruitment of Filipino nurses, teachers, and other professionals to the US. Finally,

Additionally, Filipinos were also encouraged to enlist in the US military – especially the US Navy – creating pathways to citizenship for thousands of Filipino families.

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How to mark 1898

Focusing on this year's theme on the significance of 1898 in Philippine and US history, FAHNS suggests possible activities to consider for Filipino American History Month:

Engage in “Filipina/x/o American imaginations” regarding 1898. Speculate what life would be like if US colonialism never occurred in the Philippines, in Hawai`i, and in the United States. Would your family have migrated to the US? What would the Philippines be like without this history? What would the Filipino American community be like today without this history?

Conduct and share oral histories that highlight how 1898 affected people’s life trajectories. For instance, how did immigrants make the decision to come to the US and how might their motives have been influenced by American colonialism and capitalism? How were specific regions influenced differently by 1898?

Have a critical discussion of what the Philippines and Filipinos have gained and lost since 1898. Given the American influence on the Philippine government, education system, language, business practices, military, food, sports, visual arts, performing arts, and others, were there any benefits of benevolent assimilation?

Curate panels that analyze how other ethnic groups (e.g., Puerto Ricans, Cubans, Chamorros, Native Hawaiians) were affected by 1898. Critically discuss the similarities and differences between the historical influences and ramifications on the groups.

Read and analyze the text of the 1898 Treaty of Paris, as well as President McKinley’s Benevolent Assimilation proclamation. Describe how these documents influenced the American government – particularly related to systemic racism and other foreign policies.

Host screenings of Nurse Unseen, Delano Manongs, Lingua Franca, or other films that depict the diverse reasons for migration from the Philippines, and how American colonialism influenced these motivations.

Watch Here Lies Love on Broadway (the first Broadway show with an all-Filipino cast) or other media depicting anti-martial law movements. Discuss how American colonialism influenced political corruption in the Philippines and beyond.

Read U.S. propaganda from 1898 and beyond. For example, consider political cartoons from Harper’s Weekly or Rudyard Kipling’s “White Man’s Burden” and anti-imperial works like Mark Twain’s “The War Prayer.” 

Discuss the influence of this media on people’s justification of colonialism and stereotypes of Filipino people. Explore how such depictions may have influenced colonial mentality for Filipino Americans – back then and even today.

With the recent public threats to ban Ethnic Studies and to challenge Critical Race Theory, the month could be used to advocate for more accurate inclusion of Philippine and Filipino American history into higher education and K-12 schools. Both educators and students can question why Philippine-American relations are often erased when they are so integral to US History. Relatedly, advocates can reflect on ways to advocate for an increased formalized Filipino American curriculum. For example, the state of Hawai’i and the city of Seattle have recently passed legislation that includes Filipino American Studies classes as required courses in high schools. Perhaps other cities and states can follow suit as a way to promote and preserve Filipino American history.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow me at Threads.net/eduardodiok, @DioknoEd on Twitter or at the  blog Views From the Edge.

Seattle: Teaching Filipino American history is a social and societal affirmation

A mural depicts Filipino American experience in Seattle.

It wasn't until college before I learned any Filipino American history. By then, my self-worth had plummeted to depths I didn't realize until I stepped back as an adult to look back on my life's journey.

Middle school and high school were terrible. The popularity and a reputation for academic accomplishments that I fostered in elementary school vanished as I entered 7th grade when the social aspects of school began to take precedence.  All the way through high school, although I got along with students of all races in my multi-ethnic school, I always had this feeling of being on the outside and not belonging.

For the first time, Seattle public school students are being offered an option to study Filipino American history to fulfill their US history requirement. After all, Filipino American history is part of US history.

Usually, in the most forward-looking school districts, which are rare, Filipino American history is part of the overall curriculum of an Asian American history class. But Seattle public schools offering is perhaps the district offering a distinctly Filipino American subject, not Chinese, Japanese or the all-encompassing Asian American history, but Filipino.

According to 2020–2021 Seattle Public Schools (SPS) student data disaggregated by racial demographics, upwards of 4,700 students identify as Filipino, Filipino American, or as a multiracial Filipino student. 

Filipino American history has already been incorporated into SPS's curriculum of US history, but this virtual offering centering on the Filipino American experience can now fulfill that same history requirement.

It took decades of community work to develop the academically acceptable curriculum including contributions from the University of Washington and from the local Filipino American community.

