 
Assembly Resolution No. 571
 
BY: M. of A. Raga
 
        COMMEMORATING  October  2023, as Filipino American
        History Month
 
  WHEREAS, October has been celebrated as  Filipino  American  History
Month since 1992, when the Filipino American National Historical Society
(FANHS) proposed to honor the month when the first Filipinos or "Luzones
Indios"  landed  on  the  shores of what is now Morro Bay, California on
October 18th, 1587, on  board  the  Manila-built  galleon  ship  Nuestra
Senora de Esperanza; and
 
  WHEREAS,  2023  marks the 14th anniversary of United States Congress
passing the resolution (H. Res 780) to officially commemorate October as
Filipino American History Month in the United States; and
 
  WHEREAS, The recent census reports that  there  are  nearly  150,000
residents  of  Filipino  heritage  living  in  New  York  State, who are
concentrated mainly  in  areas  of  Queens  such  as  Woodside,  Jackson
Heights, Elmhurst, Jamaica, Jamaica Estates, Hollis, and Queens Village;
and
 
  WHEREAS, The oldest record of Filipinos in New York was in 1888 when
physician  and novelist Dr. Jose Rizal stayed at the former Fifth Avenue
Hotel, across the southeast corner of Madison Square Park in  Manhattan;
he  would later become a political martyr and the official National Hero
of the Philippines; and
 
  WHEREAS, A wave of immigrants came from the Philippines to New  York
after  the  1920s,  many  as students, and most were either soldiers who
were assigned to  military  bases  such  as  Governor's  Island  or  the
Brooklyn  Navy  Yard,  or former agricultural workers who moved from the
Western United States in search of employment; and
 
  WHEREAS, After World War II, a smaller wave of immigrants came  from
the  Philippines,  later  followed by the largest wave of immigration in
the 1960s, after the Immigration  and  Nationality  Act  of  1965,  when
hospitals  began  recruiting  Filipino doctors and nurses; nursing later
became one of the most common professions amongst both Filipino men  and
women living in New York; and
 
  WHEREAS,  The  State  of New York is host to a vibrant community and
direct service organizations including: National Federation of  Filipino
American  Associations  (NaFFAA-New  York),  Filipino  American National
Historical   Society   (FANHS-Metropolitan   New    York),    Philippine
Independence  Day  Council,  Inc. (PIDCI), Philippine Nurses Association
(PNA-New York), Project Barkada, Filipino American Human Services,  Inc.
(FAHSI), Broadway Barkada, Philippine Fiesta in America, Kinding Sindaw,
Pilipino  American  Unity for Progress (UniPro), Filipino School of NY &
NJ, Filipino American Museum, The Outstanding Filipino Americans (TOFA),
Damayan Migrant Workers, International Society of Filipinos in Finance &
Accounting (ISFFA-New York) Fil-Am Press Club of New York, Jaycees  (JCI
Philippine-New  York,  JCI-Queens),  United Mindoro International, Inc.,
Philippine United Student Organization (PUSO) at Stony Brook University,
Cornell Filipino Association (CFA) at Cornell University, Districts  III
 
and IV of the Filipino Intercollegiate Networking Dialogue (FIND, Inc.),
and the Lumban Association; and
 
  WHEREAS,  The  State  of  New  York  is home to outstanding Filipino
Americans such as Miss Universe  R'Bonney  Nola,  Broadway  Actress  Lea
Salonga,  New York Yankees Shortstop Anthony Volpe, New York City Deputy
Mayor Maria Torres-Springer, Commissioner of the NYC Mayor's  Office  of
Media  and  Entertainment  (MOME)  Anne  del Castillo, Businesswoman and
Philanthropist Loida Nicolas Lewis, Judge Lorna Schofield, Actress  Liza
Lapira,  the  "King  of  Latin  Soul" Joe Bataan, Television Personality
Vanessa Lachey, DJ Neil  Armstrong,  Author  Jessica  Hagedorn,  Fashion
Designer  Josie  Natori,  Novelist  and  Human Rights Activist Ninotchka
Rosca, Television Journalist Ernabel Demillo, Song Writer Robert  Lopez,
Columbia University School of Journalism Dean of Academic Affairs Sheila
Coronel,  Transgender Model Geena Rocero, Reporter Nina Pineda, Poet and
Historian Luis H.   Francia, Television Journalist  Anna  Sterling,  and
Former New York Mets Outfielder Benny Agbayani; and
 
  WHEREAS, Filipino Americans are an integral part of New York State's
healthcare system as nurses, doctors, and other medical professionals;
 
  RESOLVED,  That  this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commemorate October 2023, as Filipino American History Month,  in  honor
of  Filipino  American contributions to the State of New York and across
the country; and be it further
 
  RESOLVED, That a copy of this  Resolution,  suitably  engrossed,  be
transmitted  to  Amb.  Senen Mangalile, Consul General of the Philippine
Consulate General in New York, the Filipino American National Historical
Society (FANHS)-Metro New York Chapter, and the National  Federation  of
Filipino Americans Association (NAFFAA)-New York Chapter.
Commemorating October 2023, as Filipino American History Month

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