BagongPinay - Pinay Ngayon (Filipina Today) November 2002/ Filipino American History: From Manila Men to Alaskeros by Joann Natalia Aquino

The 2000 U.S. Census indicated that out of 281.4 million people in the United States, there are 2.4 million Filipinos living in America. With the current sizable numbers and persistently growing population, Filipino Americans today make up the second largest Asian Pacific American (APA) group in the country. (Chinese are the largest APA group in the U.S. with 2.7 million, and Asian Indian the third biggest APA group with 1.7 million.)

Unknown to many people, Filipino American history began on 1587 when the "Luzones Indios" crewmembers in the Spanish galleon Nuestra Senora de Buena Esperanza anchored off the coast of the present day Morro Bay, California. Followed by in 1763, Filipinos who identified themselves as the "Manila Men," jumped off the Spanish galleons along the Louisiana coast to escape the Spanish brutalities during the galleon trade era. The "Manila Men" then settled in the marshland of St. Malo, a village on the bayous of what is now New Orleans, Louisiana.

The first official immigration wave for Filipinos was recorded in history pre-1906. In 1903, the United States government approved the Pensionado Act, after the Philippines became an American territory in 1898 following the Spanish American War. At this time, the "Pensionados" (the most brilliant Filipino students) came to the United States subsidized by a moderate government stipend, and studied at American schools to expand their skills and knowledge that would be useful to them and to the Philippines as their home country's future leaders. Subsequently, the "Sakada" system launched the second wave of recent Filipino immigrants in 1906 as "Sakadas" or contract laborers who journeyed to California, Hawaii, and Washington to be agricultural workers. Based on agricultural crops and climate seasons, Filipino farm workers found their way to Arizona, Utah, Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, and as far as New York. During the summer of early 1900’s, thousands of Filipinos migrated to Alaska to work in the fishing and fish canning industries. At that juncture, the Filipino workers in Alaska called themselves the "Alaskeros" and began their life there and many settled permanently in Alaska. Following was the third wave of migration around 1945-1965, when the U.S. Congress passed the War Brides Act of 1945 that allowed the Filipino servicemen from the World War II American Units, along with their dependents, to migrate to the United States. Afterwards, the ratification of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 also increased the Filipino annual quota to 20,000 and enticed many Filipino professionals to come to the United States, which as a result increased the population and visibility of Filipinos in America at the end of this movement.

During that period, many Filipinos faced several brutal human and civil rights struggles. Similar to other communities of color, Filipinos were racially discriminated against and were characteristically stereotyped. They were often branded by others as half-civilized or half-savaged, uneducated, insignificant, and immoral. In the past, Filipinos were also greatly affected by the anti-miscegenation laws that prohibited the marriages between "Mongolians" and Caucasians, and even though Filipinos were not of this descent, they were still profiled. The anti-miscegenation statutes in the United States were not removed until 1967. Followed by the acts of hatred and violence against Filipinos in Watsonville, Monterey, Stockton, San Jose, and San Francisco, California, which caused racial riots. Filipinos was frequently blamed for taking white men's jobs and stealing their women, which further deepened their repression. Harsh signs that read "Positively No Filipinos Allowed!" and "No Dogs Allowed!" was commonly posted on many hotels, restaurants, swimming pools, and other public facilities barring Filipinos from entering these places. Furthermore, anti-Filipino sentiments extended in the Pacific Northwest as exemplified in the Washington State's Anti-Alien Land Law of 1937 prohibiting Filipinos from owning and leasing land, even though they were U.S. nationals. After hiring Pio DeCano to lead their case in court to challenge the law's constitutionality, the Washington State Supreme Court declared this law as unconstitutional. Another civil rights struggle for Filipinos in the Pacific Northwest was the Wards Cove case where in 1974 Filipino cannery workers filed suit against the salmon industry's discriminatory practices. Nevertheless, despite a few progress, recent Filipino immigrants still commonly found themselves demoted to work as housekeepers in hotels and people's homes, toiling in the fields, and as cannery workers doing unskilled labor.

