Filipina/o Heritage and History

Filipino Americans are the second-largest Asian American group in the nation. 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. 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.

Source: Filipino American National Historical Society

The year 2023 marks the 125th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Paris – an agreement between Spain and the United States that ended the Spanish American War and led to the U.S. annexation of the Philippines. With the signing of the treaty, Cuba was also granted independence from Spain, while Puerto Rico and Guam were ceded to the US. Notably, the Philippines was purchased for $20 million.

As a result of the Treaty of Paris, Filipino people gained access to the U.S. during an era when other Asian countries were prohibited from doing so. First, while federal immigration laws severely restricted the immigration of people from Asian countries from 1882 to 1965, Filipino migrants were considered US Nationals – allowing them to migrate to the U.S. (and its territories) without restrictions. This made them an attractive (and cheap) labor force to American agricultural corporations in Hawai’i and the west coast of the United States. Second, the Pensionado Act of 1903 also allowed for many pensionados (or Filipino students) to attend prestigious American universities between 1903 and 1943; while many students returned to the Philippines to apply their degrees in the new infrastructures created by the US government, some pensionados settled in the U.S. Third, American curricula and educational systems were introduced to the Philippines, resulting in English proficiency among its citizens and the recruitment of Filipino nurses, teachers, and other professionals to the U.S. Finally, Filipinos were also encouraged to enlist in the U.S Military – especially the U.S. Navy – creating pathways to citizenship for thousands of Filipino families.

The year 1898 also marks an important year in Philippine history. After centuries of Filipinos fighting against Spanish colonizers – with the most successful uprising being the Philippine Revolution (1896-1898) – the people of the Philippines declared their independence on June 12, 1898. However, both Spain and the US ignored this declaration and signed the Treaty of Paris on December 10, 1898 – without including any representation from the Philippines in the negotiation. In fact, Filipino diplomat Felipe Agoncillo traveled to Paris but was not allowed into the negotiating room.

Because the Treaty of Paris meant transferring control of the archipelago from one colonial power to another – completely ignoring the efforts of the Philippine Revolution – Philippine insurrectionists continued to fight the U.S., unsuccessfully, in what would later be referred to as the Philippine American War. This uprising is historically documented as transpiring from 1899-1902, though regional efforts (like the Battle of Bud Bagsak) endured until 1913. The Philippines did not become a fully independent nation until the end of World War II in 1946.

President William McKinley justified the colonization of the Philippines as an exercise in “benevolent assimilation” – or the notion that the nation was in need of civilization and that it was the American government’s responsibility to colonize its people. William Taft (who served as Governor-General of the Philippines from 1901-1904 and later as President of the U.S. from 1909-1913) referred to the Philippines as their “little brown brothers”, and American propaganda portrayed the Philippines and other colonized nations as children in need of being saved.

Given all these factors, we acknowledge 1898 as a watershed year for both the Philippines and the United States — as well as for Filipino Americans and Filipinos across the diaspora. Of note, we are conscious of our usage of words like “recognize”, “observe” or “commemorate” (instead of terms like “celebrate”), as we are intentional to not promote the celebration or glorification of American colonialism. Yet, we recognize that this history was integral to our trajectories as Filipino Americans, and we encourage critical thinking about the impact of 1898 specifically, and American colonialism generally, in our lives.

Source: Filipino American National Historical Society

Objectives

Students will be able to:

• Describe early Filipino American history
• Describe the Saint Malo settlement in Louisiana
• Describe the contributions of early Filipino Americans
• Analyze the influences of colonization on early Filipino American settlers

Lesson Implementation

This lesson can be completed in one instructional session or over a period of 1-2 weeks. The following are options for lesson implementation:

• One instructional session: Complete Activity 2 plus Discussion Questions.
• Two instructional sessions: Complete Activity 2 plus Discussion Questions and Activity 4
• One week: Complete Activity 1, Activity 2 plus Discussion Questions, One option from Activity 3, One option from Activity 4, One extension activity
• Two weeks: Complete additional options from the activities.