"Celebrate Filipino American History in October"
 By Rodney Jay C. Salinas, October 1, 2002

 The month of October is widely observed as Filipino American History
 Month. The Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS)
 initiated the celebration back in 1991. And in the spirit of this
 wonderful occasion, here is one interesting fact for every day of the
 month. Please take the time to read, think about it, and share your
 knowledge with others.

 Week One: Oct. 1 - 7, 2002

Fact for October 1
 Question: Did you know who invented the fluorescent light?
 Answer: AGAPITO FLORES invented the fluorescent light in the early  1940's.
 Source: Information adopted from Filipino American National Historical
 Society (FANHS) Instruction Kit 1992

 Fact for October 2
 In 1902, the U.S. Congress passed into law the Cooper Act, which made it
AGAINST THE LAW for Filipinos to:
 a) own property
 b) vote
 c) operate a business
 d) live in an "American" residential neighborhood
 e) hold public office
 f) become naturalized American citizens
 It was later repealed (the exact year is not known).
 Source: Information adopted from the National Filipino American
 Empowerment Conference 1997 brochure.

 Fact for October 3
 Back in the 1920's and 1930's, the ratio of men to women was 20 to 1
 (because of World War I). In some places it was 40 to 1. Because they
 were Filipino, they were not allowed to marry white women. In the state
 of California during 1926, the local authorities imposed
 anti-miscegenation laws on Filipinos. Filipinos had to drive out of
 state in order to marry white women.
 Source: Information adopted from the National Filipino American
 Empowerment Conference 1997 brochure.

 Fact for October 4
 What do Chris Judd (ex-husband of Jennifer Lopez), rapper Jay-Z, singer
 Enrique Iglesias, actor Lou Diamond Phillips, and MTV Real World star
 Lori (from the second New York City season) have in common? They are all
 half-Filipino.
 Sources: Spin Magazine, A. Magazine, Filipinas Magazine, MTV.com

 Fact for October 5
 Major General Edward Soriano of the U.S. Army, a Filipino American,
 became the second highest-ranking Asian Pacific American in active-duty
 military service in July 1997. Major General Soriano was born in
 Pangasinan, Philippines, and moved to the United States during the
 1960s.
 Source: Information adopted from Asian Week, August 22-28.

 Fact for October 6
 In 1763, Filipinos made their first permanent settlement in the bayous
 and marshes of Louisiana. As sailors and navigators on board Spanish
 galleons, Filipinos -- also known as "Manilamen" or Spanish-speaking
 Filipinos -- jumped ship to escape the brutality of their Spanish
 masters. They built houses on stilts along the gulf ports of New Orleans
 and were the first in the United States to introduce the sun-drying
 process of shrimp.
 Source: Marina E. Espina. "Filipinos in Louisiana". A.F. Laborde & Sons:
 New Orleans, 1988.

 Fact for October 7
 Did you know that a Filipino American named Eduardo San Juan designed
 the Lunar Rover or "moon buggy" which was used by the Apollo astronauts
 to explore the moon?
 Source: "Filipino Americans - Just like Me!" Compiled by Mencie Y.
 Hairston

 Fact for October 8
 The elite class of rich Filipinos, also known as "pensionados," were
 allowed to come to America to learn in American universities. In
 November 1903, 103 pensionados became the first Filipino students in
 American universities and campuses.
 Source: Adelaida Castillo-Tsuchida's "Filipino Migrants in San Diego:
 1900-1946". University of San Diego, San Diego, CA, 1979.

 Fact for October 9
 Immediately after the Katipuneros (freedom fighters) won their
 independence from Spain, the United States began to impose its own brand
 of neo-colonialism on the Filipinos. It is known in U.S. history books
 as the "Philippine Insurrection," but is hardly ever taught in schools.
The Filipino American War lasted from 1898 to 1902, and in those 3
 years: 70,000 Americans died & 2 million Filipinos were killed.
 Source: Stanley Karnow. "In Our Image: America's Empire in the
 Philippines". New York: Ballintine Books, 1989.

