FILIPINO migration to the United States of America has had a long and colorful history. Scholars point out that Filipinos were in North America even before the end of the Spanish era. Findings of Filipino researcher Marina Espina point to the existence of a Filipino colony in Louisiana as early as 1763.

“Manilamen”, as they were commonly called, were the very first Asian immigrants to settle in the American continent after jumping ship because of harsh working conditions in Spanish galleons manned by them.

Despite such earlier landings however, scholars consider those who left during the period 1906 to 1919 as the first wave of Filipino migration to the Untied States, including Alaska and Hawaii, due to the organized and regular nature of their migration.

It was in December 20,1906 that the ship Doric docked at Honolulu, carrying fifteen Filipinos (one of whom carried a fighting rooster in one arm) along with a handful of Chinese, Japanese and Sikhs. Eleven of the Filipinos were single, four were married. The oldest was fifty-six and the youngest was fourteen. All were recruited from Manila but also originated from the coastal area of Candon in Ilocos Sur. Little did these men know that they made history by being the first group of Filipinos to settle in Hawaii, during the first wave of Filipino migration.

Five of these men belonged to one family, headed by Simplicio Gironella with his four sons (Mariano, Vicente, Francisco and Antonio). The group also included two sets of brothers (Mauricio and Celestino Cortez, and Prudencio and Cecillo Sagun). The other six were Filomeno Rebollido, Marciano Bello, Emiliano Dasulla, Apolonio Ramos, Martin de Jesus and Julian Galmen. Francisco Gironella spoke fluent English and acted as interpreter for the group.

All were eventually sent to live in the main Japanese camp at the Olaa Plantation in Big Island, Hawaii located five miles south of Hilo.

Two months afterward, the second group of recruits from the Philippines numbering 30 people with two women and two children arrived on February 25, 1907. The third batch of recruits arrived on July 19, 1907 all 43 of them including eight women and eight children. This migration continued on, and was followed thereafter by major waves of migration, to other states in the U.S., as well.

Today, the United States of America hosts more than 2.7 million Filipinos, nearly 276,00 of whom reside in Hawaii. At present, Filipinos in Hawaii have made a permanent mark in the state’s political, economic and cultural life. While Filipinos first came to Hawaii as plantation workers and indentured laborers, Filipinos in Hawaii today will be found in the professions, in business, government, politics, academe and the arts.

One significant milestone for Filipinos in the history of Hawaii was the election of Benjamin Cayetano as the first and so far, the only United States Governor of Filipino ancestry. In the Hawaii legislature, it is not unusual to find elected senators and representatives of Filipino ancestry. In business and commerce, many enterprising Filipinos are well respected for the successful ventures established or managed by them.

Filipino migration to Hawaii provided the lead for the continued migration of Filipinos to the United States of America that followed. Filipinos in Hawaii have produced exemplars of Filipino industry and excellence, a pride and honor for the Philippines and the Filipino people.