NaFFAA and FilAm Community Virtually Celebrated Filipino American History Month

Washington, D.C. (October 15, 2020) — On Friday, October 2, 2020, the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) hosted a virtual celebration for Filipino American History Month with Filipino American elected officials and Filipino Americans from across the country. This year's theme, selected by the Filipino American National Historical Society, is celebrating the history of Filipino American activism. The event highlighted different ways Filipino Americans can be civically engaged during this pivotal year.

“Let us make sure that our Filipino American community does go out and vote! We urge the community to make sure that they register to vote in time and to create their voting plan whether it is voting with a mail in ballot or safely in person early at the polls," reminded NaFFAA National Chairman and President Brendan Flores.

NaFFAA was honored to have U.S. Representative TJ Cox, U.S. Representative Bobby Scott, California Assemblymember Rob Bonta, Mayor Ron Falconi of Brunswick, Ohio, Mayor Peter Urscheler of Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, Mayor Pro Tem of the City of Sierra Madre Rachelle Pastor Arizmendi, and the Philippine Ambassador to the U.S., H.E. Jose Manuel G. Romualdez.

The speakers shared how their journeys contributed to the collective history of Filipino Americans. “We want to continue that rich tradition of service, leadership, and entrepreneurship to our nation,” remarked Congressman Cox.

“It is absolutely critical to remember the changemaking legacy and history of the Filipino American people and the Filipino people, whether it’s resisting Spanish rule and U.S. colonization, the success of the People’s Power movement, co-leading the Farmworkers of America, or standing in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement, Filipinos have a tremendous legacy that we should be very proud of,” stated Assemblymember Bonta.

If we have learned anything from history, it is that we should never take a backseat. We remember the impactful work of our community’s leaders such as labor leader and co-founder of United Farm Workers Larry Itliong, Filipino American author and activist Carlos Bulosan, NaFFAA Founding Chairman Alex Esclamado, founding president of the Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS) Dr. Fred Cordova, and Filipino American historian Dr. Dawn Mabalon. Their work helped attain more equality and economic justice for our Filipino American community. We find inspiration during Filipino American History Month to shape our future and continue the legacy of these Filipino American leaders and activists.

“When we unite our collective voices, we can make a huge difference, especially during this pivotal year of 2020, when it is more important than ever to be civically engaged. Participation in the 2020 Census is critical to the Filipino American community. Filipino Americans are a vital and growing sector of the American population, as the third largest Asian American and Pacific Islander group in the nation. Yet Filipino Americans remain undercounted. The deadline reverted back to October 31, 2020. Let us all get counted at my2020census.gov,” reminded NaFFAA Chairman Flores.

This year's event also included interviews with Filipino American restaurateurs, Nicole Ponseca of Jeepney and Kristine de la Cruz of Crème Caramel LA. If you missed NaFFAA’s live event, you can visit NaFFAA.org/FAHM and view the event recording and presentation.

NaFFAA is proud to support “Yellow Rose” by filmmaker, Diana Paragas, in theaters now. NaFFAA encourages everyone to view the film, which spotlights urgent immigration issues.

NaFFAA is grateful to Verizon and Bank of America for supporting NaFFAA’s programming. We also thank Filipino American Media Pioneer Jannelle So for hosting the event.