User:ProfScólarBaller/sandbox

Filipino Americans have been involved in American sports since the onset of U.S. colonial rule in the Philippines in 1898. Boxing, in particular was introduced to the native population by U.S. military personnel. Once Filipino pugilists found success in the Philippines, they migrated to Australia and the United States as part of a transnational prizefighting labor force in the early twentieth century. Some of the most well-known boxers were Ceferino Garcia, Speedy Dado, and Pancho Villa. They were important symbols for early Filipino migrants who sought a reprieve from anti-Filipino sentiment, and allowed them to carve out a space of leisure and pleasure denied them in their everyday existence. Other notable Filipino Americans were swimmer Victoria Manalo Draves, former NFL quarterback Roman Gabriel, and former WWE wrestler and now actor David Bautista. Beyond these icons, ordinary Filipino Americans have been involved in sports.