On October 18, 1587, the first documented “Filipinos” landed in the United States in Moro Bay, California. In 1763, Filipino Seamen established a settlement in what is now known as Louisiana. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, many Filipinos came to the United States as sponsored and non-sponsored students in New York City and across the US. And after the Immigration Act of 1965, Filipinos came to the US in unlimited numbers, mainly as professionals (e.g., doctors, nurses, engineers), but al...
On October 18, 1587, the first documented “Filipinos” landed in the United States in Moro Bay, California. In 1763, Filipino Seamen established a settlement in what is now known as Louisiana. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, many Filipinos came to the United States as sponsored and non-sponsored students in New York City and across the US. And after the Immigration Act of 1965, Filipinos came to the US in unlimited numbers, mainly as professionals (e.g., doctors, nurses, engineers), but also as students, military service personnel, and domestic care workers.
When the Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS) first established Filipino American History Month in 1988, October was chosen to commemorate the historic landing of the “Manila Men” in Moro Bay. In 2009, the Filipino American community celebrated a victory when the U.S. Senate unanimously passed S. Res. 298 and U.S. Congress passed H. Res. 780, both recognizing October as Filipino American History Month in the US. Mayor Bloomberg proclaimed October as Filipino American History Month in New York City for the past three years and he will do so next month as the last time during his reign as Mayor.
To commemorate the month, Metro New York Chapter of FANHS is hosting several events, alongside several Filipino American community organizations in New York City. To kick off the event, the Philippine Consulate General and FANHS are hosting an “Opening Ceremonies” event at the Philippine Center in Manhattan (556 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY), on Tuesday October 1 from 6:30-9pm.
At the event, there will be a photo exhibit featuring the winners from our “Filipino Americans in New York” photo contest. An annual contest, the photographs “exemplify the history, culture,
neighborhoods, community, families, and organizations of Filipinos in New York.” There are original photographs of Filipino Americans taken from earlier time periods, ranging from pictures of Columbia University students in the 1920s and of various Filipino immigrants in the 1930s-1950s.
At the event, FANHS will also be presenting their third annual community awards to several individuals who have demonstrated commitment to the preservation of Filipino American history and the promotion of the Filipino American community of the Metropolitan New York area. The “Contributions to Excellence” Award will be presented to Mr. Larry Tantay for his contributions to the Filipino American Human Services, Inc. (FAHSI), APICHA Community Health Center, and Kalusugan Coalition, Inc. Two “Outstanding Artists” Award will be presented for their integration of Filipino American culture in their respective artistries. Liz Casasola is an actress and singer who has appeared on stage and film, formed Broadway Barkada – a group of Filipino American artists who have performed on and off-Broadway. Air Tabigue is a comedian who has organized several Filipino American comedy nights and has also coordinated fundraisers to help the people of the Philippines. Finally, the “Outstanding Youth Leadership Award” will be presented to Marc Densing, a student at Baruch College who is also the national chairperson of the Filipino Intercollegiate National Dialogue (FIND).
FANHS will be presenting its first Bayani (Hero) Award to Menchu Sanchez, RN, for her heroic efforts during Hurricane Sandy last year.
Finally, the second annual lifetime achievement award will be presented to Luis Francia- a Filipino American poet, journalist, and nonfiction writer who has lived in New York City for decades. He is the award-winning author of several books including Eye of the Fish: A Personal Archipelago, Flippin’: Filipinos on America, and A History of the Philippines: From Indios Bravos to Filipinos. He was an Assistant Editor/Writer of The Village Voice from 1984-2006 and is a former Op-Ed columnist for the New York Daily News. He is a professor at New York University and Hunter College, and he lives in Queens with his wife, Midori.
For more information, please contact Dr. Kevin Nadal at (646) 924-5978 or email knadal@gmail.com.