Fact for October 10
 In 2001, "The Flip Side," a film about growing up as a Filipino in
 America, became the first Filipino American feature film to be accepted
 into the world-renowned Sundance Film Festival. The writer/director is
 Rod Pulido.
 Source: National Asian American Telecommunications Association

 Fact for October 11
 Venancio C. Igarta, an artist, is the first and only Filipino to be
 exhibited at the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art. He took the New
 York City art world by storm in the 1940s. He is featured in the October
1997 issue of FILIPINAS MAGAZINE.
 Source: Sison-Paez, Marites. "Igarta Unbound." Filipinas Magazine,
 October 1997, pg. 46.

 Fact for October 12
 In the early 1900's, Filipinos came to the U.S. and settled down in many
 areas. In Hawaii, Filipinos worked on sugar cane plantations. They also
 came to the West Coast of the U.S., where they worked many long hours on
 farms and in the agricultural fields picking grapes, asparagus, lettuce
 and other fruits and vegetables in places like Hayward, Salinas,
 Stockton, El Centro, and even in Escondido. In Alaska they worked in the
 fish canneries.
 Source: Adelaida Castillo-Tsuchida's "Filipino Migrants in San Diego:
 1900-1946". University of San Diego, San Diego, CA, 1979.

 Fact for October 13
 Filipinos first crossed the Pacific Ocean as early as 1587, fifty years
 before the first English settlement of Jamestown was established.
 Source: Eugene Lyon. "Track of the Manila Galleons". National
 Geographic. Vol. 178, No.3, Sept. 1990, pgs. 4-37.

 Fact for October 14
 Do you know who the first Filipino American in the major leagues was?
 His name was Bobby Balcena, and his era was during 1948 to 1962. Bobby
 debuted on September 16, 1956, with the Cincinnati Reds. He managed to
 score two runs. Balcena passed away on January 5, 1993, at the age of
 64. Another Filipino American first!
 Source: Emil Guillermo. "Pinoy in the Outfield." FILIPINAS. October
 1997.

  Fact for October 15
 Unknown to many Filipinos, through the Treaty of Paris (April 11, 1899),
 Spain sold the Philippines to the United States for $20 million, thus
 ending over 300 years of Spanish colonization.
  Source: Stanley Karnow. "In Our Image: America's Empire in the
 Philippines." New York: Ballentine Books, 1989.

  Fact for October 16
 When Filipinos came to the United States in the early 1900's, they had
 to compete against other ethnic groups to earn a living. Tensions grew
 between white Americans and Filipinos. White Americans blamed Filipinos
 for taking their women and their jobs. For this reason, many hotels,
 restaurants, and even swimming pools had signs that read "POSITIVELY NO
FILIPINOS ALLOWED!" Sometimes they read, "NO DOGS ALLOWED!" This
 eventually lead to the passing of the Tydings-Mcduffie Act of 1934,
 which limited Filipino immigration to the U.S. to 50 per year.
 Source: Cordova, Fred. "Filipinos: Forgotten Asian Americans". Dubuque,
 Iowa: Kendall/Hunt Publushing Co., 1983.

 Fact for October 17
 Did you know that ROB SCHNEIDER is Filipino American? You all know him
 from Saturday Night Live, the movies "Judge Dredd," "Demolition Man,"
 and "Deuce Bigalow."
  Source: "Filipino Americans -- Just Like Me!" Compiled by Mencie Y.
 Hairston

  Fact for October 18
 Currently, the youngest member of the Pennsylvania House of
 Representatives is also the first Filipino American to be elected to the
 state legislature - Jeff Coleman. A Republican, Jeff's passion for
 politics and public service developed as an early teenager living in
 Manila observing the "People Power Revolution." He is now 27.
 Source: Pennsylvania State Legislature Website

  Fact for October 19
 Where did the term Pinoy originate?
 It is believed that the term Pinoy originated from the early Filipinos
 who came to the United States. The Manongs (uncles) as the "oldtimers"
 were also known to call themselves Pinoys to distinguish themselves from
 Filipinos living in the Philippines.
  Source: Philippine History 101 website
 http://pubweb.acns.nwu.edu/~flip/history.html

  Fact for October 20
 Filipino American, Angela Perez Baraquio, is the Asian Pacific American
 ever to be crowned Miss America.
 Source: Miss America Website

  Fact for October 21
 In 1781, Antonio Miranda Rodriguez Poblador, a Filipino, along with 44
 other individuals were sent by the Spanish government from Mexico to
 establish what is now known as the city of Los Angeles.
  Source: Cordova, Fred. "Filipinos: Forgotten Asian Americans". Dubuque,
 Iowa: Kendall/Hunt Publushing Co., 1983.

