Filipino-Americans make up the second largest Asian American group in the United States. They have contributed to so much of American History with their amazing culture, talent, and dedication. I’m proud to say I’m a first generation Filipino-American; both of my parents were born in the Philippines!

Filipino-American History month was officially declared in 2009 by US Congress. Then in 2015, the first Filipino-American History month was celebrated in the White House by President Obama.

A little history: On October 18, 1587 the first Filipinos arrived in what is now Morro Bay, California. “Luzones Indios” or the Filipino group “Luzonians,” were the first recorded people of Asian origin to arrive in North America. They arrived 33 years before the Pilgrims landed in Massachusetts!

Filipinos have played an important role in American history like many other cultural groups. More than 150,000 Filipino nurses have immigrated to the US since the 1960’s, my mom being one of them. This means during the pandemic, many Filipino healthcare workers were on the front lines. Additionally, during World War II, many served as medical aids, messengers, spies, and fighting warriors. 250,000 of these Filipino-Americans were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal and roughly 400,000 in total served as soldiers. 

Here are a few Filipino-American celebrities you may know today!

• Bruno Mars
  • A talented singer we all know of! However, not many know about his Filipino heritage.
  • His mother, Bernadette San Pedro Bayot moved to Hawaii from the Philippines before Bruno Mars was born!
  • He has stated his mother has made a cultural influence in shaping his musical style.

• Jacob Batalon

• • You probably know him as Peter Parker’s best friend (Ned Leeds) in Spiderman!
  • Spider-Man: No Way Home even features Ned’s Tagalog speaking grandmother in honor of his Filipino culture.
  • Both of his parents immigrated to Honolulu, Hawaii from the Philippines.

• Olivia Rodrigo
  • Another singer proud of her Filipino heritage! 
  • To end off her Guts Tour, she performed in Manilla, Philippines stating how proud she is to be a Filipino
    • Additionally, she had her biggest crowd of 55,000 people here
    • She only changed $10 for tickets so lots of her fans could watch her (In other countries like the US her concert tickets could cost up to $1000!)
    • She donated all of her profits to Jhpiego, they provide healthcare for women and girls in the Philippines!
  • Her father is Filipino and her grandparents immigrated to the US from the Philippines.