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Filipinos in the New York metropolitan area constitute one of the fastest growing ethnicities in the United States, and one of the largest and most prominent Filipino
diaspora A diaspora ( ) is a population that is scattered across regions which are separate from its geographic place of origin. Historically, the word was used first in reference to the dispersion of Greeks in the Hellenic world, and later Jews afte ...
s in the
Western Hemisphere The Western Hemisphere is the half of the planet Earth that lies west of the prime meridian (which crosses Greenwich, London, United Kingdom) and east of the antimeridian. The other half is called the Eastern Hemisphere. Politically, the term W ...
. By 2014 Census estimates, the New York City-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, NY-NJ-CT-PA Combined Statistical Area was home to 262,375 Filipino Americans, 221,612 (84.5%) of them uniracial Filipinos.


History

New York City has a shorter settlement history compared to historically more common locations for Filipinos to immigrate to, such as the West Coast.


Early demographics

While larger populations Filipinos immigrated to New York City after 1965, many Filipinos began arriving in New York in the early 1900s. Many came to study as ''
pensionados The Pensionado Act is Act Number 854 of the Philippine Commission, which passed on 26 August 1903. Passed by the United States Congress, it established a scholarship program for Filipinos to attend school in the United States. The program has ...
'' (or sponsored students) in universities like Columbia University and New York University. Like other immigrants at the time, these Filipinos entered through Ellis Island;
Manuel Quezon Manuel Luis Quezon y Molina, (; 19 August 1878 – 1 August 1944), also known by his initials MLQ, was a Filipino lawyer, statesman, soldier and politician who served as president of the Commonwealth of the Philippines from 1935 until his de ...
and
Carlos Romulo Carlos Peña Romulo Sr. (January 14, 1898 – December 15, 1985) was a Filipino diplomat, statesman, soldier, journalist and author. He was a reporter at the age of 16, a newspaper editor by 20, and a publisher at 32. He was a co-founder of ...
are among the small group of Filipinos who arrived in this way. In 1911, some Filipinos worked at the Dreamland Amusement Park in
Coney Island Coney Island is a peninsular neighborhood and entertainment area in the southwestern section of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood is bounded by Brighton Beach and Manhattan Beach to its east, Lower New York Bay to the s ...
, where they simulated what "savage" life was like in the Philippines. Most other Filipinos in New York at this time were seamen who docked at the Brooklyn Navy Yards. A Filipino restaurant called Manila Restaurant opened in the late 1920s and was located at 47 Sand Street in Brooklyn. In 1927, one of the first Filipino
civic organizations Civil society can be understood as the "third sector" of society, distinct from government and business, and including the family and the private sphere.Filipino American Filipino Americans ( fil, Mga Pilipinong Amerikano) are Americans of Filipino ancestry. Filipinos and other Asian ethnicities in North America were first documented in the 16th century as slaves and prisoners on ships sailing to and from New ...
s in New York City. In 1970, there were 14,279 Filipinos in
New York State New York, officially the State of New York, is a state in the Northeastern United States. It is often called New York State to distinguish it from its largest city, New York City. With a total area of , New York is the 27th-largest U.S. sta ...
, 52.4% of whom were college graduates. Filipinos in the New York City metropolitan area also did not enjoy the early advantage of their counterparts on the West Coast of the United States in terms of perceived geographic proximity to the Philippines by marine and air routes. Also in the 1990s,
Philippine Airlines Philippine Airlines (PAL), a trade name of PAL Holdings, Inc. (Philippine Stock Exchange, PSEPAL (Philippine Air Lines until 1970), is the flag carrier airline of the Philippines. Headquartered at the Philippine National Bank, PNB Financial Cen ...
, which had provided service to
Newark Liberty International Airport Newark Liberty International Airport , originally Newark Metropolitan Airport and later Newark International Airport, is an international airport straddling the boundary between the cities of Newark in Essex County and Elizabeth in Union Cou ...
, discontinued this service due to financial difficulties. However, the determined Filipino American communities of the New York City metropolitan region ultimately overcame these obstacles in conjunction with the sheer number of opportunities provided by the region for Filipinos to work and thrive as a highly achieving, ambitious, and rapidly growing presence, first within the New York City region's Asian American milieu and eventually amidst its mainstream population. Filipino Americans started working in the traditional nursing and healthcare fields in the region's numerous hospitals and clinics, before branching out to other professional fields. In the East Village and the Lower East Side, Manhattan, there was significant Filipino migration in the late 1980s due to mass recruitment of Filipino
medical professional A health professional, healthcare professional, or healthcare worker (sometimes abbreviated HCW) is a provider of health care treatment and advice based on formal training and experience. The field includes those who work as a nurse, physician (suc ...
s to area hospitals, notably
New York Eye and Ear Infirmary New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai (NYEE) is located at East 14th Street and Second Avenue in lower Manhattan, New York City. Founded on August 14, 1820, NYEE is America's first specialty hospital and one of the most prominent in th ...
,
Beth Israel Medical Center Mount Sinai Beth Israel is a 799-bed teaching hospital in Manhattan. It is part of the Mount Sinai Health System, a nonprofit health system formed in September 2013 by the merger of Continuum Health Partners and Mount Sinai Medical Center, and a ...
, and the former Saint Vincent's Catholic Medical Center. Migration was spurred by the hospitals' offer of subsidized housing to employees, in the midst of ongoing rent strikes in the neighborhood. The burgeoning Little Manila centered on 1st Avenue and 14th Street, around which there were, at the peak, a number of grocery and video-rental stores and Filipino restaurants within a few blocks of one another. Filipino American community relations were strengthened by local Roman Catholic churches in the East Village and Gramercy Park areas. As rents increased, and properties were taken over by New York University, the number of Filipinos and Filipino businesses in the East Village's Little Manila waned. Elvie's Turo-Turo, the longest standing Filipino business in the area, closed in late 2009 after almost 20 years of operation. New Filipino businesses continue to sprout up.


