This chapter is an overview of Filipino American histories, emphasizing the events from the Philippine Revolution against Spain (1896–1898), war with the United States (1899–1913), and labor migration to the United States. We will explore how, why, and when Filipinos came to the United States, and under what conditions they participated in and led movements for social change throughout the twentieth century.

Filipino experiences in the United States are not singular. Many have experienced poverty and hardship, while others have enjoyed comfort and fortune. Some have organized for better working conditions with their colleagues, while others have taken advantage of their fellow Filipinos. In his poem “Conditions (an unrestricted list),” Napoleon Lustre captures the diversity of Filipinos in the US when he wrote:

Lustre’s poem goes on to describe how Filipino American identity contains many different experiences.

Writer and activist Carlos Bulosan said, “Our history has many strands of fear and hope that snarl and converge at several points in time and space.” ³ The idea of strands can feel fragile, and sometimes these connections between the vast number of Filipinos and Filipino American experiences can seem that way. Letters, calls, texts, or balikbayan boxes (corrugated boxes that contain items sent to the Philippines by overseas Filipinos) can help sustain connections, but those thin strands can also break at any moment with a dropped call or a lost letter. There are times that strands of Filipino culture weave together into something strong and inspiring. By following all these strands, we might see patterns emerge throughout history, with powerful examples of solidarity, resistance, and mutual care.

This chapter follows the “strands” offered by five museum objects from the Smithsonian Institution. The Smithsonian, the world’s largest museum, education, and research complex, has collected important artifacts of Philippine history, but not without controversy. While some items were donated or given with permission from Filipinos, many objects in the Smithsonian collection were taken without agreement. Thus, the history of the Philippines is deeply embedded in the history of the Smithsonian and the United States.