Filipino American History Month

Spread Awareness with the Filipino American History month toolkit!

As October unfolds, the City of South San Francisco celebrates the rich and vibrant heritage of Filipino Americans. This month commemorates the first recorded arrival of Filipinos in what is now Morro Bay, CA in 1587 (437 years ago)! Filipino American History Month is a time to honor the unique contributions, traditions, and history of the Filipino community, which holds a significant place in the cultural tapestry of our nation and county.

Filipino Americans have a long history in the United States, contributing significantly to various fields including education, healthcare, the arts, athletics, public service, and so much more. In San Mateo county, the influence of the Filipino community is deeply felt, from the culinary delights that enrich our food scene to the community leaders who inspire and drive positive change. It is estimated that 80,000 Filipino Americans live in the county.

This October, as we celebrate Filipino American History Month, we also take the time to reflect on the ongoing challenges faced by the Filipino community, including issues of representation, cultural preservation, and social justice. We are committed to creating an environment where the Filipino community and all residents can thrive and feel a sense of belonging in South San Francisco. 

Let's Think: Local Learning Resources

This section provides an asset-framing indicator or story that highlights local contributions of residents and community leaders who identify as Filipino.  It also provides current local data points, to the furthest extent possible. We start with asset-framing stories and positive indicators to empower the communities we want to celebrate. However, we also include local inequity indicators to highlight the work that needs to be done to eradicate inequities. To learn more about the power of asset-framing narratives, please check out this article.   

  

Below the indicators, we share examples of actions that County departments are using to mitigate or eliminate inequities in this population. The intent of this section is to inspire more County departments to disaggregate data to better understand the impact of their works on different sectors of the population, and then develop actions to address those gaps. This is one way the County will be able to achieve more equitable outcomes for all residents.   

 

Let’s Act: Find organizations to connect with and ways to support during Filipino American History Month!

In this section, we highlight a few organizations that usually organize different types of events during this awareness month.