In 1906, the first significant numbers of Filipino immigrants arrived in Hawaiíi to work on the islandsí sugar plantations. Until 1935, many more came as migrant laborers to West Coast farms and Alaskan canneries. After World War II, approximately 7,000 Filipino soldiers received U.S. citizenship and, in 1945, the War Brides Act permitted Filipino wives of U.S. military to immigrate. The 1965 Immigration Act paved the way for Filipino professionals to enter the United States, many of them in the medical field. This latest wave of immigration brought major changes in gender and class in the Filipino American community which now numbers 2.36 million. Filipino Americans constitute the second largest APA group overall, second to Chinese Americans, according to the 2000 Census.

In 2006, the Smithsonian Institution will commemorate the centennial of Filipino migration to the United States with special events, a curriculum guide, public programs and a possible exhibition that will provide a historical overview of Filipino Americans in the United States. The commemorative events will tell the stories of the unique roles of Filipino Americans in the United States -- their struggles, contributions, challenges and achievements.

For a more in-depth look at Filipino American history, please check out our timelime.