Appearance of Filipinos in America
Between the period from the late sixteenth century to the period up until World War II, there were several mass migrations of Filipinos into North America, specifically into the United States. Surely many Filipinos came to the states on their own as individuals during this huge time span, but there are several mass movements of Filipinos into the United States that are of great importance. Although there are many reasons that led to such large movements of Filipinos into North America, it is mainly due to the colonization of the Philippines by the Spanish and the United States that led to early presences and mass immigration of Filipinos to the United States. The first sign of mass movements of Filipinos into the United States came very early in history. ... The Spanish often took many Filipinos onto their ships as they proved to be excellent seamen, serving as navigators, marine officers, and boatmen. ... Other roles that the Filipinos played were those of lumberjacks, rowers and scouts, but basically acted as indentured servants to the Spanish. On June 1, 1565, the first Spanish Galleon bearing Filipinos, the San Pablo, left the ancient Philippine city Cebu for a two-hundred-and-four day voyage to Mexico. ... October 18, 1587 marks the date of the first actual known Filipinos to land in what would later become the United States of America. Landing in Morro Bay in California near present-day San Luis Obispo, the Nuestra Senora de Esperanza Galleon under Captain Pedro de Uramuno carried several “Luzones Indios” (which they referred to Filipinos as). These “Luzones Indios” became the first large group of Filipinos to reach America, but tragically, they were all killed by the Native Americans there during scouting missions. For the next two and a half centuries, the Spanish Galleon Trade brought hundreds of Filipinos into the North America via the Manila-Acapulco route. However, these Filipinos were often not released into the Americas freely.