Filipino Americans
Where Were They From: The Filipino homeland is an archipelago of about 7,000 islands, which can be divided into three main areas. Luzon is the large northern island of which Quezon City, the capital, and Mila, the large island on the southern extreme of the archipelago, is the historical center of Muslim influence.
When: It can be said that Filipinos, often referred to as Luzon Indians or Manila Men, were on sailing ships on the world's seas and oceans from the earliest of times -- not limited to Spanish galleons or to the Manila Galleon Trade years of 1565-1815.
What region of the US did they settle: Filipinos have mainly settled in Hawaii, California, New York, New Jersey and Illinois. Today, their numbers are increasing with such rapid speed that leading demographers now predict that they will soon comprise the biggest Asian-American population.
What occupations did they take part in: The first Filipinos to come to the United States were not peasants but students. The first U.S. civil governor, William Howard Taft, inspired a plan whereby the colonial government sent young men to attend college or university in the United States. These students, known as pensionados, were taken into American homes after they finished their studies is such fields as education, engineering, agriculture, and medicine.
In 1906 Albert F. Judd arrived in the Philippines to recruit plantation and mill workers for the Hawaiian Sugar Planters’ Association (HSPA). The HSPA recruits who arrived in Honolulu were assigned either to one of the sugar plantations on Hawaii’s four major islands or to the Pineapple Growers’ Association.
What are the family patterns, Rituals: Faithfulness to the family is a tradition that is characteristic of Filipino society. This family loyalty is apparent in the fact that there are no booming businesses for retirement homes or orphanages in the Philippines.
Also important to Filipinos is treating elders (even someone a year older is an "elder") with the respect and deference they deserve and require. There are many ways a person can show respect, whether it is by using hand gestures or speaking in a manner that denotes respect.
As with many Asian countries, removal of shoes is customary when entering someone's home. By doing this the visitors shows his/her respect for the family and their home, as well as having basic courtesy.
To recognize an elder's presence, a younger person may take the elder's hand (usually someone at least 15 years older), bring it to forehead and then release it.
Are they a group that appreciates schooling: There were large numbers who came to be farm workers starting in 1906, and we owe a lot to their struggle for acceptance in the American society. However, there were many others who came under different circumstances.
There were quite a few who came to attend universities. Some of these college students were Pensionados who were getting an education in the U.S. in order to return to government service in the Philippines. There were also college students who were here on their own funds, seeking a better life. Unfortunately, after they received their degrees, many of them could not find employers willing to hire them in their chosen careers
What are the basic demographics today? There are reported 2, 364, 815 Filipinos in the United States.
-- The Asian Population: 2000 (Census 2000 Brief), February 2002. - see page 9
Check the Census 2000 for many more interesting findings. For example:
Long Beach, CA is 48.9% white, and largest Asian/Pacific population is Filipino (4%).
Fun Facts:
Most Filipinos have Spanish-surnames, albeit most by the Claveria Decree of 1849, and many Filipinos have a Spanish ancestor or two. It is an undeniable historical fact that the Philippines was a Spanish colony from 1521 to 1898 -- many times longer than the almost 50 years (1898-1946) that it was an American colony. So for several hundred years, Spain had influence on Philippine language, literature, food, architecture, and other aspects of custom and culture.