October is Filipino American History Month (FAHM). In honor of FAHM, I am proud to share the following information about a little known aspect of Filipino American history.
The first recorded arrival of Filipinos in what is now Morro Bay, California was on October 18, 1587, as sailors and crewmen on the Spanish galleons of the Manila-Acapulco Mercantile.
On October 21, 1995 the Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS) unveiled a plaque commemorating the landing of these first Filipinos in California. The Morro Bay Celebration Edition of the FANHS newsletter Generations (Fall 1995) said in part:
“After a year of planning and fund raising activities, California Central Coast Chapter will dedicate a national historical marker to commemorate the landing of the Spanish galleon Nuestra Señora de Esperanza in Morro Bay on Oct. 18, 1587. This marked the first presence of Filipinos (referred to in the ship’s logs as Luzones Indios) in the continental United States.”
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