Filipino Americans are the second-largest Asian American group in the nation and the third-largest ethnic group in California, after Latinas/os and African Americans. The celebration of Filipino American History Month in October commemorates the first recorded presence of Filipinos in the continental United States, which occurred on October 18, 1587, when “Luzones Indios” came ashore from the Spanish galleon Nuestra Senora de Esperanza and landed at what is now Morro Bay, California. In 2009, U.S. Congress recognized October as Filipino American History Month in the United States.
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Corazon Aquino was the first female president of the Philippines. Her 1986 election was largely a response to the assassination of her husband who was from a well-known and historic political family in the Philippines.
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Began performing stand-up in small Las Vegas venues. Koy landed a breakthrough role on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno in 2005, then toured with Carlos Mencia. Today his specials have breaking records for ticket sales.
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A prize-winning boxer, the five-foot, six-inch tall Manny Pacquiao's nicknames are Pac-man and the Destroyer. Pacquiao is the first boxer ever to win eleven world titles in eight different weight divisions.
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Best known for originating the role of Kim in the 1990 London stage hit Miss Saigon. She won every major New York drama award including a Tony Award for Best Actress in 1991 and was the singing voice for Aladdin and Mulan.
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Has had a varied career in film, television, and stage. Of Philippine, Hispanic, Hawaiian, Scotch-Irish, Chinese, and Cherokee descent, Phillips has played characters of widely different backgrounds.
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Wayne's World Cassandra, a heavy-metal rock and roller, Carrere continued to act in films and television roles. As a musician, after releasing a handful of albums, she was awarded Grammy Awards in 2009 and 2011.
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At 16 he learned he was an undocumented immigrant and kept his undocumented status a secret. In 2008, he won the Pulitzer Prize for breaking news in 2008. In 2011 he revealed his status through an article for the NY Times.
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Radio and television journalist known as NPR's "All Things Considered" anchor. His commentaries and humorous essays led to his column "Amok," which is published monthly in Filipinas magazine.
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Born and raised in Hawaii by his Puerto Rican and Jewish father and Filipina mother, he has sold more than 130 million albums. With a net worth of more than $100 million he is one of the most successful musical artists of all time.
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Author of novels, short stories,and poems, he is best known for works such as the American Book Award–winning collection Scent of Apples. He writes about Filipino American identity amid the political upheaval of the 20th century.