The first Filipino to serve as an American Indian chieftan was an Ilocano by the name of Pascua, in Siskiyou county. There are currently nine American Indian chieftans of Filipino descent. The Miwok tribe has very strong bloodlines tied to the Philippines. These are all little known facts that I learned from being a part of an organization called the Filipino American National Historical Society. In fact, I learned them at one meeting this past Tuesday evening. There is so much pride to have been gained from learning about our past, and our history. Often times, I hear people say that they have Pinoy Pride. That's cool. I have Pinoy Pride too. However, I am not just proud of being Filipino. I am not just proud that Manny Pacquiao is a good boxer. I'm also proud of our history here, and the many contributions that we have made to society. I am proud of my mother who came here all by herself and single handedly petitioned her mother, brother, half-sister, brother-in-law, and their three children. I am proud that she raised me as a single parent and took care of my dependent uncle and grandmother. I am proud not only of who I am today, but from who I came from. Both of those lead to who I hope to be in the future. One day, I hope someone in the future will be proud of where they came from, and somehow that narrative includes me.

The contributions of Filipinos and Filipino Americans alike to American culture are plentiful. Filipinos have always provided a source of human resources. From laborers in the farms, to domestic workers in the service industry, or teachers and nurses, Filipinos have entered many sectors of society and contributed fully to the success of the nation and any nation that they enter.

Aside from being a source of personnel, Filipinos have taken on roles in the toy industry, like the invention of the yo-yo, the development of the flourescent light bulb, the development of the lunar rover that landed on the moon, serving valiantly in the military, taking part in the entertainment industry, and providing services to a multitude of citizens in government and politics.

If one looks up notable Filipinos and Filipino Americans, one can see the many individuals and groups that have brought much content to the lives of society.

Filipinos have long been involved in fraternal organizations. Groups like the Caballeros de Dimas Alang, the Legionarios del Trabajo, and El Gran Oriente are three of the more famous ones. The father of my fraternity broter was part of the Legionarios del Trabajo down in the central valley of California. Like now, the fraternal organizations served as a support network for their members. They pooled their money so that they could throw each other celebrations for special occassions. Back then, Filipino males outnumbered Filipina females at a 20 to 1 ratio. Anti-miscegenation laws and other racist policies prevented interracial marriages. A Filipino was often attacked for dating a white woman, and riots often ensued. Filipinos somehow managed to take part in taxi dance halls, social events where they would purchase tickets to dance with women at ten cents a dance. This was a way for the Filipino to combat the loneliness of a bachelor society. There is a great documentary called "Dollar a Day, Dime a Dance." Prostitutes also took advantage of these laws by following the migrants from camp to camp and harvest to harvest. A California business was quoted as saying, "The Filipinos are hot little rabbits, and many of these white women like them for this reason." These organizations also pooled their money to purchase transportation. Often times, eight or more people would share the ownership of a car. One can still see photos of Filipino men dressed to the keys next to one of their brand new purchases. To see some, go to http://www.calisphere.universityofcalifornia.edu.

At the end of World War II, the United States of America granted independence to the Philippines on July 4, 1946. The war torn country would have been a financial liability to the United States. To fully wash their hands of this financial obligation, President Franklin D. Roosevely signed the Rescission Act of 1946, declaring that services rendered by Filipinos in USAFFE would not be considered benefits for the purposes of salary, pension, and military benefits. Even until present times, these soldiers are not considered veterans of World War II in the eyes of the United States government.

People continue to lobby Congress to grant full and equal acknowledgement and benefits to these men. See http://www.fullequitynow.com for more details.

In the current war, there are reports of miltary recruiters approaching Filipinos to serve in the United States military, promising them full benefits. I haven't done much research on this beyond reading the original article, but I would not be surprised if these reports were true.

World War II ravaged the Philippines. During the beginning of the war, the United States Armed Forces in the Far East (USAFFE), was taken by surprise. Upon the entry of the United States into the war, they immediately went to battle. However, the Japanese forces, bolstered by troops and supplies that were geographically closer than the supplies and troops from the United States, after a few months, pushed back American forces and forced General Douglas MacArthur to retreat to Australia. The United States was focusing more of its energy toward the European front of the war as well. Strategically speaking, if one remembers that the Tydings-McDuffie Act of 1934 was going to grant independence to the Philippines in ten years, it makes sense that the United States didn't care too much of its colony that it was going to get rid of anyways.

