congressional_record: CREC-2026-09-30-pt1-PgS5265-4
Data license: Public Domain (U.S. Government data) · Data source: Federal Register API & Regulations.gov API
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| granule_id | date | congress | session | volume | issue | title | chamber | granule_class | sub_granule_class | page_start | page_end | speakers | bills | citation | full_text |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CREC-2026-09-30-pt1-PgS5265-4 | 2026-09-30 | 119 | 2 | 172 | 155 | SENATE RESOLUTION 931--RECOGNIZING THE MONTH OF OCTOBER 2026 AS FILIPINO AMERICAN HISTORY MONTH AND CELEBRATING THE HISTORY AND CULTURE OF FILIPINO AMERICANS AND THEIR IMMENSE CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE... | SENATE | SENATE | RECOGNIZING | S5265 | S5266 | [{"congress": "119", "type": "SRES", "number": "298"}, {"congress": "119", "type": "HRES", "number": "780"}, {"congress": "119", "type": "SRES", "number": "931"}, {"congress": "119", "type": "SRES", "number": "931"}, {"congress": "119", "type": "SRES", "number": "931"}] | 172 Cong. Rec. S5265 | Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 155 (Wednesday, September 30, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 155 (Wednesday, September 30, 2026)] [Senate] [Pages S5265-S5266] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] SENATE RESOLUTION 931--RECOGNIZING THE MONTH OF OCTOBER 2026 AS FILIPINO AMERICAN HISTORY MONTH AND CELEBRATING THE HISTORY AND CULTURE OF FILIPINO AMERICANS AND THEIR IMMENSE CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE UNITED STATES Ms. HIRONO (for herself, Ms. Murkowski, Mr. Booker, Ms. Cantwell, Ms. Duckworth, Mr. Kaine, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Markey, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Padilla, Ms. Rosen, Mr. Sanders, Mr. Schatz, Mr. Schiff, Mr. Warner, and Ms. Warren) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary: [[Page S5266]] S. Res. 931 Whereas the earliest documented Filipino presence in the continental United States was October 18, 1587, when the first ``Luzones Indios'' arrived in Morro Bay, California, on board the Nuestra Senora de Esperanza, a Manila-built galleon ship; Whereas, in 1763, the first permanent Filipino settlement in the United States was established in St. Malo, Louisiana, marking over 250 years of continuous Filipino American history; Whereas the Filipino American community is the third largest Asian American group in the United States, with a population of approximately 5,000,000; Whereas, from 2000 to 2023, the Filipino American community grew 89 percent, and Filipinos are the largest Asian community in the States of Alaska, Arizona, Hawaii, Idaho, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, West Virginia, and Wyoming and the territories of Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands; Whereas, in 1991, the Filipino American National Historical Society made efforts to recognize October as Filipino American History Month, in commemoration of the first Filipinos arrival; Whereas, in 2009, Congress first recognized October as Filipino American History Month (S. Res. 298; H. Res. 780); Whereas celebrating Filipino American History Month provides the people of the United States the opportunity to reflect on the many economic, military, political, and social contributions made by Filipino Americans to the development of the United States; Whereas, from the War of 1812 to present day, Filipinos and Filipino Americans have a longstanding history of serving in the Armed Forces of the United States; Whereas more than 250,000 Filipinos fought under the United States flag during World War II to protect and defend the United States in the Pacific theater; Whereas a guarantee to pay back the service of Filipinos through veterans benefits was reversed by the First Supplemental Surplus Appropriation Rescission Act, 1946 (Public Law 79-301; 60 Stat. 6) and the Second Supplemental Surplus Appropriation Rescission Act, 1946 (Public Law 79- 391; 60 Stat. 221), which provided that the wartime service of members of the Commonwealth Army of the Philippines and the new Philippine Scouts shall not be deemed to have been active service, and, therefore, those members did not qualify for certain benefits; Whereas 26,000 Filipino World War II veterans were granted United States citizenship as a result of the Immigration Act of 1990 (Public Law 101-649; 104 Stat. 4978), which was signed into law by President George H.W. Bush on November 29, 1990; Whereas, on February 17, 2009, President Barack Obama signed into law the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5; 123 Stat. 115), which established the Filipino Veterans Equity Compensation Fund to compensate Filipino World War II veterans for their service to the United States; Whereas, since June 8, 2016, the Filipino World War II Veterans Parole Program has allowed Filipino World War II veterans and certain family members to be reunited more expeditiously than the immigrant visa process allowed at that time; Whereas, on December 14, 