Ah, fall. A time for spooky season, pumpkin spice lattes, and now Filipino American History Month. You might be asking yourself, “Wait, didn’t Asian Pacific American Heritage Month happen in May?” Well, that is completely true, but now October is dedicated to Filipino Americans, the third biggest Asian population in the United States. Filipino American History Month is now official, at least in California.
According to The Mercury News, California Assembly member Alex Lee passed House Resolution 112, officially cementing the movement at the start of October. Not only does this motion progress and shed light on Filipino American culture, but it has also been quite a long time coming. As UC Berkeley points out, Filipino American History Month was actually created all the way back in October 1988, originally to mark “the first recorded presence of Filipinxs in the continental U.S.”
As someone who is Filipino and grew up in California, the state with the largest Filipino population, (Tagalog being the second-largest spoken language in the state), I never dreamt my culture would be honored in such a way. I was never deprived of said culture being constantly surrounded by the food, the language, and even annual festivals. Yet, I still felt isolated in my own corner of the universe and that my Filipino identity would only be seen by other Filipinos. Yes, we had all these things but not many of my non-Filipino friends understood when I talked about all these wonderful aspects. Whether it was the exceedingly sweet food or the references to my many “titas” or “ates” despite not being related to them in any way, I would just be met with a blank stare and we’d quickly move on to a topic everyone else felt like they could relate to.
However, now more than ever I believe that is no longer the case. Throughout the month, I have witnessed a spark in showcasing the Filipino community to the general public. Last October came the unveiling of Delano Manongs Park in Milpitas. The Milpitas Beat notes “The park’s name comes from the Delano Manongs, a historic group of Filipino farm workers. As a result of the Delano Manongs’ efforts, American laborers saw vast improvements in their wages and working conditions.” The leader of the Delano Manongs, Larry Itliong, was awarded his own day, Oct. 25, by California Governor Gavin Newsom earlier this month.
“Recognizing his incredible impact on our state and advocacy for those without a voice… we honor the immense contributions of Larry Itliong and the Manongs whose hard-fought battles helped advance farmworkers’ rights and social justice in California and beyond,” Newsom stated in his official proclamation.
With this new honorary day, Filipinos rejoice with the Larry Itliong Festival held in the Historic Filipinotown, getting a chance to celebrate with music, food, and art.
Even up North across the state, the Filipino movement is strong. In San Francisco began the restoration of the mural Ang Lipi ni Lapu Lapu, which boasts an impressive 90 feet. This mural is one of the first of its kind in the States to showcase the Filipino immigration movement. AsAm News recognizes how “the mural was originally painted 40 years ago by artist Johanna Poethig. It incorporates Filipino resistance leader Lapu Lapu, World War II veterans, and Vicki Manalo Draves, the first Asian American Olympic gold medalist. With each figure, the mural tells a story of resilience, protest, and community strength—key themes that continue to resonate with the Filipino American community today.” Doing grand and public displays such as these puts Filipino culture front and center to a large audience rather than being contained in a bubble.
Even though pumpkin spice lattes are still in season for another month, with the end of the spooky season also comes the end of Filipino American History Month. But what a monumental month it was for California where many got to witness the art and revisitation of Filipino American figures in history. Hopefully, the movement will be just as strong in the years to follow.
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