What do Bruno Mars, Dave Bautista, Olivia Rodrigo, and Lou Diamond Phillips have in common? They are all Filipino Americans! Celebrate them and all of our Filipino American neighbors this October during Filipino American History Month (FAHM).
FAHM was first celebrated by the Filipino American National Historical Society in 1992, and was recognized by Congress in 2009. October was chosen because the first recorded presence of Filipinos in the continental US was on October 18th, 1587 when the Spanish galleon Nuestra Señora de Buena Esperanza landed at what is now Morro Bay, California with Filipino crewmembers on board.
The theme for FAHM 2025 is From Quotas to Communities: Filipino American Migration and Movement. The theme commemorates two governmental acts of historical significance for the Filipino American community.
October is the 60th anniversary of the 1965 Immigration & Naturalization Act, which eliminated national origin quotas that had previously favored European immigrants while severely limiting immigration from Asia and other non-white areas. Before this act, the quota for Filipino immigration was only 50 per year. This month is also the 90th anniversary of the 1935 Filipino Repatriation Act, an immigration law presented as an opportunity for Filipino Americans to return to the Philippines for free, but only if they promised to never return. Only a small percentage of Filipino Americans took part.
Today, there are over 4 million Filipino Americans in the United States - the second largest Asian American group in the country and the third largest ethnic group in California. As San Francisco was the port of entry, California and the Bay Area enjoy a large community of Filipino Americans.
Celebrate Filipino American history and culture by reading a book, exploring biography and history online resources, or by coming to the following library programs:
Meditative Banig Drawing:
Friday, October 3rd: 11a-12p at Los Altos Library
Thursday, October 9th: 2-3p at Saratoga Library
Sunday, October 19th: 11a-12p at Cupertino Library
Sunday, October 19th: 2-3p at Gilroy Library
Tuesday, October 21st: 7-8pm at Morgan Hill Library
Introduction to Filipino Martial Arts:
Sunday, October 5th: 3-4p at Cupertino Library
Saturday, October 18th: 11a-12p at Gilroy Library
Saturday, October 18th: 3-4p at Milpitas Library
Discover Ilocano Traditional Weaving:
Sunday, October 12th: 2-4p at Gilroy Library
Do you read Tagalog? Did you know that SCCLD has a Tagalog collection? Check it out! Also, take a trip to the Milpitas Library to visit a mural commemorating the Delano Grape Strike, organized by Filipino American agricultural workers:
Happy Filipino American History Month from SCCLD!
Source: The Filipino American National Historical Society Website fanhs-national.org
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