2016, President Barack Obama signed into law the Filipino Veterans of World War II Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2015 (Public Law 114-265; 130 Stat. 1376) to award Filipino veterans who fought alongside troops of the United States in World War II the highest civilian honor bestowed by Congress; Whereas, on October 25, 2017, the Congressional Gold Medal was presented to Filipino World War II veterans in Emancipation Hall in the Capitol Building, a recognition for which the veterans had waited for more than 70 years; Whereas Filipino Americans have received the Congressional Medal of Honor, the highest award for valor in action against an enemy force that may be bestowed on an individual serving in the Armed Forces, and continue to demonstrate a commendable sense of patriotism and honor in the Armed Forces; Whereas early Filipino plantation laborers in Hawaii, known as Sakadas, contributed greatly to Hawaii's early agricultural economy and its legacy of strong rights for workers, led by labor organizers like Pablo Manlapit; Whereas early Filipino cannery workers, known as Alaskeros, helped build the United States seafood industry in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest and created the first Filipino-led union, the Cannery Workers' and Farm Labors' Union Local 18257; Whereas the first large group of Filipino immigrants in the early 1900s, known as the Manong generation, became the labor force for the West's vast and growing agricultural industry and faced significant discrimination and exploitation; Whereas Filipino American farmworkers and labor leaders, such as Philip Vera Cruz, Larry Itliong, and Peter Velasco, played an integral role in the multiethnic United Farm Workers movement; Whereas Peter Aquino Aduja of Hawaii and Thelma Garcia Buchholdt of Alaska became the first Filipino American elected to public office and the first Filipina American elected to a legislature in the United States, respectively, inspiring their fellow Filipino Americans to pursue public service in politics and government; Whereas Benjamin Menor of Hawaii and Lorna G. Schofield of New York became the first Filipino Americans to serve as a State supreme court justice and United States district judge, respectively, encouraging new generations of Filipino Americans to enter the legal profession; Whereas, on August 3, 1948, Victoria Manalo Draves became the first Filipino American and Asian American to win an Olympic Gold Medal, and in 1962, Roman Gabriel became the first Filipino American quarterback in the National Football League, and in 1969, the first and only Asian American to be named Most Valuable Player; Whereas Filipino Americans play an integral role in the health care system of the United States as nurses, doctors, first responders, and other medical professionals; Whereas Filipino Americans contribute greatly to music, dance, literature, education, business, hospitality, journalism, sports, fashion, politics, government, science, technology, the fine arts, and other fields that enrich the United States; Whereas Filipino Americans have experienced prejudice, discrimination, and violence throughout the history of the United States, including the 1927 Yakima Valley Riots, the 1930 Watsonville Riots, and the 1999 murder of United States Postal Service Postal Carrier Joseph Ileto; Whereas Filipino American communities in St. Malo, Louisiana and Lahaina, Hawaii were devastated and displaced by hurricanes and the deadliest wildfire in the recent history of the United States, respectively, and demonstrated resiliency as they rebuilt their communities despite language and resource barriers; Whereas efforts should continue to promote the study of Filipino American history and culture because the roles of Filipino Americans and other people of color have largely been overlooked in the writing, teaching, and learning of the history of the United States; Whereas it is imperative for Filipino American youth to have positive role models to instill-- (1) the significance of education, complemented by the richness of Filipino American ethnicity; and (2) the value of the Filipino American legacy; and Whereas it is essential to promote the understanding, education, and appreciation of the history and culture of Filipino Americans in the United States: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Senate-- (1) recognizes the celebration of Filipino American History Month in October 2026 as-- (A) a testament to the advancement of Filipino Americans; (B) a time to reflect on and remember the many notable contributions that Filipino Americans have made to the United States; and (C) a time to renew efforts toward the research and examination of history and culture so as to provide an opportunity for all people of the United States to learn more about Filipino Americans and to appreciate the historic contributions of Filipino Americans to the United States; and (2) urges the people of the United States to observe Filipino American History Month with appropriate programs and activities. ____________________ |