The 1587 Landing

“The earliest recorded arrival of Filipinas/os in what would become California was on October 18, 1587, when a group of “Luzon Indios” landed near what is now Morro Bay.”¹ “The galleon Nuestra Senora de Buena Esperanza, captained by Pedro de Unamuno, anchored at Morro Bay on October 18, 1587, off the coast of what is now known as California. According to de Unamuno’s journal cited in Henry R. Wagner’s book Spanish Voyages to the Northwest Coast of America (San Francisco: California Historical Society, 1929) the landing party, including eight Filipinos disembarked to survey the area.”² They were part of the Spanish Manila Galleon Trade, which linked Asia, the Philippines, and the Americas from 1565 to 1815.³

The Luzon Indians [also known as Luzones Indios] were natives from Luzon, an island on the northern portion of the Philippines, and were hired for their skills  as navigators, crew members, and warriors.⁴ de Unamuno noted in his journal “Monday, the 19th, about two hours before dawn, I set out on the expedition, with Father Francisco de Noguera and 12 soldiers and eight Luzon Indians with their swords and shields.”⁵ I like to believe that the Luzon Indians were warriors skilled with their swords and shields. Arriving 33 years before the Mayflower,⁶ these sailors established the earliest documented Asian presence in the continental U.S.

On October 20, members of the landing party were attacked by the local Indians. One Filipino was killed in the attack.  The landing group retreated to the safety of their ship. They left the dead and wounded behind.”⁷ The first Filipino community did not start in Morro Bay. “The first permanent New World communities of Filipinos were formed as early as 1763 in the Louisiana bayous by indios who jumped ship at ports in the Gulf of Mexico.”⁸

Origin of Filipino American History Month

To collect, preserve, and honor Filipino’s long presence in the United States, Dorothy Laigo Cordova founded the Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS) in 1982. The Mission of FANHS is “To promote understanding, education, enlightenment, appreciation and enrichment through the identification, gathering, preservation and dissemination of the history and culture of Filipino Americans in the United States.”⁹

“The FANHS has been observing October as Filipino American History Month since 1991. The month was established to commemorate the first documented landing of Filipinos in what is now known as the continental United States over 425 years ago.”¹⁰ Read their resolution. 

“October 1992 was the first time that Filipino American History Month (FAHM) was celebrated in the United States…Since then, FAHM has been celebrated annually all over the country – with initiatives by FANHS chapters, local community nonprofit groups, government organizations, and college student organizations.”¹¹

Why History, Not Just Heritage

The choice of the word “History” over “Heritage” is deliberate. “FANHS cites that the month should be properly focused on “history” instead of “heritage.” Whereas history includes the events, experiences, and lives of people and their impact on society, “heritage” is solely about cultural traditions handed down from the past.”¹² “History” asserts that Filipino Americans did not merely arrive in America—Filipino Americans actively built and transformed it.

Over time, October became known as Filipino American History Month in the United States. Various states, counties, and cities have announced proclamations and resolutions recognizing October as Filipino American History Month. California was the first state to pass a resolution to recognize FAHM in 2006 to commemorate key Filipino anniversaries.  Hawaii followed in 2008.  Unlike non-binding resolutions that require annual reintroduction, Washington was the first state in 2019 to permanently codify October as FAHM in state law. The statute encourages public schools, state agencies, and institutions to observe the month with historical programming. In 2023, Alaska recognized October as FAHM, citing the historical role of Filipino cannery workers (Alaskeros) in the Pacific Northwest salmon industry.

In 2009, the United States passed the resolution to officially recognize October as FAHM. However, this is a non-binding resolution. The United States has passed additional non-binding resolutions after 2009, but have not established a permanent statutory observance.¹³

Celebrating Filipino American History Month

30 years after the first celebration of FAHM, where there are large communities of Filipino Americans, many are now able to organize events and activities to showcase and promote Filipino culture, heritage and history. The top 10 U.S. metropolitan areas by FIlipino population (2019) were: Los Angeles, CA; San Francisco, CA; New York, NY; Honolulu, HI; San Diego, CA; Las Vegas, NV; Chicago, IL; Riverside-San Bernardino, CA; Seattle, WA; and San Jose, CA.¹⁴ Many of these cities have Filipino festivals where all are welcome to come experience the culture, the people and the vibe.

For FMA practitioners, FAHM provides opportunities for FMA schools to showcase their martial art skills and share stories about the people who created the art.

---

1. Little Manila is in the Heart: The Making of the Filipina/o American Community in Stockton, California, Dawn Bohulano Mabalon, Duke University Press, 2013, p. 28. ↩︎
2. The Filipino Americans (1763-Present): Their History, Culture, and Traditions, Veltisezar Bautista, Bookhaus Publishers, 2002, p. 107-108. ↩︎
3. Little Manila is in the Heart: The Making of the Filipina/o American Community in Stockton, California, Dawn Bohulano Mabalon, Duke University Press, 2013, p. 28. ↩︎
4. The First Filipinos in America: Long Before the Pilgrims!, Kirby Araullo (Historian), YouTube, October 19, 2024. ↩︎
5. The Filipino Americans (1763-Present): Their History, Culture, and Traditions, Veltisezar Bautista, Bookhaus Publishers, 2002, p. 107-108. ↩︎
6. The Mayflower is a 17th-century English ship which transported the Pilgrims from England to the east coast of what would eventually be known as the United States in 1620. ↩︎
7. The Filipino Americans (1763-Present): Their History, Culture, and Traditions, Veltisezar Bautista, Bookhaus Publishers, 2002, p. 107-108. ↩︎
8. Little Manila is in the Heart: The Making of the Filipina/o American Community in Stockton, California, Dawn Bohulano Mabalon, Duke University Press, 2013, p. 28. ↩︎
9. FANHS Mission Statement, Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS) website, viewed on October 12, 2026. ↩︎
10. Filipino American History Month Resolution, FANHS website, viewed on October 14, 2026. ↩︎
11. “October is Filipino American History Month”, Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS) website, viewed on October 12, 2026. ↩︎
12.  Filipino American History Month, Wikipedia, viewed on October 14, 2026. ↩︎
13.  Filipino American History Month, Wikipedia, viewed on October 14, 2026. ↩︎
14. Top 10 U.S. metropolitan areas by Filipino population (2019), Pew Research Center, published on April 29, 2021; viewed on October 12, 2026. ↩︎