Filipino American History Month
October 1 - October 31
October is Filipino American History Month, an opportunity to celebrate the history and vital contributions of Filipinx Americans to California and the United States. As the Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS) explains, this month commemorates the first recorded Filipino presence in the continental United States. On October 18, 1587, “Luzones Indios” disembarked from the Spanish galleon ship Nuestra Senora de Esperanza in Morro Bay, CA.
On October 25, we also celebrate Larry Itliong Day. Larry Itliong, a Filipino American labor activist and civil rights leader, was born October 25, 1913. He migrated to the United States at the age of 15 in 1929 and played a key role in the 1965-1966 Delano Farmworkers Strike against grape growers in California and the founding of the United Farm Workers (UFW) union. Itliong continued to organize for workers’ rights around the world until his death in 1977.
On Itliong’s birthday, and throughout Filipino American History Month, we remember the call of “Isang Bagsak”-- “one rise, one fall” -- a UFW unity clap for solidarity in the struggle for justice.
The FANHS has chosen “Struggle, Resistance, Solidarity, and Resilience” as the theme in 2024, recognizing the ways the Filipino American community has persisted through various types of systemic oppression and violence, has organized to fight against injustice, and has successfully overcome adversity throughout history.
Explore
- Read: Exploring The More Than 400 Years of Filipino History in Southern California (Michael Goldsmith, LAist) This article explores the rich history of Filipino communities in Southern California, tracing their presence back to 1587 when the first recorded landing of Filipinos occurred in Morro Bay
- Watch: The 2014 film “Delano Manongs: Forgotten Heroes of the United Farm Workers” tells the story of the Filipino farm labor movement and the Delano Grape Strike of 1965. (Available online through the UC Libraries)
- Listen: Why Filipino nurses have been disproportionately affected by the coronavirus pandemic. This 2021 podcast from The Atlantic explores the experiences of Filipino American nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic, discussing the history of US colonialism in the Philippines, immigration policies that led to Filipinos being one of the largest immigrant groups in nursing, and structural conditions within the health system that led disproportionately high death rates during the pandemic.
Learn More
- “Why It Is Important to Know the Story of Filipino-American Larry Itliong” (Gayle Romasanta, Smithsonian Magazine)
- "I'm either too American or not Filipino enough—and why I value that." In his 2021 TedxUERM talk, Dr. Roberto del Castillo, a clinical psychologist with expertise in public mental health and social policy, asks, "Can we really get the best of both worlds?" Having a dual citizenship might be one of the most taxing things one can ever encounter. A sneak peek into Ronald del Castillo’s experience as a Filipino-American citizen will show us the beauty of being able to experience two entirely different cultures despite the harsh realities one might face when exposed to polarizing environments.
- Explore the collections of the Filipino American Digital Archive (FADA), a community-based project at California State University, Dominguez Hills.
Campus Resources
- Kababayan at UCI promotes awareness and enrichment of Pilipinx/Pilipinx-American culture, tradition, and heritage.