Modern demographics

In the 1970s and '80s, Filipinos in the New Jersey and New York metropolitan region had a higher socioeconomic status than Filipinos elsewhere, as more than half of Filipino immigrants to the metropolitan area were healthcare professionals or other highly trained professionals, in contrast to established working-class Filipino American populations elsewhere. In 1990, there were 43,229 Filipinos in New York City, with the number increasing to around 50,000 in 2000. The borough of Queens is home to the largest concentration of Filipinos within New York City, with about 38,000 Filipinos per the 2010 Census. In 2011, New York City was home to an estimated 82,313 Filipinos, representing a 7.7% increase from the estimated 77,191 in 2008, with 56%, or about 46,000, living in Queens. The Filipino median household income in New York City was $81,929 in 2013, and 68% held a
bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six y ...
or higher. In 2008, the New York metropolitan area was home to 215,000 Filipinos. By the 2010 Census, within the
New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, NY-NJ-PA MSA The New York metropolitan area, also commonly referred to as the Tri-State area, is the largest metropolitan area in the world by urban landmass, at , and one of the most populous urban agglomerations in the world. The vast metropolitan area ...
, there were 217,349 Filipino Americans, with an additional 15,631 in the greater New York-Newark-Bridgeport, NY-NJ-CT-PA CSA. As of 2011, over 150,000 Filipino-born immigrants resided in the New York City metropolitan region. In 2013, 4,098 Filipinos legally immigrated to the New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, NY-NJ-PA core based statistical area; in 2012, this number was 4,879; 4,177 in 2011; 4,047 in 2010, 4,400 in 2009, and 5,985 in 2005. These numerical values do not include the remainder of the New York-Newark-Bridgeport, NY-NJ-CT-PA Combined Statistical Area. Philippine Airlines has resumed service to the New York City region since March 2015, with direct, one-seat service to Manila, this time utilizing JFK International Airport as its gateway. In April 2018, Philippine Airlines launched
non-stop flight A non-stop flight is a flight by an aircraft with no intermediate stops. History During the early age of aviation industry when aircraft range was limited, most flights were served in the form of milk run, aka there were many stops along t ...
service between JFK international Airport and Manila, and has operated this important flight connection between Manila and New York continuously since then, even through the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic.


