Filipino Americans in the USA

Between 1981 and 1992, Filipinos were the second largest group immigrating to the United States, exceeded only by those from Mexico. The number increased from 3,130 in 1965 to 61,000 Filipinos in 1992 alone. In 1990, there was a total of 1,407,000 Filipinos in the United States.

Most Filipinos who came in 1920s were unskilled laborers. The Immigration Act of 1965 not only significantly increased the number of Filipino immigrants but also changed the qualifications of immigrants. The majority of the immigrants at the present are professional, technical, and skilled workers. They seek jobs that are more consistent with their training. A significant number are specialists in the health professions, engineers, and scientists.

Before 1970, Filipinos were heavily concentrated in the lower strata of the population of such indices as education, income, and job status. However, the 1980 and 1990 Census indicated that the characteristics of Filipino-Americans based on the aforementioned indices did not differ much from the Japanese, Chinese and other Asian groups in the nation.

Filipinos are even ahead of the general population on most indices. In 1990, the median family income for Filipinos was $ 46,698, compared to $ 35,225 for all persons in the United States. The high family income was due to members contributing to the household intake.

According to experts the high household income signified close family ties among Filipino-Americans. Filipinos have the lowest percentage, almost nil, of welfare recipients, because of the emergence of community -- that Filipino-Americans help each other in times of need. The percentage of Filipino high school graduates, between the ages of 25 and over, was 82.6% compared to 75.2% for all persons in the US. A random pick of graduation yearbook of high schools or colleges will reveal many Filipino-American graduates, and a good number in the honor roll. The pursuit of college education has become a norm for Filipino-Americans families.

Some 1,000 Filipino immigrants enter the USA each year through the Port of Seattle. While some move on to other states, many remain in the area. Most live in King County while others live in Pierce, Thurston (Olympia area), Yakima Valley and Bremerton. Filipino-Americans make up the largest ethnic group among the Asia Pacific Americans in Washington State. However theirs is only 1.1 % (66,000) that of Washington State population of some 6 million people.

The first Filipinos arrived in Seattle in 1883. However, the first official immigration wave was between 1906 to 1934 when Filipinos were recruited to work in California and Hawaii as agricultural workers characterized by “stoop” jobs in asparagus, carrots, and pineapple farms. By the 1920s in the Pacific Northwest, Filipinos were largely Alaska salmon cannery, Washington lumber and farm workers.

During the 1920s and 1930s, Filipinos were run out of Toppenish and were racially and physically harassed in Yakima Valley. Washington State’s Anti-Alien Land Law of 1937 prohibited Filipinos – although they were considered nationals – from owning and leasing land. The law’s constitutionality was challenged in court by a Filipino, Pio de Cano, and in 1939 the Washington Supreme Court declared the law unconstitutional. There was even a law, and later repealed, that Filipinos cannot intermarry with Caucasians.

Filipino-American contributions in the arts, labor movement and politics are noteworthy in their commitment to social justice and democratic idealism. Some of these personalities include Carlos Bulosan, author of the classic America is in the Heart who lived in Seattle; Domingo and Gene Viernes, labor leaders of the Alaska Cannery Workers Association; Ray Corpuz, City Manager of Tacoma; Dolores Sibonga who served on the Seattle City Council from 1980-1992; Representative Velma Veloria who became the first Asian American woman in the state legislature in 1992, Gene Liddell the former Mayor of Lacey, Peter Bacho, author of best-selling books on early Filipino immigrants in the Pacific Northwest, Rose Amurao of Olympia who was with top Executive Management of the Department of Natural Resources, and other leaders in state government and industry.