Since 1992, every October, the Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS) celebrates Filipino American History Month (FAHM) across the United States. In 2009, U.S. Congress nationally recognized FAHM, and in 2015, President Obama hosted the first FAHM celebration at the White House.
The Theme
This year 2024, FANHS identified the theme of “Struggle, Resistance, Solidarity and Resilience” based on historical look back. The education highlights allow all communities to learn our peoples experience and contributions to never forget our struggles and triumphs.
It is based on the following events. The 100th anniversary of the Hawai’i Sugar Strikes and Hanapēpē Massacre; the 75th anniversary of the FBI arrests of labor organizers Chris Mensalves & Ernesto Mangaoang; the 50th anniversary of the building of Agbayani Village for California farmworkers who co-led the national grape boycott; the 50th anniversary of the election of the first Alaska state legislator Thelma Buchholdt; and the 25th anniversary of the racially motivated murder of postal worker Joseph Ileto. See detailed information: https://tinyurl.com/FAHM2024Theme.
FANHS will be hosting two Zoom panels to commemorate our theme. The first, was called Struggle and Resistance October 6. The second is called Solidarity and Resilience on October 20. Register at https://tinyurl.com/FAHM-Solidarity.
The Local History
How many of us know these events without individuals, community members and FANHS researching and highlighting them?
Locally, FANHS Executive Director Dr. Dorothy Cordova and researcher Maria Batayola obtained a Department of Archeology and Historic Preservation (DAHP) grant to document the Filipino American historic sites. The 3-year effort is funded by DAHP through the National Park Service’s Underrepresented Communities Grant Program. The project documents in the DAHP database 30 Filipino American sites and two national historic nominations for the National Register of Historic Places.
The site nomination for the Jose Rizal Park in Seattle is underway, and the one for the Filipino American Community of Yakima Valley Community Hall (FACYV) has been successfully submitted, reviewed, and approved. The Community Hall historic designation will be celebrated on October 12 and is open to the public. From an equity and justice documentation perspective, most Filipino American historic and key events occurred in places that the community did not own and/or no longer exist. There is much to be done to correct this inequity to make sure that all historical places of significance are recognized.
Our Future
FANHS beloved Auntie Dorothy Cordova, founder and Executive Director, has often said: “History is political, and it is not always pretty. There is the good, the bad, and the ugly.” FANHS believes that all of our histories should be embraced and critically reflected upon, so that we can learn invaluable lessons and advocate for a better future.
2024 is a presidential election year. It is a critical turning point for democracy, human rights, and equality. FANHS encourages our communities and others to reflect on the struggles that have been inflicted by our own government and other systems, the many solidarity movements that resulted in successful resistance, resilience, and persistence. Let’s celebrate our communities with collective love and joy, which we believe — as author and activist bell hooks taught us — is a revolutionary act of justice.
For more information, please visit www.fanhs-national.org or visit us on Instagram at @fanhs_national.
Editor’s note: Maria Batayola serves on the board of directors of the International Examiner. The board does not determine the content of the newspaper.
