SenateS.Res. 931119th Congress
A resolution recognizing the month of October 2026 as Filipino American History Month and celebrating the history and culture of Filipino Americans and their immense contributions to the United States.
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[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 931 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. RES. 931
Recognizing the month of October 2026 as Filipino American History
Month and celebrating the history and culture of Filipino Americans and
their immense contributions to the United States.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
September 30, 2026
Ms. Hirono (for herself, Ms. Murkowski, Mr. Booker, Ms. Cantwell, Ms.
Duckworth, Mr. Kaine, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Markey, Mrs. Murray, Mr.
Padilla, Ms. Rosen, Mr. Sanders, Mr. Schatz, Mr. Schiff, Mr. Warner,
and Ms. Warren) submitted the following resolution; which was referred
to the Committee on the Judiciary
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Recognizing the month of October 2026 as Filipino American History
Month and celebrating the history and culture of Filipino Americans and
their immense contributions to the United States.
Whereas the earliest documented Filipino presence in the continental United
States was October 18, 1587, when the first ``Luzones Indios'' arrived
in Morro Bay, California, on board the Nuestra Senora de Esperanza, a
Manila-built galleon ship;
Whereas, in 1763, the first permanent Filipino settlement in the United States
was established in St. Malo, Louisiana, marking over 250 years of
continuous Filipino American history;
Whereas the Filipino American community is the third largest Asian American
group in the United States, with a population of approximately
5,000,000;
Whereas, from 2000 to 2023, the Filipino American community grew 89 percent, and
Filipinos are the largest Asian community in the States of Alaska,
Arizona, Hawaii, Idaho, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North
Dakota, South Dakota, West Virginia, and Wyoming and the territories of
Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands;
Whereas, in 1991, the Filipino American National Historical Society made efforts
to recognize October as Filipino American History Month, in
commemoration of the first Filipinos arrival;
Whereas, in 2009, Congress first recognized October as Filipino American History
Month (S. Res. 298; H. Res. 780);
Whereas celebrating Filipino American History Month provides the people of the
United States the opportunity to reflect on the many economic, military,
political, and social contributions made by Filipino Americans to the
development of the United States;
Whereas, from the War of 1812 to present day, Filipinos and Filipino Americans
have a longstanding history of serving in the Armed Forces of the United
States;
Whereas more than 250,000 Filipinos fought under the United States flag during
World War II to protect and defend the United States in the Pacific
theater;
Whereas a guarantee to pay back the service of Filipinos through veterans
benefits was reversed by the First Supplemental Surplus Appropriation
Rescission Act, 1946 (Public Law 79-301; 60 Stat. 6) and the Second
Supplemental Surplus Appropriation Rescission Act, 1946 (Public Law 79-
391; 60 Stat. 221), which provided that the wartime service of members
of the Commonwealth Army of the Philippines and the new Philippine
Scouts shall not be deemed to have been active service, and, therefore,
those members did not qualify for certain benefits;
Whereas 26,000 Filipino World War II veterans were granted United States
citizenship as a result of the Immigration Act of 1990 (Public Law 101-
649; 104 Stat. 4978), which was signed into law by President George H.W.