Usually, curriculum is developed from the materials available from national publishers and educational institutions and then selected by the local school districts. In Seattle's case, it is the first time that locally produced educational formed the basis of the curriculum.

Much of the material is derived from the Filipino American National History Society, headquartered in Seattle. Having October designated as Filipino American History Month is the product of the work of FANHS.

It took many individuals and decades of research and lobbying for the creation of the history class. One of the key local sdvocates was SPS senior project manager of academics Devin Cabanilla. For years, he used his role in the district and his strong ties with the local community to leverage acceptance of the idea.

It wasn't until the arrival of SPS's Ethnic Studies program manager Alekz Wray and the current district administration leaders, did the idea break through the bureaucratic red tape.  Wray shepherded the course through the academic requirements of SPS and helped integrate the local material into the curriculum. 

“It was really important for me to make sure that this class was not a product of SPS," Wray told the Emerald. "This was a product of the community that has been living this history, because who’s telling the story is super important … This was the Filipino, Filipina, Filipinx American communities’ story to tell, and because the community still has ownership over this curriculum, they’re still able to empower and uplift and keep this as a living curriculum.”

The course, “Filipinx American US History,” fits into the district’s expanding catalog of courses centering diverse perspectives in literature and history classes, such as Black Studies US History and Native American Literature. The high school course uses Filipinx in its name, a term indicating gender neutrality in place of Filipino or Filipina, although some say “Filipino” is already a gender-neutral term.

RELATED: A pilgrimage to Carlos Bulosan's gravesite

The Filipino community has a strong presence in Seattle where a park and bridge is
named after one of the Philippines' revolutionary figures.

The school district said expanded access to these ethnic courses is critical to its racial equity work and commitment to the community. 

During this current surge of outright racism, especially attacks against Asian Americans, anti-racist curricula and teaching methods are a potentially potent way for schools to better promote a just society and improve educational outcomes for low-income students and students of color, according to studies by educational experts.

“Students going through ethnic studies curricula find themselves empowered having that self-confidence … a lot of people start to get to know themselves,” said Dr. Third Andresen, a UW professor who played a critical role in designing the curriculum. “It (ethnic studies) increases the probability of college access and the probability of graduation.”

SPS spokesperson Tina Riss Christiansen said there are currently  11 students enrolled in the virtual Filipinx U.S. History class. There are also a couple hundred eighth graders at several middle schools who will take the class this school year. Christiansen also points out that Seattle schools also tests Filipino languages every year for World Language Credit Testing and a Seal of Biliteracy to fulfill the foreign language requirements of some colleges.

“Filipinos are contributors in any community they go to, so this class will be for all of us, by Filipinos,” Wray said. “I’m really excited for students to be able to take this class and to really challenge the master narrative,” which usually teaches US history from a Euro-centric point of view.

"I’m so jealous of kids,” Cabanilla told the Emerald. “The relevance of who Filipino Americans are in American history wasn’t clear to me until after college. For kids to be able to recognize that [they] are a valid part of American history ... it’s so affirming.”

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow @DioknoEd on Twitter.

FilAm History Month: Far West Conventions remembered as a period of awakening and activism

A critical period of Filipino American activism and social awakening is being remembered in October as the theme for Filipino American History Month.

The theme chosen by the Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS) is "50 Years Since the First Young Filipino People’s Far West Convention."

The late 60s and the decade of 1970 was an era activism among the Filipino American community that were swept up in  several concurrent social, academic, political and economic movements. 

It has been 50 years since the first  Young Filipino People’s Far West Convention, a meeting that took place at Seattle University in 1971 and brought over 300 young Filipino American participants from the West Coast. The convention is hailed as the beginning of the Filipino American Movement.

In 1971 the theme was “A Quest for Emergence” and was hosted primarily by the Filipino Youth Activities, Inc. (FYA) under the leadership of then-FYA Youth Director, Dorothy Laigo Cordova and convention chair, Anthony Ogilvie. Cordova with her husband, the late Fred Cordova, would later become the founders of the FANHS.

This initial meeting would launch a series of conferences that would later become known as the Filipino (or Pilipino) People’s Far West Conventions (FWCs), which were held annually between 1971 and 1982, in places like Seattle, Los Angeles, Stockton, and Berkeley.