List of Little Manilas

Little Manila A Little Manila ( fil, Munting Maynila or ), also known as a Manilatown ( fil, Bayang Maynila) or Filipinotown ( fil, Bayang Pilipino), is a community with a large Filipino immigrant and descendant population. Little Manilas are enclaves of Overs ...
s have emerged in the New York City metropolitan area, located in
Woodside, Queens Woodside is a residential and commercial neighborhood in the western portion of the borough of Queens in New York City. It is bordered on the south by Maspeth, on the north by Astoria, on the west by Sunnyside, and on the east by Elmhurst, ...
; Jersey City, New Jersey; and
Bergenfield, New Jersey Bergenfield is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 28,321, an increase of 1,557 from the 2010 censuscount of 26,764,
Woodside, Queens Woodside is a residential and commercial neighborhood in the western portion of the borough of Queens in New York City. It is bordered on the south by Maspeth, on the north by Astoria, on the west by Sunnyside, and on the east by Elmhurst, ...
, known as Filipinotown, is commonly known for its concentration of Filipinos. Filipino cafés and restaurants dominate the area, as well as several
freight Cargo consists of bulk goods conveyed by water, air, or land. In economics, freight is cargo that is transported at a freight rate for commercial gain. ''Cargo'' was originally a shipload but now covers all types of freight, including tran ...
delivery and
remittance A remittance is a non-commercial transfer of money by a foreign worker, a member of a diaspora community, or a citizen with familial ties abroad, for household income in their home country or homeland. Money sent home by migrants competes wit ...
centers scattered throughout the neighborhood. Other Filipino-owned businesses including professional services (medical, dental, optical), driving schools, beauty salons, immigration services, and Filipino video rental establishments are present in the community. Woodside has many types of transportation used on a daily basis. The IRT Flushing Line (), known colloquially as the '' Orient Express'', the 69th Street station serves as the gateway to Queens' largest Little Manila, along with other public transportation such as the Long Island Railroad and buses. The coverage of Little Manila is along Roosevelt Avenue, between 58th and 74th Streets. Elsewhere in Queens, Filipinos are also concentrated in Jackson Heights and Elmhurst. There are also smaller Filipino communities in Jamaica, Queens and parts of Brooklyn. The Benigno Aquino Triangle is located on
Hillside Avenue Hillside may refer to the side of a hill. Places Australia * Hillside mine, a proposed mine on the Yorke Peninsula, South Australia * Hillside, New South Wales * Hillside, Victoria, a suburb of Melbourne Canada * Hillside, Nova Scotia United K ...
in Hollis, Queens to commemorate the slain Filipino political leader and to recognize the large Filipino American population in the area. In February 2008, the Bayanihan Filipino Community Center opened its doors in Woodside, a project spearheaded by the Philippine Forum. The Philippine Forum also hosts the annual Bayanihan Cultural Festival at the Hart Playground in September to commemorate Filipino American History Month. On June 12th, 2022, a sign-unveiling ceremony and celebration were held at the intersection of 70th Street and Roosevelt Avenue to commemorate the Filipino community’s growing presence and contributions in Queens. Concomitantly, there is also a Roosevelt Avenue in Quezon City, Philippines. The corner in Queens was co-named "Little Manila Avenue”.


