Ten Basic things you have to know about Filipinos

I found the following video interesting and informative. In case you have never meet a filipino or filipina, this video will be a good start to learn more about Filipinos. There are now close to four million Filipino-Americans residing in US. I am a Filipino-American and I am proud to be a "PINOY". Like any race, there are good as well as bad filipinos. But in general, Filipinos are friendly and hospitable and easy to get along with.



Here's a short article on Filipino-Americans from Wikipedia.

"Filipino Americans are Americans of Filipino ancestry. Filipino Americans reside mainly in the continental United States and form significant populations in California, New Jersey, New York, Hawaii, Alaska, Guam, and Northern Marianas.

The earliest recorded presence of Filipinos in what is today the United States occurred in October 1587, when mariners under Spanish command landed in Morro Bay, California. The earliest permanent Filipino Americans to arrive in the New World landed in 1763, later creating settlements such as Saint Malo, Louisiana and Manila Village in Barataria Bay. These early settlements were composed of formerly pressed sailors escaping from the arduous duties aboard Spanish galleons and were "discovered" in America in 1883 by a Harper's Weekly journalist.

Significant immigration to the United States began with the need for agricultural laborers in the 1900s, with Filipinos settling primarily in what was then the Territory of Hawaii and California, after the Spanish-American War, which turned the Philippines into a territory of the United States. This immigration would slow to a trickle during the 1930s due to multiple factors, including the United States' recognition of independence of the Philippines on July 4, 1946. Filipino immigration to the United States would not see a resurgence until the late 1960s. Of the immigrants who arrived after the late 1960s, most settled in California, while others found a new home around U.S. Navy bases, major metropolitan areas, the West, and to a lesser extent the South. Some came looking for political freedom, but most arrived looking for employment and a better life for their families.

Personal Note: I went to US to pursue my Graduate Degree in Chemistry in 1960. I have no intention of residing in US, then. But after graduation with my Ph.D, I was offer a job that was hard to refuse and I see this as a big opportunity for a better life for my family. A year later, my wife and oldest son joined me in Chicago, Illinois. The rest of the story is history. ( For the rest of my story visit http://theintellectualmigrant.blogspot.com)

The Filipino American community is the second largest Asian American group in the United States. Filipino Americans are also the largest subgroup of Overseas Filipinos.

The U.S. Census Bureau reported that the 2007 American Community Survey, identified approximately 3.1 million persons as "Filipino alone or in any combination." The census also found that about 80% of the Filipino-American community are United States citizens. Also in 2007, the U.S. State Department estimated the size of the Filipino American community at 4 million or 1.5% of the United States population. There are no official records of Filipinos who hold dual citizenship.

Intermarriage among Filipinos is not uncommon, as they have the largest number of interracial marriages among Asian immigrant groups, as documented in California. It is also noted that 21.8% of Filipino Americans are multiracial, second among Asian Americans".

I hope you find the above article informative and erased your homophobic attitudes toward Filipino-Americans due to ignorance. Here's a video of some famous Filipino celebrities. This list is just a sample of filipinos who are known worldwide.