The gatherings of hundreds of young Filipino Americans coming from as far away as Canada, Hawaii and the Philippines became incubators for community and youth activists that helped bring issues like Filipino Farmworkers rights, housing rights via the International Hotel struggle, the long fight for the rights and recognition of the Filipino WWII veterans and anti-martial law movement to the forefront of the Filipino American Movement. The FWC also served as the impetus for annual student-led conferences now held across the country. Many scholar-activists consider the FWCs to be the impetus of Filipino American Studies.

2021 also marks the 25th anniversary of PinoyTeach and the 20th anniversary of Pin@y Educational Partnerships (PEP) – both educational programs that teach Filipino American history and curriculum to Filipina/x/o American students from elementary school to graduate school. 

"We recognize the Philippine Studies Department at City College of San Francisco – the only department of its kind in the nation – which was advocated for, established by, and sustained through the support of Filipino American students and community over 50 years ago," said a FANHS press release.

"We also acknowledge the many youth organizers who formed scores of Filipino American student and youth-led organizations all over the country."

This theme honors the earlier pioneers in the Filipino American Movement, as well as the subsequent groups of young people across the country who have advocated for social justice issues affecting Filipino Americans (and other historically marginalized groups) for the past 50 years.

Possible activities related to “50 Years Since First Young Filipino People’s Far West Convention” might include:

• Organize teach-in’s about the Far West Conventions. Invite FWC participants to speak and share their oral histories.

• Teach about the histories of Filipino American college student organizations (SFSU PACE, UCLA Samahang, Columbia Liga Filipina, UIUC Philippine Student Association, UMich FASA), regional umbrella student groups (FIND, SCPASA, MAFA), or youth organizations (FYA, PEP, PinoyTeach).

• Highlight the history and development of Filipino American Studies/ Filipino American curriculum in your region/state.

• Interview Filipino American community leaders of various generations to talk about their experiences with youth organizing.

• Learn about the pensionados, or government-sponsored students who attended U.S. universities in the early 1900s.

• Curate a panel of Filipino American artists to describe their contributions to the arts (e.g., music, dance, theater, hip hop).

• Conduct oral histories with Filipino American elders who can share perspectives about the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s in your city or state.

• Organize a children’s book reading for "Journey for Justice: The Life of Larry Itliong" by Dawn Bohulano Mabalon & Gayle Romasanta.

• Host a panel or workshop on the anti-martial law movement and the KDP (many who attended the FWCs).

• Begin dialogues on how to advocate for Filipino American Studies in your K-12 systems or colleges/universities, and more

Recognizing the early activism in that era is appropriate for the Filipino young people and community activists of this present era when Asians and Filipino Americans are being attacks, harassed and bullied.

"We are also still combating anti-Asian violence that resembles the anti-Asian and anti-Filipino violence that occurred a century ago in places like Watsonville, CA and Yakima Valley, WA. We must educate others – as well as our own families and communities – about our history, so that historical violence does not repeat itself over and over again.

Sunday Read: Social activism will be the theme for this year's Filipino American History Month

As the United States struggle through the throes of racial reckoning, the economic downturn and the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, the Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS) has chosen to link today's national unrest to the celebration of Filipino American History Month this October.

The Filipino American History Month 2020 theme is "The History of Filipino American Activism."

The history of the Philippines and Filipino America are full of examples of Filipinos standing up against colonial oppressors, harsh working conditions, or good ol' American racism who mistook the Filipino traditions of welcoming strangers to one's table, generosity and bahala na attitude as acquiescence and surrender.

"We believe this theme is particularly crucial in 2020, as it is a key election year and we are living amidst a pandemic and mass movement towards racial justice," said a statement from FANHS, which was founded by Dorothy Cordova and her late husband, Fred Cordova in Seattle. Since its founding in 1982, the society has grown to 33 chapters across the North American continent and Hawaii. 

FANHS chose the theme to highlight the myriad ways Filipino Americans have participated in social justice movements, including but not limited to, the United Farmworkers Movement, the fight for Ethnic Studies, Hawaii Sugar Plantation strikes, Washington Yakima strikes, and Anti-Martial Law Movements across multiple decades.

"We honor the history of Filipino American solidarity with other communities in their fights for our equity and justice, including the Black Lives Matter Movement, American Indian Movement, Civil Rights and Voting Rights, Women’s Rights, LGBTQ Rights, and Environmental Justice," states a FANHS press release. 

The organization will also use the them to recognize the advocacy of Filipino American healthcare workers who are actively protecting, caring and fighting against the global pandemic.

