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Filipino/a/x American History Month: Resources

Campus Resources

Dear SDSU community,

As an Asian American Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution (AANAPISI), we look forward to commemorating Filipinx American History Month (FAHM) every October. This is a time for us to recognize the histories, experiences, struggles and contributions of the Filipinx American community. 

“1898: Recognizing 125 Years of Philippine-American History” Theme

The Asian Pacific Islander Desi American (APIDA) Center will be supporting the Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS) 2023 theme, “1898: Recognizing 125 Years of Philippine-American History.” 1898 is significant because it marked the signing of the Treaty of Paris. This agreement between Spain and the U.S. ended the Spanish American War and led to U.S. annexation of the Philippines. As a result of the treaty, life changed for both Filipinos and Filipino Americans. Join the APIDA Center to learn more about the effects and impacts of 1898. 

History of Filipino/a/x American History Month
 
In 1991, FANHS proposed the first annual Filipinx American Heritage Month to start in 1992. They were intentional about celebrating “history” versus “heritage,” as history includes both events and experiences, whereas heritage often focuses on cultural traditions. In 2009, Congress recognized October federally as “Filipino American History Month.” October was chosen because it commemorates the arrival of the first Filipino/a/x people who landed in what is now Morro Bay, California, on Oct. 18, 1587. October is also the birth month of Filipino American labor leader Larry Itliong (1913-1977), and Oct. 25th is recognized as Larry Itliong Day. 

Progress Achieved 
 

This past year, both Andrés Bonifacio Samahan and Asian Pacific Student Association (APSA) student organizations celebrated over 50 years of service to the Filipinx American community at SDSU.

In addition, the APIDA Employee Resource Group and the Bayanihan Filipino American Faculty Staff Association are each moving into their fifth year as official campus organizations.

And the APIDA Center, which celebrated its third birthday this past July, hosted over 300 events last year with over 7,500 attendees, over 9,800 center visits, and over 470 coordinated care advising appointments. SDSU is proud to support our development of an Asian American Studies curriculum, which includes thematically designed courses around the Filipino American experience. We encourage students to explore Filipino American history and culture through ASIAN 103 and ASIAN 460, with additional courses to come. 

Please Join Us!


To celebrate this year, the APIDA Center, along with other campus partners has coordinated a robust and exciting series of events, which can can be found on SDSU’s program and events calendar and/or in the dedicated Google folder.
 

To learn more and to stay informed of APIDA Center programming, please visit the center's channels:

Website
Instagram
Facebook Group 

You can also sign up to receive information from the APIDA Center, including its newsletter. 

We invite you to engage with us. Uplift Filipinx and APIDA histories and narratives. We look forward to seeing you at our events and at the APIDA Center! 

San Diego Community Resources

Academic Resources

History

ABOUT FILIPINO AMERICAN HISTORY MONTH

Filipino Americans are the second-largest Asian American group in the nation and the third-largest ethnic group in California, after Latinas/os and African Americans. 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. In 2009, U.S. Congress recognized October as Filipino American History Month in the United States. Various states, counties, and cities in the U.S. have established proclamations and resolutions declaring observance of Filipino American History Month. The late Dr. Fred Cordova, along with his wife, FANHS Founder Dr. Dorothy Laigo Cordova, first introduced October as Filipino American History Month in 1992 with a resolution from the FANHS National Board of Trustees.

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 played in American history.

October 1992 was the first time that Filipino American History Month (FAHM) was celebrated in the United States – a year after FANHS passed a proclamation (spearheaded by Fred Cordova). Since then, FAHM has been celebrated annually all over the country – with initiatives by FANHS chapters, local community nonprofit groups, government organizations, and college student organizations. In 2009, U.S. Congress declared October as FAHM, and in 2015, President Obama celebrated the first FAHM at the White House. 

Possible activities to participate in:

  • Read Filipino American Studies books of the past and present. For example, 2022 marks the 25th anniversary of the edited text Filipino Americans: Transformation and Identity, (edited by Maria P. P. Root) – regarded as a foundational comprehensive text in Filipino American Studies.
  • Support arts and media that advance Filipino American Studies, such as Lumpia with a Vengeance (film) or Larry: The Musical (theater).
  • Learn about the history of the Luzones Indios who first set foot in California on October 18, 1587 (435 years ago), as well as the historical oppression and resilience of Indigenous Peoples from the Philippines in both the motherland and in the United States.
  • Conduct and share oral histories that highlight regional experiences of Filipino American history. For example, our newer FANHS chapters in Ohio and Georgia have uncovered untold stories of migrants, pensionados, and laborers in their states.
  • Curate a panel of Filipino American artists to describe their contributions to the arts (e.g., music, dance, theater, hip hop).

Given the push for a more formalized Filipino American curriculum in higher education and K-12 schools – as well as the public critique on Ethnic Studies and Critical Race Theory – the month could be used to reflect on historical context while also inspiring advocacy for Filipino American Studies courses and programs, as well as for more initiatives focusing on the preservation and dissemination of Filipino American history. For instance, in 2019, the Bulosan Center for Filipinx Studies was launched at UC Davis, and in 2020, a new minor in Pilipino Studies was established at UCLA. More recently, the youth-led Filipino Curriculum Project in Hawai’i lobbied for their state legislators to pass a resolution to implement an elective social studies course on Filipino Americans, while organizers in Seattle successfully lobbied for the development of FAS curricula in K-12 schools. We hope that talking about the many ways that Filipino Americans have advocated for the telling of our histories – through classroom curriculum, FANHS conferences and workshops, or FAHM celebrations – will encourage future generations to be active in teaching and instituting Filipino American history too.

We also recognize the many ways that Filipino Americans have created spaces and programs to better enhance our communities – hence maintaining long-lasting legacies for future generations. For example, 2022 marked the 60th anniversary of the first Tagalog course taught at the University of Hawai’i and the 50th anniversary of SIPA (Search to Involve Pilipino Americans) – the oldest existing nonprofit organization serving Filipino Americans in Los Angeles. Both set precedents for establishing similar programs or organizations across the country. In acknowledging the many legacies created by Filipino Americans across the United States, we encourage our community members to brainstorm ways to create a more sustainable impact for future generations of Filipino American communities too.

Source: Filipino American National Historical Society. “About Filipino American History Month.” FANHS, http://fanhs-national.org/filam/about/. Accessed 3 Oct. 2023.