Manhattan

The Philippine Consulate of New York has a multipurpose role – aside from its governmental duties and functions, it also caters to many events of the Filipino American community and even has a school called ''Paaralan sa Konsulado'' (School at the consulate), which teaches newer-generation Filipino Americans about their culture and language. The consulate is known as the
Philippine Center The Philippine Center is an agency of the Philippine Government in New York City and San Francisco in the United States. The New York City structure houses the Philippine Mission to the United Nations, the Philippine Consulate General, and the o ...
. The Philippine Center's large edifice is situated on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan and is open to the public on business days and closed on Philippine and American holidays. The building itself is considered as the largest foreign consulate on the strip of the avenue. The
Archdiocese of New York The Archdiocese of New York ( la, Archidiœcesis Neo-Eboracensis) is an ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church ( particularly the Roman Catholic or Latin Church) located in the State of New York. It encompasses the borough ...
designated a chapel named after the first Filipino Saint Lorenzo Ruiz de Manila for the Filipino Apostolate. Officially designated as the "Church of Filipinos," the Chapel of San Lorenzo Ruiz in
Lower Manhattan Lower Manhattan (also known as Downtown Manhattan or Downtown New York) is the southernmost part of Manhattan, the central borough for business, culture, and government in New York City, which is the most populated city in the United States with ...
is only the third in the world and the first in the United States dedicated as such.


Eastern Long Island

Long Island, with its vibrant and burgeoning Asian American populations including Chinese Americans,
Indian American Indian Americans or Indo-Americans are citizens of the United States with ancestry from India. The United States Census Bureau uses the term Asian Indian to avoid confusion with Native Americans, who have also historically been referred to ...
s, Korean Americans, and Vietnamese Americans, now adds the relatively recent growth of Filipino Americans as well, following the overall eastward expansion from Queens into Nassau and Suffolk counties.


Northern and Central New Jersey

Northern Northern may refer to the following: Geography * North, a point in direction * Northern Europe, the northern part or region of Europe * Northern Highland, a region of Wisconsin, United States * Northern Province, Sri Lanka * Northern Range, a r ...
and
Central Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known a ...
New Jersey are home to significant overseas Filipino populations, numbering at more than 100,000 statewide, according to the 2010 U.S. Census. While Filipinos can be found across the state, the commercial districts catering to the Filipino community are found mostly in the state's urban areas. State and local governments in the Garden State have significant numbers of employees of Filipino background, and they play a vital role in the state's affairs, issues, commerce, and health care. Filipino enclaves exist in Jersey City,
Bergenfield Bergenfield is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 28,321, an increase of 1,557 from the 2010 censuscount of 26,764,Paterson, Passaic, Union City, Elizabeth, and most recently, Edison. The Meadowlands Exposition Center in Secaucus hosts the annual Philippine Fiesta, a cultural festival that draws Filipinos and non-Filipinos alike from across the New York metropolitan area. The event takes place on the weekend of the second week of August. As of 2021, Jollibee, the restaurant conglomerate headquartered in Ortigas Center,
Pasig Pasig, officially the City of Pasig ( fil, Lungsod ng Pasig), is a 1st class Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Metro Manila, National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, i ...
, in Metro Manila, had five branch locations in Northern and Central Jersey, including three in Jersey City alone.
Bergen County Bergen County is the most populous county in the U.S. state of New Jersey.Hudson County, Middlesex County, and Passaic County have developed in Northern and Central New Jersey as popular destinations for Filipino Americans. Within Bergen County,
Bergenfield Bergenfield is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 28,321, an increase of 1,557 from the 2010 censuscount of 26,764,Paramus Paramus ( Waggoner, Walter H ''The New York Times'', February 16, 1966. Accessed October 16, 2018. "Paramus – pronounced puh-RAHM-us, with the accent on the second syllable – may have taken its name from 'perremus' or 'perymus,' Indian for ...
, Hackensack, New Milford, Dumont, Fair Lawn, and
Teaneck Teaneck () is a township in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is a bedroom community in the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2010 U.S. census, the township's population was 39,776, reflecting an increase of 516 (+1.3%) fro ...
, have developed growing Filipino populations. Taken as a whole, these municipalities are home to a significant proportion of Bergen County's Philippine population.Profile of General Demographic Characteristics for Bergenfield borough, New Jersey: 2000
, United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
A census-estimated 20,859 Filipino Americans resided in Bergen County as of 2013, embodying an increase from the 19,155 counted in 2010. The Philippine-American Community of Bergen County (PACBC) organization is based in Paramus, while other Filipino organizations are based in Fair Lawn and Bergenfield. Bergen County's vibrant and culturally active Filipino community repatriated significant financial assistance to victims of Typhoon Haiyan, which ravaged the Philippines in November 2013. In Hudson County, Jersey City is home to the largest Filipino population in New Jersey, with over 16,000 Filipinos in 2010.
Holy Name Medical Center Holy Name Medical Center is a fully accredited, not-for-profit healthcare facility based in Teaneck, Bergen County, New Jersey, United States, with off-site locations throughout Bergen, Hudson, and Passaic counties. In response to the need for be ...
in
Teaneck Teaneck () is a township in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is a bedroom community in the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2010 U.S. census, the township's population was 39,776, reflecting an increase of 516 (+1.3%) fro ...
, Bergen County, launched its ''Filipino Medical Program'' in December 2015.