I'm not sure where the stereotype of the meek and subservient Asian came from, but I suspect it was the dominant culture's attempt to tamp down further activism, resentment or resistance. 

The historical society also notes that 2020 marks the 50th Anniversary of the Filipino American Far West Convention in Seattle, whose overarching theme was EMERGENCE and is credited in part as the start of the Filipino American movement among young people. This year also marks the 75th anniversary of The Battle of Luzon in the Philippines – one of the bloodiest battles of World War II; it is also the 90th anniversary of the Watsonville Riots of 1930 -- a forerunner to labor organizing among farmworkers.

"Thus, we encourage all of our chapters and communities to reflect on decades of Filipino American activism, in order to inspire and foster our civic responsibility in the Filipino American community," states FAHNS.

NBC

Filipino Americans flocked to join recent demonstrations supporting the equal justice and the Black Lives Matter movement after the death of George Floyd.

FAHNS suggests some possible activities related to “History of Filipino American Activism” might be:

• Organize online panels about BLM/Anti-Racism and the Filipinx community.
• Share how Filipino American history is intertwined with the Black American history.
• Interview community organizers talk about their work in solidarity with BLM, LGBTQ Rights, Women’s Rights, etc.
• Conduct oral histories with Filipino American activists from the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s.
• Revive Filipino American political action groups to get out the vote.
• Highlight a form of pin@y activism every single day of the month.
• Organize children’s book reading for Journey for Justice: The Life of Larry Itliong by Dawn Bohulano Mabalon & Gayle Romasanta.
• Collect articles about Filipinos and healthcare as well as articles about community members we have lost and re-share links and recordings during FAHM.
• Conduct FAHM video memes of nurses, doctors, and caregivers in our lives who can do “mini-interviews” or snippets about their experiences in the 60s and 70s OR what it has been like to work during the COVID pandemic.

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. 

Coronavirus concerns forces FANHS to cancel its annual convention

The pandemic causing major life and work changes throughout the world has caused the cancelation of the biennial convention of  advocates and educators of Filipino American history.

Due to the ongoing concerns about the coronavirus (COVID-19), the impact of travel restrictions and the need for social distancing, the 18th Biennial Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS) Conference that was scheduled to take place July 15-18, 2020, in Waikiki, Hawaii, has been canceled with the unanimous approval by the FANHS Board of Trustees, 

"We decided to make this extraordinary and heartbreaking decision in response to the direction by health authorities, government officials, and the World Health Organization (WHO) who have declared COVID-19 a pandemic," the group said in a statement released first on social media on Sunday.

"We are sorry the 2020 Conference had to be canceled, but we have a clear responsibility to act for the health and well-being of our FANHS members," the statement continued.

The group will go ahead and start planning for the 2022 FANHS Biennial National Conference is scheduled for its headquarters in Seattle, Washington, to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of FANHS.

For those who had already registered and paid their fees, refunds will be issued by the host chapter in Hawaii.

Those who have already made hotel and flight reservations must contact the hotels and airlines separately to get refunds according to the individual policies of those businesses.

Check www.fanhs-national.org and follow FANHS National on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for updates.  #FANHS2020.

The State of Hawaii is currently practicing the "stay-at-home" policies adopted many states to avoid spreading the coronavirus. That includes the cancellation of any events that might draw large gatherings such as the FANHS convention. Although the policies might end this Spring, the threat of the virus  is still a major concern of health experts because there is not a vaccine and one is not expected for at least another year.

"As a national community, we work to transform our history and a sense of pride in our identity," concludes the statement. "Our community strength will carry us forward through this difficult time as we collectively face the challenges of this global pandemic."

Filipino American History Month: Chicago honors its 'Pinay Visionaries'

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Chicago's Filipino American community honored three Pinay Visionaries, from left, Estrella Alama, Adeline Fajardo and Veronica Leighton.

Three Filipina Americans were dubbed  Pinay Visionaries, who had an impact on the Filipino American community in Chicago as part of that region's celebration of Filipino American Month.

Estrella Alamar, Adeline Fajardo, and Veronica Leighton, were honored by the Philippine Consulate General and partner organizations for their roles in the Chicago community in ceremonies at the Philippine Consulate.

“Your presence here signifies your dedication, your commitment to really strengthen and unify the Filipino communities here in the United States, particularly here in Chicago and to also highlight our contributions to your adopted country,” said Consul General Gina Jamoralin.

