Immigration to the U.S.

WarBride.jpg

"War Bride Likes America - Raising their children in American fashion are Mr. and Mrs. Salvador Umipig. Three year old Linda and 6 month old Lillian were born at Yakima's St. Elizabeth hospital. Mrs. Umipig of Manila is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Juan Azejo."

Photo taken from Souvenir Edition commemorating Grand Opening of the Yakima Valley Filipino Hall (1952)


After the U.S. annexation of the Philippines in 1899, large numbers of Filipinos migrated to the United States to study or to fill agricultural jobs, primarily in California and Hawaii. As U.S. nationals, Filipinos were not subject to the same restrictions imposed on other non-European groups. Arrivals slowed dramatically following the Great Depression and passage of the Tydings-McDuffie Act in 1934, which set the Philippines on a track to independence after ten years and imposed strict immigration quotas on the islands of just 50 immigrants per year. However, after World War II larger numbers began arriving, primarily as “war brides” of U.S. servicemen and as recruits into the armed forces, though some also came to train as health-care workers.

Starting in the 1960s, the Filipino immigrant population grew rapidly, in part a result of the 1965 Immigration Act’s removal of national-origin quotas. But this growth was also influenced by longstanding government, military, economic, and educational ties between the two countries, as well as Philippine policy that encourages and facilitates labor migration for development purposes. The unique historical experience of having once been U.S. nationals sets Filipinos apart from other immigrant groups that have arrived in large numbers since 1965. 


Batalova,  Jie Zong and Jeanne, “Filipino Immigrants in the United States,” Migrationpolicy.Org, last modified March 12, 2018, accessed September 20, 2021, https://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/filipino-immigrants-united-states-2016.


Based on Pew Research analysis, there are 4.2 million Filipinos living in the United States as of 2019, making them the third-largest Asian origin group in the country. According to the National Asian American Survey, 48% of Filipino Americans have a 4 year college degree or higher and 78% are registered voters.