Fact for October 22
 Loida Nicolas Lewis, a Filipina American, is chairman and CEO of TLC
Beatrice International Holdings, Inc., a multinational food company with
sales in 1995 of $2.1 billion. Mrs. Lewis was the first Asian woman to pass
the New York State bar exam without having studied law in the U.S.
 Source: Ann On-Line http://www.annonline.com

  Fact for October 23
 The 4th wave of Filipino Immigration to the United States began after the
passage of the Immigration Act of 1965 and continues to the present day.
This allowed the entry of as many as 20,000 immigrants annually. This wave
of Filipinos was also called the "brain drain," and consisted mainly of
professionals: doctors, lawyers, nurses, engineers, as well as the military.
 Source: Cordova, Fred. "Filipinos: Forgotten Asian Americans". Dubuque,
Iowa: Kendall/Hunt Publushing Co., 1983.

  Fact for October 24
 Did you know that the Governor of the State of Hawaii is a Filipino
American named Benjamin Cayetano? He is the highest ranking
Filipino-American in politics to date.
 Source: Information adopted from the National Filipino American
Empowerment Conference 1997 brochure.

  Fact for October 25
 On October 25, 1944, General Douglas MacArthur fulfilled his promise to
return to the Philippines. After destroying the Japanese fleet in the Gulf
of Leyte, General MacArthur, then in the company of the greatest armada ever
to sail the Pacific, landed in Palo, Leyte. The Japanese were forced to
leave the Philippines soon thereafter.
 Source: Stanley Karnow. "In Our Image: America's Empire in the
Philippines". New York: Ballintine Books, 1989.

  Fact for October 26
 Did you know that TAMLYN TOMITA, from the "Karate Kid II" and the "Joy
Luck Club" is part Filipina?
Source: "Filipino Americans Just Like Me!" Compiled by Mencie Hairston.

  Fact for October 27
 The 3rd wave of Filipino immigration was from 1945-1965. Filipinos from
the Philippines joined the U.S. Navy to fight against the Japanese.
Filipinos were allowed to join the navy because they were so-called
"Nationals." They were not U.S. citizens, nor were they illegal aliens. But
despite their status, Filipinos fought side by side with American soldiers
for freedom against the Japanese. These veterans are were denied benefits
and are still to this day fighting for their rights.

 Fact for October 28
 The Philippines was named after the Crown Prince Philip II of Spain. He
was reputed to be an extreme introvert, humorless, and unpopular. Dubbed the
"Spider of the Escorial" because he seldom left his palace, Philip II
reigned over the vast Spanish empire handed down by his father, Charles V,
and was a leading patron of Catholicism.
 Source: From Bong Barrameda's Pinoy Trivia Vol. 2, Anvil Publishing, 1993.

  Fact for October 29
 Did you know that in the state of California, there are more Filipinos
than there are of Chinese. And in San Diego County, Filipino Americans are
the largest Asian Pacific Islander group.
  Source: National Filipino American Empowerment Conference, August.

  Fact for October 30
 Did you know that Dr. Abelardo Aguilar, a Filipino American, discovered
the now widely used antibiotic known by its generic term as erthyromycin.
  Source: http://pubweb.acns.nwu.edu

  Fact for October 31
 Both Ruben Aquino and Cynthia Ignacio, two Filipino Americans, were
instrumental in the creation of the Disney animation film "THE LION KING."
Aquino has been with Walt Disney Studios for over a decade and was the
supervising animator of the character Simba. Ignacio, born and raised in
Maryland, started as an intern at Walt Disney, but eventually was promoted
to a full-time artist and layout specialist.
  Source: Ayuyang, Rachelle. "A Great Lion of Work." Filipinas Magazine,
September 1994, pg. cover, 7.

 If WE DON'T know our own history, WHO else WILL? Filipino American
 history doesn't end here!

 ABOUT THE AUTHOR
 Rodney Jay C. Salinas is a national political commentator and president
 of the Rainmaker Political Group LLC (www.rainmakerpolitical.com). He
 can be contacted at mail@rainmakerpolitical.com or toll-free at (866)
 621-4149.

 Copyright 2002 - Rodney Jay C. Salinas | All Rights Reserved.

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