Jersey City: Five Corners, Newark Avenue, and Manila Avenue

Jersey City is home to a high-profile Little Manila. Seven percent (7%) of Jersey City's population is Filipino. The Five Corners district has a thriving Filipino community, which is one of the largest Asian-American subgroups in the city. Newark Avenue's strip of Filipino culture and commerce is significantly large and growing. A variety of Filipino restaurants, shippers and freighters, doctors' officers, bakeries, stores, and even an office of
The Filipino Channel The Filipino Channel, commonly known as TFC, is a 24-hour global subscription television network based in Daly City, California with studios in Redwood City, California and offices in Africa, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Cayman Islands, UAE, Ethio ...
made Newark Avenue their home. The first Filipino owned grocery store on the East Coast, Phil-Am Food, originated in Jersey City since 1973; while that establishment's name changed to FilStop, the moniker ''Phil-Am'' has since expanded to businesses in Middlesex County, including Woodbridge and East Brunswick. An array of Filipino-owned businesses can also be found in Jersey City's
West Side West Side or Westside may refer to: Places Canada * West Side, a neighbourhood of Windsor, Ontario * West Side, a neighbourhood of Vancouver, British Columbia United Kingdom * West Side, Lewis, Outer Hebrides, Scotland * Westside, Birmingham ...
section, where many of its residents are of Filipino descent. In 2006, a
Red Ribbon The red ribbon, as an awareness ribbon, is used as the symbol for the solidarity of people living with HIV/AIDS, and for the awareness and prevention of drug abuse and drunk driving. In Canada the red ribbon represents Canadians with Multiple Scl ...
pastry shop opened its first branch on the East Coast in the Garden State. Manila Avenue in Downtown Jersey City was named for the Philippine city because of the many Filipinos who had built their homes on this street during the 1970s. A memorial, dedicated to the Filipino American veterans of the Vietnam War, was built in a small square on Manila Avenue. A park and statue dedicated to Jose P. Rizal, the national hero of the Philippines, exists in downtown Jersey City. Jersey City is the host of the annual Philippine-American Friendship Day Parade, an event that occurs yearly in June, on its last Sunday. The City Hall of Jersey City raises the Philippine flag in correlation to this event and as a tribute to the contributions of the Filipino community. The Santakrusan Procession along Manila Avenue has taken place since 1977. In 2011, Rolando Lavarro, Jr., became the first Filipino American to win an elective position in Jersey City as city council member, and in 2013, Lavarro became the first Filipino American council president of Jersey City. Several Filipinos have been appointed to various Jersey City municipal posts and commissions.


Bergenfield

Bergenfield Bergenfield is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 28,321, an increase of 1,557 from the 2010 censuscount of 26,764,Bergen County Bergen County is the most populous county in the U.S. state of New Jersey.borough councilman; while in the late 1990s, Bergenfield had become the first municipality on the East Coast of the United States to elect a Filipino mayor, Robert C. Rivas. On the other side of Bergen County, the Filipino population of Fair Lawn was estimated to have more than doubled between 2010 and 2017. Also in Bergen County, Jonathan Wong was elected city councilman in Mahwah in November 2014. The annual Filipino American Festival is held in Bergenfield.


