User:A1hp0smat/Filipinos in Chicago

= The Filipino Community in Chicago = Chicago hold's the seventh-largest Filipino community in the United States. The Filipino community in Chicago continues to grow with at least 169,000 Filipinos in Illinois as of 2024. The Filipino community boasts a rich tapestry of history, culture, and resilience, reflecting the vibrant diversity within the city. From its humble beginnings in the early 20th century, when the first waves of Filipino immigrants arrived on American shores seeking economic opportunities and a better life, to its present-day status as a integral part of Chicago's multicultural landscape, this community has left an indelible mark on the city's social fabric.

Since the historic migration of the 1920s, Filipino-Americans have played an increasingly significant role in shaping Chicago's cultural mosaic, contributing not only to its economic vitality but also to its vibrant cultural tapestry. As of 2000, Filipinos emerged as the fourth-largest immigrant group in the Chicago metropolitan area, underscoring their growing presence and influence within the region.

History
From 1571 to 1898, the Philippines was under Spanish Rule for three centuries and was then acquired by the United States after the Spanish-American War. The Philippines wanted independence from the Unites States which played part in the Philippine American War that lasted from 1900 to 1902. Prior to its independence, the Philippine Islands were US territories. In 1903, the Philippine Commission put into action the first legislative measure to advance the education of Filipinos in the United States. This is also known as the Pensionado Act. This act appointed 100 Filipino students to pursue education in the United States for the fiscal year 1904 as well as selected 13 students to study agriculture and mechanical arts and sciences. These students came primarily from elite families across the Philippine Islands, and these select students became known as pensionados. The cost for education and maintenance of each student studying in the US was not allowed to exceed 500 USD per year. The first 100 students traveled to Los Angeles, California by boat because California's public schools were considered the best in the United States. From Los Angeles, the students were divided to Santa Barbara, Ventura, Santa Paula, Claremont, Redlands, Riverside, Santa Ana, San Diego, National City, Compton, and Whittier.

The Pensionado Act in 1903 was made possible by Manuel Quezon, who would become the second president of the Philippines. Manuel Quezon advocated for the act and helped establish scholarships for Filipino Students in the United States. Quezon wanted to have a generation of young Filipinos who would hold government positions on the Philippine Islands.

The Tydings-McDuffie Act of 1934 gave the Philippines Independence from the United States. Franklin D. Roosevelt had to approve of the Philippine constitution and Filipinos had to elect delegates for the constitutional convention. This also led to Manuel Quezon's presidency in November of 1935. The Philippines was required to remain as U.S. territory for 10 years but were allowed control of internal matters.

Filipinos immigrated to the United States to primarily earn an American Diploma because they believed it would translate to success back on the Philippine Islands. Chicago was one of the cities that Filipino men immigrated to attend universities. Among the Filipinos who studies in Chicago, about half were studying to become physicians .Filipinos attended universities such as University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, University of Chicago, DePaul University, Northwestern University. The sponsored students either lived with selected families or were required to live in boarding houses. All their purchases were to be reported to the United States Bureau of Insular Affairs. Other than being a student, Filipinos in Chicago worked in restaurants, clubs, United States Post Offices as clerks, and the Pullman Company as bus boys, cooked, and dining car attendants. Filipino workers played a role in the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters (BSCP) and Pullman Company negotiations. The Pullman Company hired Filipino workers to intimidate African American workers from joining BSCP.

Due to the United States having control over the Philippines after the Spanish-American War, Filipinos assimilated easily to American culture. Therefore, they were at an advantage over other Asian groups that immigrated to the United States. Despite the familiarity with American culture, if Filipino students were to lose their status as a student, they have faced challenges with racism. Racism made it challenging for Filipinos to look for housing off-campus and if they were to drop out of school and look for a job, race immediately replaced academic status.

Demographics
In the 1920s, Filipinos first migrated to Chicago. By 1930, there were approximately 2,000 Filipinos near the South Side of Chicago. In 1965, immigration laws were liberalized due to the Immigration and Nationality Act and by 2000 the population increased to about 29,000 Filipinos in the city and 81,000 in the metropolitan area. The popular neighborhoods that Filipinos moved into were Skokie, Waukegan, Glendale Heights, Morton Grove, and North Chicago.