Bush on November 29, 1990;
Whereas, on February 17, 2009, President Barack Obama signed into law the
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5; 123
Stat. 115), which established the Filipino Veterans Equity Compensation
Fund to compensate Filipino World War II veterans for their service to
the United States;
Whereas, since June 8, 2016, the Filipino World War II Veterans Parole Program
has allowed Filipino World War II veterans and certain family members to
be reunited more expeditiously than the immigrant visa process allowed
at that time;
Whereas, on December 14, 2016, President Barack Obama signed into law the
Filipino Veterans of World War II Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2015
(Public Law 114-265; 130 Stat. 1376) to award Filipino veterans who
fought alongside troops of the United States in World War II the highest
civilian honor bestowed by Congress;
Whereas, on October 25, 2017, the Congressional Gold Medal was presented to
Filipino World War II veterans in Emancipation Hall in the Capitol
Building, a recognition for which the veterans had waited for more than
70 years;
Whereas Filipino Americans have received the Congressional Medal of Honor, the
highest award for valor in action against an enemy force that may be
bestowed on an individual serving in the Armed Forces, and continue to
demonstrate a commendable sense of patriotism and honor in the Armed
Forces;
Whereas early Filipino plantation laborers in Hawaii, known as Sakadas,
contributed greatly to Hawaii's early agricultural economy and its
legacy of strong rights for workers, led by labor organizers like Pablo
Manlapit;
Whereas early Filipino cannery workers, known as Alaskeros, helped build the
United States seafood industry in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest and
created the first Filipino-led union, the Cannery Workers' and Farm
Labors' Union Local 18257;
Whereas the first large group of Filipino immigrants in the early 1900s, known
as the Manong generation, became the labor force for the West's vast and
growing agricultural industry and faced significant discrimination and
exploitation;
Whereas Filipino American farmworkers and labor leaders, such as Philip Vera
Cruz, Larry Itliong, and Peter Velasco, played an integral role in the
multiethnic United Farm Workers movement;
Whereas Peter Aquino Aduja of Hawaii and Thelma Garcia Buchholdt of Alaska
became the first Filipino American elected to public office and the
first Filipina American elected to a legislature in the United States,
respectively, inspiring their fellow Filipino Americans to pursue public
service in politics and government;
Whereas Benjamin Menor of Hawaii and Lorna G. Schofield of New York became the
first Filipino Americans to serve as a State supreme court justice and
United States district judge, respectively, encouraging new generations
of Filipino Americans to enter the legal profession;
Whereas, on August 3, 1948, Victoria Manalo Draves became the first Filipino
American and Asian American to win an Olympic Gold Medal, and in 1962,
Roman Gabriel became the first Filipino American quarterback in the
National Football League, and in 1969, the first and only Asian American
to be named Most Valuable Player;
Whereas Filipino Americans play an integral role in the health care system of
the United States as nurses, doctors, first responders, and other
medical professionals;
Whereas Filipino Americans contribute greatly to music, dance, literature,
education, business, hospitality, journalism, sports, fashion, politics,
government, science, technology, the fine arts, and other fields that
enrich the United States;
Whereas Filipino Americans have experienced prejudice, discrimination, and
violence throughout the history of the United States, including the 1927
Yakima Valley Riots, the 1930 Watsonville Riots, and the 1999 murder of
United States Postal Service Postal Carrier Joseph Ileto;
Whereas Filipino American communities in St. Malo, Louisiana and Lahaina, Hawaii
were devastated and displaced by hurricanes and the deadliest wildfire
in the recent history of the United States, respectively, and
demonstrated resiliency as they rebuilt their communities despite
language and resource barriers;
Whereas efforts should continue to promote the study of Filipino American
history and culture because the roles of Filipino Americans and other
people of color have largely been overlooked in the writing, teaching,
and learning of the history of the United States;
Whereas it is imperative for Filipino American youth to have positive role
models to instill--
(1) the significance of education, complemented by the richness of
Filipino American ethnicity; and
(2) the value of the Filipino American legacy; and
Whereas it is essential to promote the understanding, education, and
appreciation of the history and culture of Filipino Americans in the
United States: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) recognizes the celebration of Filipino American History
Month in October 2026 as--
(A) a testament to the advancement of Filipino
Americans;
(B) a time to reflect on and remember the many
notable contributions that Filipino Americans have made
to the United States; and
(C) a time to renew efforts toward the research and
examination of history and culture so as to provide an
opportunity for all people of the United States to
learn more about Filipino Americans and to appreciate
the historic contributions of Filipino Americans to the
United States; and
(2) urges the people of the United States to observe
Filipino American History Month with appropriate programs and
activities.
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