The California State Legislature on Thursday unanimously approved legislation to officially recognize the accomplishments of Filipino Americans. Senate Concurrent Resolution 48, authored by Sen. Leland Yee (D-San Francisco/San Mateo), declares October as Filipino American History Month.
The earliest documented proof of Filipino presence in the continental United States was the date of October 18, 1587, when the first “Luzones Indios” set foot in Morro Bay, Calif. The Filipino American National Historical Society recognizes the year of 1763 as the date of the first permanent Filipino settlement in the United States in St. Malo Parish, La.
California is home to over half of the Filipino population in the United States.