However, these USAFFE forces defended the lands for months before they eventually were overcome by the Japanese forces. One can read much about the Bataan Death March, the 160 kilometer march of Philippine and United States soldiers by the Japanese to put them in Prisoner of War (POW) camps. Many of these POWs were placed in the Cabanatuan camp, where a rescue occured. The rescue has recently been memorialized in moveis and books by the name of Ghost Soldier and The Great Raid.

The event that propelled the world out of the Great Depression was World War II. With America declaring a policy of isolationism, with memories of World War I still on citizen's minds, the rest of the world engaged in battle, and millions were slaughtered by the Axis powers. However, with the bombing of Manila and Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the United States became engaged in battle. I emphasize that these two sites were American lands, whose people were subject to the jurisdiction and influence of the United States of America.

Almost immediately, the United States went on the offensive. The military mobilized and citizens backed the war effort with much gusto. Men of all ethnicities enlisted and women assumed a place in the workforce. The image of Rosie the Riveter sprouted from this era. An interesting note about the military during World War II was that the United States Armed Forces were still segregated. Hence, the all black units like the Tuskegee Airmen, the 442nd Japanese American unit, and the First and Second Filipino Infantry Units. Most people haven't heard of the latter two, who weren't as decorated as the 442nd, but who were integral in the taking back of the Philippines. Many of the men who enlisted were the same ones who worked in the fields and sent money back home to their families in the Philippines, a practice still in effect today.

On the other side of the coin were the soldiers of the United States Armed Forces in the Far East (USAFFE), who were also under the purview of the United States military. The difference was that they were stationed in the Philippines. They followed American officer's orders and swore an oath to defend and protect the United States government. People of Philippine descent had a lot to do with protecting the United States of America.

The Great Depression negatively affected the way that Filipinos were accepted in America. A famous photo shows a sign that read "POSITIVELY NO FILIPINOS ALLOWED" on a door to a business in Stockton, California. By 1934, the talk of limiting Filipino immigration to America came to fruition through the Tydings-McDufffie Act of 1934. This limited the number of immigrants from the Philippines to 50 per year and declared that the Philippines would no longer be a colony of the United States after a period of ten years, during which time a government and infrastructure modeled after the United States would be put in place.

Having already been fighting a war against Spain for Independence, when it was apparent that the United States was not going to give the Philippines independence, the same men fought the same battles against a new and refreshed opponent.

In 1902, the Philippine Insurrection, as it is referred to in most United States textbooks, was decided, although Filipinos would continue to advocate for their independence beyond this time. The Philippines was eventually considered a colony of the United States, the way that Puerto Rico and Guam are colonies. The people there are not considered citizens, but nationals.

Being a national presented some benefits. For example, there was no limit on how many people from the Philippines could immigrate to the United States. After the Chinese Exclusion Act and the Gentlemans' Agreement, which stopped immigration from China and Japan, respectively, Filipinos became a major source of labor. Basically, if you were Filipino, you could travel to America if you could afford it. Some Filipinos came as students but most were laborers.

During the last part of the 1800's growing desire for independence created a strong revolutionary movement in the Philippines and among Filipinos in other countries. One of the major groups leading this movement was the Katipunan, short for Kataastaasan, Kagalanggalangan, Katipunan ng Mga Anak ng Bayan. They are also referred to as the KKK. From 1896-1898, these revolutionaries waged war against their oppressors until their declaration of independence on June 12, 1898. However, sa Spain was losing control, they took part in a back door deal with the United States, called the Treaty of Paris, whose terms ceded the Philippines to the United States of America for the amount of $20 million.

Ultimately, this resulted in the Philippine-American War, the continuation of the Katipunan's struggle for true independence.

According to the Thomas Workman Temple II Collection, on August 10, 1779, Father Junipero Serra at Mission Monterey, California, conferred the Sacrament of Confirmation upon Civente Tallado, a Filipino from Pampanga, Philippines.

A curator in the History Division of the Los Angeles County Museum researched that Antonio Miranda Rodriguez, 50-years old, born in Sonora Mexicao, a descendant of a "Manila Man," and his daugther, juana Maria, age 11, were among the fouding settlers of the city of Los Angeles, California. he later became the ironsmith of the Santa Barbara Mission in Calfiornia where he lived until his death. he is buried in the Santa Barbara Missions church.

Captain William Douglas mentioned in his journal that on February 22, 1788, the Iphigneia Nubiana left Zamboanga. This ship arrived at Cook Inlet in Alaska on June 17, 1788 with a "Manilla man" on the crew.