Assembly Resolution No. 571
BY: M. of A. Raga
COMMEMORATING October 2023, as Filipino American
History Month
WHEREAS, October has been celebrated as Filipino American History
Month since 1992, when the Filipino American National Historical Society
(FANHS) proposed to honor the month when the first Filipinos or "Luzones
Indios" landed on the shores of what is now Morro Bay, California on
October 18th, 1587, on board the Manila-built galleon ship Nuestra
Senora de Esperanza; and
WHEREAS, 2023 marks the 14th anniversary of United States Congress
passing the resolution (H. Res 780) to officially commemorate October as
Filipino American History Month in the United States; and
WHEREAS, The recent census reports that there are nearly 150,000
residents of Filipino heritage living in New York State, who are
concentrated mainly in areas of Queens such as Woodside, Jackson
Heights, Elmhurst, Jamaica, Jamaica Estates, Hollis, and Queens Village;
and
WHEREAS, The oldest record of Filipinos in New York was in 1888 when
physician and novelist Dr. Jose Rizal stayed at the former Fifth Avenue
Hotel, across the southeast corner of Madison Square Park in Manhattan;
he would later become a political martyr and the official National Hero
of the Philippines; and
WHEREAS, A wave of immigrants came from the Philippines to New York
after the 1920s, many as students, and most were either soldiers who
were assigned to military bases such as Governor's Island or the
Brooklyn Navy Yard, or former agricultural workers who moved from the
Western United States in search of employment; and
WHEREAS, After World War II, a smaller wave of immigrants came from
the Philippines, later followed by the largest wave of immigration in
the 1960s, after the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, when
hospitals began recruiting Filipino doctors and nurses; nursing later
became one of the most common professions amongst both Filipino men and
women living in New York; and
WHEREAS, The State of New York is host to a vibrant community and
direct service organizations including: National Federation of Filipino
American Associations (NaFFAA-New York), Filipino American National
Historical Society (FANHS-Metropolitan New York), Philippine
Independence Day Council, Inc. (PIDCI), Philippine Nurses Association
(PNA-New York), Project Barkada, Filipino American Human Services, Inc.
(FAHSI), Broadway Barkada, Philippine Fiesta in America, Kinding Sindaw,
Pilipino American Unity for Progress (UniPro), Filipino School of NY &
NJ, Filipino American Museum, The Outstanding Filipino Americans (TOFA),
Damayan Migrant Workers, International Society of Filipinos in Finance &
Accounting (ISFFA-New York) Fil-Am Press Club of New York, Jaycees (JCI
Philippine-New York, JCI-Queens), United Mindoro International, Inc.,
Philippine United Student Organization (PUSO) at Stony Brook University,
Cornell Filipino Association (CFA) at Cornell University, Districts III
and IV of the Filipino Intercollegiate Networking Dialogue (FIND, Inc.),
and the Lumban Association; and
WHEREAS, The State of New York is home to outstanding Filipino
Americans such as Miss Universe R'Bonney Nola, Broadway Actress Lea
Salonga, New York Yankees Shortstop Anthony Volpe, New York City Deputy
Mayor Maria Torres-Springer, Commissioner of the NYC Mayor's Office of
Media and Entertainment (MOME) Anne del Castillo, Businesswoman and
Philanthropist Loida Nicolas Lewis, Judge Lorna Schofield, Actress Liza
Lapira, the "King of Latin Soul" Joe Bataan, Television Personality
Vanessa Lachey, DJ Neil Armstrong, Author Jessica Hagedorn, Fashion
Designer Josie Natori, Novelist and Human Rights Activist Ninotchka
Rosca, Television Journalist Ernabel Demillo, Song Writer Robert Lopez,
Columbia University School of Journalism Dean of Academic Affairs Sheila
Coronel, Transgender Model Geena Rocero, Reporter Nina Pineda, Poet and
Historian Luis H. Francia, Television Journalist Anna Sterling, and
Former New York Mets Outfielder Benny Agbayani; and
WHEREAS, Filipino Americans are an integral part of New York State's
healthcare system as nurses, doctors, and other medical professionals;
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commemorate October 2023, as Filipino American History Month, in honor
of Filipino American contributions to the State of New York and across
the country; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to Amb. Senen Mangalile, Consul General of the Philippine
Consulate General in New York, the Filipino American National Historical
Society (FANHS)-Metro New York Chapter, and the National Federation of
Filipino Americans Association (NAFFAA)-New York Chapter.