In the 2000 census, Filipinos had the highest annual median household income than any other Asian group in Chicago, which was $55,164. Many Filipinos in Chicago worked in the medical field, particularly as nurses. Therefore, they lived close to hospitals or the CTA lines

According to the Pew Research Center, in 2015, there were approximately 137,000 Filipinos in the Chicago Metro area. According to the 2017 American Community Survey, there were 153,431 Filipinos estimated in Illinois.

Rizal Center
The Rizal Center is a community and cultural center located in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood which was established in 1974. It is named after the Philippine's national hero Dr. Jose Rizal. The Rizal Center is a welcoming place for people of all backgrounds. The center hosts many events and programs such as dancing and martial arts.

Filipino American Heritage Month
Lori Lightfoot who was the previous Mayor of Chicago signed a proclamation that recognized October as Filipino American Heritage Month in Chicago.

Seafood City
The first Seafood City opened in Chicago in September of 2016. Seafood City is a supermarket that specializes in Filipino and Pan-Asian grocery items. The opening of Seafood City introduced more Filipino culture into Chicago as other popular Filipino Chains such as Jollibee opened with it.

AFIRE Chicago
AFIRE stands for Alliance of Filipinos for Immigrant Rights and Empowerment. AFIRE is a community organization dedicated to establishing a supportive political environment for Filipinos. Their mission is to empower these communities to unite and advocate for the liberation of immigrants, workers, domestic workers, queer and trans individuals, and marginalized populations worldwide.

CIRCA-Pintig
CIRCA-Pintig was established in Chicago and is devoted to empowering immigrant communities through programs that integrate art and community engagement. CIRCA stands for the Center for Immigrant Resources and Community Arts and pintig means heartbeat or pulse. CIRCA-Pintig was founded by a group of Filipinos in the early 1980s. Several of the founding members came to Chicago to reunite with family that left the Philippines due to political and economic turmoil under the Marcos dictatorship.

Chicago Filipino Restaurants
Food is a big part of Filipino culture. Food is important in Filipino culture because it is an important element in family, community, and celebrations. Filipino restaurants in Chicago are becoming increasingly popular due to the unique takes and fusions on Filipino dishes. Some of these notable restaurants are Kasama, Cebu, Boonie's Filipino Restaurant, Mano Modern Cafe, and many more.

Contributions
Filipinos advocated for language accessibility in voting polls across Cook County. In 2019, it was announced that voters would be able to receive ballots in Tagalog, which is one of the primary languages in the Philippines.

The University of Illinois at Chicago began to offer an Introduction to Filipino American Studies for the first time as a general education course due to student demands.

In 2018, Abakada Clothing was founded by Arvin Boyon and Calvin Calma in Chicago, Illinois. The clothing has been featured in GQ's recommendation of "The 19 Best New Menswear Items to Buy This Week" on June 24, 2022.

Kasama is a popular Filipino French restaurant in Chicago, IL. It is the first Filipino restaurant to receive a Michelin Star, which was awarded in 2022. The restaurant ties together popular Filipino dishes and Flavors with French pastries. The restaurant was founded by married couple, Tim Flores and Genie Kwon. They began the restaurant with the goal to make Filipino food more accessible to people who have never tried it before.

Notable People
Pedro Orata is a Filipino educator who came to the United States in 1920. Pedro Orata studied at the University of Illinois and obtained a bachelor's degree in education. By 1927, Orata had a master's from the University of Illinois and a Ph.D. from Ohio State University. In Pedro Orata's memoir he recalls having two summer jobs at once and waiting tables in a University of Illinois dormitory in Urbana during the school year. Orata returned the Philippines after studying in the United States and founded Urdaneta Community College in 1966. Pedro Orata advocated strongly for education in the Philippines.

Carmelito Llapitan played a significant role in purchasing the Swedish Choral organization's building for the Filipino community, which eventually became the Rizal Center. Llapitan immigrated to Chicago in 1923 to pursue education in the United States. Llapitan received a degree from Roosevelt College for Business Administration. Llapitan lead the Filipino American Council of Chicago in the late 1940s. Carmelito and his wife, Angelita, are remembered as one of the most dedicated Filipino-American community leaders in Chicago. The late Carmelito Llapitan was given and honorary street sign which can be found near the Rizal Center.