Although Filipino Americans lived in an invariable climate of racism, they continuously remained deeply loyal to the United States. This was depicted during the World War II when many Filipinos joined the military efforts and linked arms to prove their patriotism to America. When World War II occurred, the Philippines then were a United States territory having Filipinos as U.S. nationals. In 1941, President Franklin T. Roosevelt issued a military order that called "into service of the Armed Forces of the United States.... All of the organized military forces of the government of the Commonwealth of the Philippines." With this command, approximately 142,000 Filipinos fought side by side with the United States soldiers under the American flag. The Filipino soldiers not only gave America their force to serve and fight the war, but also gave this country their heart. For their equivalent sacrifice during this war, the United States government promised the Filipino soldiers veteran's benefits. However, this promise has yet to be kept. Filipino World War II Veterans, now in their late 70’s and older, have sought after for full war veterans benefits from the U.S. government for their military services, loyalty, and personal sacrifices during the World War II. Yet, our Manongs are still presently waiting for an answer.

Post 1965, the Filipino American community remains to face many contemporary obstacles and challenges. Though social, cultural, and language barriers are the common hurdles new immigrants encounter, the Filipino American community have also experienced heartbreaking tragedies that shook us up. In the last four decades, our community has endured tragic murders in labor organizing, heightened gang violence in the 80's and 90's, domestic violence and associated homicides, trafficking of women and children, labor exploitation, immigration and human rights concerns, and many other issues that we as a collective are trying to overcome by working together as one spirit.

Though we have encountered many hardships, we've also had many remarkable achievements. Filipino American contributions in the labor movement, politics, arts and entertainment, business, sports, media, and other industries are noteworthy in their commitment to social justice, culture, and democratic idealism. A few of the notable Filipino Americans who have broken ground are the following (in no particular order): Carlos Bulosan, author of "America is in the Heart," “The Voice of Bataan,” “The Cry and the Dedication,” and other books; Drs. Fred and Dorothy Cordova, historians and founders of Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS) which established the Filipino American History Month in 1992 during the month of October of that year and forward, as a time to study, reflect, and remember the history of Filipinos in America; the Cannery Workers' and Farm Laborers' Union Local Number 18257 formed in Seattle, Washington in 1933 representing the Filipino American laborers who worked the Alaska Salmon Canneries; Silme Domingo, Nemesio Domingo, and Gene Viernes, labor organizers and activists who helped form the Alaska Cannery Workers Association; Labor leader Philip Vera Cruz who was the co-founder of United Farm Workers and was born out of the militant labor struggles of migrant workers in America in the 1960’s; 1948 Olympic gold medallist Vicky Manalo Draves for high and low diving competition; Boxer Pancho Villa; Painter Val M. Laigo; Dolores Sibonga, former Seattle City Council from 1980 to 1992; Bob Santos, community activist and leader in community development; Washington State Representative Velma Veloria, the first Filipina American woman in the state legislature elected in 1992; Alice Bulos and her late husband Dony Bulos, founders of the Filipino American Grassroots Movement, a voter registration drive that sought to involve Filipinos in the political process; Hawaii Governor Benjamin Cayetano; Alex Tizon and Byron Acohido, Seattle Times journalists who won Pulitzer Prizes in 1996 for beat reporting; Entertainers Lou Diamond Phillips, Rob Schneider, Tia Carrere, Paolo Montalban, Lea Salonga and Prince; General Edward Soriano, the highest ranking Filipino American in the military; Benny Agbayani of the New York Mets; Businesswoman Loida Nicolas Lewis; Angela Baraquio, Miss America 2001; Author Jessica Hagedorn, Fashion Designer Josie Natori; Pioneer Vic Velasco as the editor/publisher of Seattle newspaper “Filipino Forum” in the late 1920’s; and countless many others who have made a difference for Filipinos in America.

Let us honor our past and acknowledge them for breaking down the barriers, for paving the way, and creating opportunities where there was none before. For most, their journeys are the essence and the inspiration of numerous Filipino's personal stories, struggles, challenges, and accomplishments in America.

For many Filipino men and women who came to the United States during the first wave to the fourth wave and present, the opportunity to come to America was a dream come true. Today, for many Filipinos, it still is.

Scores of talented rising Filipino Americans are emerging to be leaders, innovators, visionaries, entrepreneurs, artists, poets, actors, singers, writers, legends, dreamers. The dream continues on.

Take the torch that has already been lit, in your own right -- run or walk the track using the talents you have been blessed with, leave a mark, and pass it forward.

In the end, when each one of us is asked the questions, "What is your contribution to history?" and "How will history remember you?" We will have an answer and say,
"I made a difference by...."

(Republished with permission from the author and editor-in-chief of Filipino American Herald. Article originally published at Filipino American Herald on October 2002.)

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