It is just one of the firsts in our heritage, Kathleen Simpao is the first Filipina firefighter in Virginia Beach. A simple piece of history that should be taken note of especially now that it’s October.

Established in 1988 by The Filipino American National Historical Society, The Filipino American History Month or the Filipino American Heritage Month is a time to celebrate and recognize significant personalities and events in the history of the Filipinos in America. Below are some that we have found:

1587 - Filipino Indios arrived at Morro Bay, California via the Manila-Acapulco galleon trade making Filipinos the first Asians to set foot on American soil.

1760 - A settlement was established by Filipinos at Saint Malo in the bayous of Louisiana, near the city of New Orleans, Louisiana. It is the first community of Filipinos - also called the “Manilamen” - in the United States.

1902 - The Pensionado program granted scholarships to Filipinos that allowed them to study in the U.S.

1911 - Pablo Manalapit creates the Filipino Federation of Labor, the first Filipino labor union.

1921 - Philippine Independent News is published in Salinas, California to become the first U.S. Filipino newspaper.