Ruben Salazar, of the Philippine-American Cultural Foundation, for his part said: The awardees have the character, the vision because they all had a background working with the Filipino community. It is important because we need to honor our elderly and people who’ve been here before us, who made it appropriate for us to be able to be a community here in the US, so history is important.

Pinay Visionaries was the theme for this year's observance of Filipino American History Month, designated for October, the month on Oct. 18, 1587, the earliest recorded landfall of Filipinos, when sailors of a Spanish galleon explored part of the area  at Morro Bay, California.

Author Alamar, who wrote a book chronicling the history of Chicago's FilAm community and the founder of the Filipino American Historical Society in Chicago said,  “We want the future generations to know the importance of Filipino American history.”

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This FilAm History Month, Celebrate Filipina American women

The vital but underreported role of Filipinas in Filipino American history is the theme for this year's Filipino American History Month this October.

“Pinay Visionaries: Celebrating Filipina American Women” and their contributions to history and the Filipina/o American community nationwide has been adopted by the Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS).

Throughout history, Pinay — Filipina American women — leaders, laborers, scholars, scientists, and activists have been the backbone of the Filipina/o American community. These Filipina Americans have overcome racial and gender discrimination, and have persevered to contribute to their respective fields. 

This year, Filipino American communities and organizations are encouraged to celebrate Filipina American women across the United States, including:

• Dr. Dorothy Laigo Cordova – Founder and Executive Director of the Filipino American National Historical Society. She began organizing and advocating for the Filipino American community since the 1950s. Her vision has paved the way for FANHS, Filipino American History Month, and Filipino American Studies.
• Victoria “Vicki” Manalo Draves – the first Asian American Olympic gold medalist. She won two gold medals in platform and springboard diving in 1948.
• Dr. Felicisima “Ping” Serafica – the first Filipina American professor of psychology to receive tenure in the US. She helped establish one of the Philippines’ first hospitals for children with mental disabilities and the country’s first interdisciplinary mental health clinic.
• Thelma Buchholdt – the first Filipina American elected to a legislature in the United States in 1974 and the first Asian American elected to serve as President of the National Order of Women Legislators.
• Dr. Dawn Bohulano Mabalon – the first Filipina/o to receive a Ph.D. in History from Stanford University. She was a professor, a historic preservationist, and the author of Little Manila is in the Heart and Journey for Justice: The Life of Larry Itliong.

This year also marks the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment. Passed by Congress on June 4, 1919 (and later ratified in 1920), the 19th Amendment gave women in the United States the right to vote. Although Filipina Americans (and other women of color) could not vote until much later) the 19th Amendment was a measure that dramatically altered the political and social landscape of the US. 

FANHS encourages organizations and communities across the United States to incorporate this theme of celebrating Filipina American Women in their Filipino American History Month events. 

FANHS encourages everyone to share their stories of Pinay Visionaries in their life and communities at #FAHM2019 on social media, including Instagram, Twitter (@fanhs_national) and it's Facebook page @FANHSnatl.

The celebration of Filipino American History Month in October commemorates the first recorded presence of Filipinos in the continental US, 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. 

In 2009, Congress recognized October as Filipino American History Month in the US. Various states, counties and cities in the US have established proclamations and resolutions declaring observance of Filipino American History Month.

The year 2019 also marks the 37th anniversary of the Filipino American National Historical Society. Across the nation, the 37 FANHS chapters, colleges, 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 played in American history.

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AARP marks Filipino American History Month with video series

TO CELEBRATE Filipino American History Month, AARP AAPI Community and NextDayBetter have joined together to present a series of videos highlight various Filipino Americans who have had an impact on U.S. history.

The project starts with "A Filipino American Story" - an animated video presenting the pivotal moments of courage, sacrifice, and triumphs of Filipino Americans since 1587 and how they paved the way for the current generation helping shape the future during this pivotal moment in American history. 

For the reminder of the month, stories will be shared of Filipino American disruptors in a range of disciplines from community activism to tech entrepreneurship. These forward-thinking individuals are trendsetters, trailblazers, and problem-solvers in their respective fields, helping to push America and the Filipino American community forward through their leadership, creativity, and innovation.

Judge Lorna Schofield on becoming the first Filipino American Article III Federal Judge, Grammy and Tony Award Winner Jhett Tolentino and entrepreneur and fashion designer, Josie Natori are some of the individuals whose stories will be told.

To learn more about Filipino American history, visit the Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS) website at http://bit.ly/2xFJ3UC.

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