Filipino Americans: 434 Years in the United States

October is Filipino American History Month to commemorate the arrival of the first Filipinos who landed in what is now Morro Bay, California on October 18, 1587. Filipino American History Month was first celebrated in October 1992 and officially recognized by U.S. Congress in 2009. I am sad to say that had no idea about this until recently. Through the wonders of social media, I learned about this and that Filipinos have been in the United States for 434 years!

My Filipino American History

I am a Filipina American born and raised in the United States. My mother brought my father to the U.S. in the early 1970s, shortly after they were married. My parents were the first in their families to immigrate to the U.S. A couple years later, I was born. The first American born child for both sides of the family. My mother later brought my Lola and Lolo (grandmother and grandfather in Tagalog, a Filipino language) along with my aunties and uncle to the U.S. I remember that at one point they all lived with us in our small home. That is a part of my Filipino American History.

Early on I was taught to have pride in the fact that I am American who was born here in the U.S. Growing up I was often asked “Where are you from?” and “What are you?” As a child I would politely answer: “I am from L.A.” or “I am an American.” My answers were never quite enough as the questioner would clarify with further questions to get the answer they were looking for. I am a Filipina American who has never been to the Philippines. I was born in the U.S. and I don’t know anything else but that I am an American. Yet, in some ways I was not quite American enough for some people.

While I understand Tagalog fairly fluently, I cannot speak the language. I can understand when I am spoken to in Tagalog but I can only respond back in English with a few Tagalog words here and there. I know very little to almost nothing about The Philippines or it’s history. My knowledge of the Philippine culture is around good food and family that were connected with celebrations. My birthdays and holidays were filled with the women in my family--my Lola, my mom, and my aunties--spending days preparing and cooking homemade Filipino Food. The tables would be filled with such a feast including lechon and lumpia. 

Storytelling in Leadership

Our stories help define our leader identity and who we are. Reflection, awareness, and understanding are key components to leadership development. Storytelling is a way to know yourself and begin to really see yourself as a leader. As you learn to tell your story, you discover your own voice and learn how to communicate who you are as a leader. It is through our stories that we are able to reflect and become aware of our values and beliefs that inform our leadership and decisions. We can use that knowledge to not only strengthen our leadership but to become better leaders and people. 

While my family was originally from the Philippines, my academic education is U.S. based and from a Western perspective. As a leadership educator, much of what I teach about leadership comes from that lens. There is so much I still have to learn as well as unlearn. This semester, I have integrated critical perspectives in my leadership course so that students can begin to look beyond the dominant narrative of leadership and consider their stocks of knowledge (the assumptions we hold about how the world should work), the ideologies and hegemony that influence their ideas of leadership, and how social location might effect our understanding of leadership (Dugan 2017). 

In doing this, I have begun to reflect on my own stocks of knowledge and the hegemony that exists. This awareness has allowed me to discover how my own social location interacts with my history, upbringing, and education to deeply influenced my views of leadership. For example, why is it that I have so little knowledge about my Filipino heritage? Why did I not know that Filipinos have been in the U.S. for over four centuries? My early implicit leadership theories revolves around the Western ideals of leadership (i.e., White and male), the dominant narrative that exists. Through my research and work, I have extended that and attempted to revise and expand the stocks of knowledge that exist in my learning and upbringing. Leadership is so much more diverse and can include many forms and styles.

Filipina American Leaders Making History

Yes, I am an American as my parents so proudly taught me. I am also a Filipina American. As I celebrate my heritage and learn from my own history, there are so many Filipino American leaders that I was unaware of. Here are just a few amazing women leaders with a Filipino background.

Thelma Garcia Buchholdt was a Filipino American community activist, politician, and author. She was the first Filipina American state legislator elected to the Alaska House of Representatives and served four consecutive terms, from 1974 through 1982. She is the first Asian American elected to serve as President of the National Order of Women Legislators.

Cristeta Pasia Comerford is a Filipino American chef. She is the first woman and first person of Asian origin to be the White House Executive Chef, a post she has held since 2005.

Dr. Dorothy Laigo Cordova was the Founder and Executive Director of the Filipino American National Historical Society. She began organizing and advocating for the Filipino American community since the 1950s, which paved the way for FANHS, Filipino American History Month, and Filipino American Studies.

Victoria “Vicki” Manalo Draves is a Filipina American and the first Asian American Olympic gold medalist. She won two gold medals in platform and springboard diving in 1948.

Caterina Fake is an American entrepreneur and businesswoman, she is half Filipino. She co-founded the websites Flickr in 2004 and Hunch in 2007. 

Monique Lhuillier is a Filipina American fashion designer and creative director. She launched her eponymous brand in 1996 and has fashion houses in Los Angeles, California and Manhattan, New York.

Sheila Lirio Marcelo, a Filipina American entrepreneur, is the Founder and former Chief Executive Officer and chairwoman of Care.com, an online marketplace for childcare, senior care, special needs care, tutoring, pet care, and housekeeping.

Dr. Eleanor Concepcion "Connie" Mariano is a Filipina American physician and retired flag officer in the United States Navy. She is the first Filipino American to reach the rank of Rear Admiral in the U.S. Navy. She is the second woman to become Physician to the President in 1992 serving two presidents.

Josie Natori is a Filipina American fashion designer and the Chief Executive Officer and founder of The Natori Company. 

Simeona Fortunata "Mona" Pasquil is a Filipina American political advisor and politician In 2009, she became California's first Asian lieutenant governor, its first Filipino lieutenant governor, and its first woman lieutenant governor.

Jennifer Rubio is an Filipina American businesswoman. She is the co-founder, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Away, a luggage manufacturer and retailer.

Dr. Felicisima “Ping” Serafica is the first Filipina American professor of psychology to receive tenure in the US. She helped establish one of the Philippines’ first hospitals for children with mental disabilities and the country’s first interdisciplinary mental health clinic.

Mary Astrid Segovia Tuminez is a Filipina American and the seventh president of Utah Valley University and its first woman president.