Celebrating Filipino History Month across the Puget Sound
October marks the start of Filipino American History Month. Here are some organizations and events in the Puget Sound Area that celebrate the importance of Filipino culture and heritage.
By Mya Leo
This October marks the 17th annual observation of Filipino American History Month in the United States. According to the Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS), this celebration was first established in 1992 and officially recognized by Congress in 2009. Filipino History Month celebrates the lives and experiences of Filipino Americans who have been an integral part of U.S. culture since first arriving to the country on October 18, 1587 in Morro Bay California.
Upcoming Events
The Washington State History Museum is hosting a free celebration ‘Ani: The Harvest of History’ on Oct. 15 from 3 to 7p.m. Additionally, the museum’s ‘We the People’ lecture series will have a session on the same day focusing on Filipino History Month. On Oct. 13 5 to 7p.m., UW Seattle’s chapter will be hosting a potluck with their other Filipino student organizations. To attend this event, you must make a reservation by Oct. 11. The reservation form and further information can be found on their Instagram page @fasasauw. Stay updated for more events via Dubnet, or contact Tacoma’s chapter at fasauwt@uw.edu or @fasasauwt on Instagram.
Community and Involvement
To get involved, every UW campus has a chapter of the Filipino American Student Association (FASA) that students can join on their campus as a member, or on another campus as an associate member. Additionally, the Filipino American National Historical Society-Greater Puget Sound chapter (FANHS-GPS) gives people the opportunity to learn more about Filipino American history while engaging with local community. For more information on FANHS-GPS click here.
Based on 2025-26 enrollment data from UW Tacoma and Census data, which can be found here and here respectively, Asian American identifying individuals make up the second largest racial demographic of the university, accounting for 19 percent of the student population while only accounting for roughly 10 percent of the Tacoma city population. In being such a significant portion of the campus community while also being a regional minority, it is important to build a sense of belonging within our community by actively honoring commemorative cultural months such as these. In celebrating the cultural heritage of our student body, we gain the ability to strengthen and enrich our community through its diversity.