Edison

Edison, and surrounding Middlesex County, New Jersey, have emerged as a growing hub for Filipinos since 1990. A significant number of Filipinos in Middlesex County work in the burgeoning healthcare and other life-science disciplines at Central Jersey's numerous medical and pharmaceutical institutions.


Culture


Philippine Independence Day Parade

The annual
Philippine Independence Day Parade The Philippine Independence Day Parade, in New York City, the world's largest outside the Philippines, takes place annually in the United States along Madison Avenue in the Manhattan borough. The parade is held on the first Sunday in June. Its m ...
in a New York City, the world’s largest outside the Philippines, is traditionally held on the first Sunday of June on Madison Avenue in Manhattan. The parade is said to be one of the largest parades of any kind in the city and the largest Philippine celebration in the United States. This celebration is a combination of a parade and a
street fair A street fair celebrates the character of a neighborhood. As its name suggests, it is typically held on the main street of a neighborhood. The principal component of street fairs are booths used to sell goods (particularly food) or convey inform ...
. Madison Avenue is replete on this day with Filipino culture, colors, and people and is attended by many significant political figures, entertainers, civic groups, etc. Former Mayor
Rudy Giuliani Rudolph William Louis Giuliani (, ; born May 28, 1944) is an American politician and lawyer who served as the 107th Mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001. He previously served as the United States Associate Attorney General from 1981 to 19 ...
and Senator Charles Schumer are devout attendees of this annual parade. A smaller annual Philippine Independence Day parade is held in early June in
Passaic, New Jersey Passaic ( or ) is a city in Passaic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the city had a total population of 70,537, ranking as the 16th largest municipality in New Jersey and an increase of 656 from the 69, ...
.


Philippine-American Friendship Day Parade

The annual Philippine-American Friendship Day Parade is held in Jersey City every fourth Sunday of June.


Arts, entertainment, and media

In 2013, so many Filipino films screened across New York City as a part of the New York Asian Film Festival that, according to the '' Philippine Inquirer'', "it could very well have been called the New York Filipino Film Festival". In 2014,
Here Lies Love ''Here Lies Love'' is a concept album and rock musical made in collaboration between David Byrne and Fatboy Slim, about the life of the former First Lady of the Philippines Imelda Marcos along with the woman who raised her—Estrella Cumpas—a ...
, a bio-musical play about the personal and political dynamics between former Philippine first couple
Ferdinand Ferdinand is a Germanic name composed of the elements "protection", "peace" (PIE "to love, to make peace") or alternatively "journey, travel", Proto-Germanic , abstract noun from root "to fare, travel" (PIE , "to lead, pass over"), and "co ...
and Imelda Marcos, opened off-Broadway. The majority of the cast members were of Filipino descent, and the play was set in a
discotheque A nightclub (music club, discothèque, disco club, or simply club) is an entertainment venue during nighttime comprising a dance floor, lightshow, and a stage for live music or a disc jockey (DJ) who plays recorded music. Nightclubs gene ...
.


Filipino cafés and cuisine

The growth in the New York City metropolitan region's Filipino populace has been accompanied by growth in the number of Filipino cafés serving Filipino coffee, especially of the
leche flan Leche (Spanish: "milk") may refer to: * Leche (surname) * ''Leche'' (Fobia album), 1993 * ''Leche'' (Illya Kuryaki and the Valderramas album), 1999 * ''Leche'', a 2010 album by Gregory and the Hawk * Leche frita, a Spanish sweet See also * Lagu ...
,
cassava ''Manihot esculenta'', commonly called cassava (), manioc, or yuca (among numerous regional names), is a woody shrub of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, native to South America. Although a perennial plant, cassava is extensively cultivated ...
, and ube varieties; and Filipino restaurants, with the accessibility of Filipino-
Chinese Chinese can refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation ** List of ethnic groups in China, people of v ...
specialties such as siopao joining traditional
Philippine cuisine Filipino cuisine ( fil, lutong Pilipino/pagkaing Pilipino) is composed of the cuisines of more than a hundred distinct ethnolinguistic groups found throughout the Philippine archipelago. A majority of mainstream Filipino dishes that compose F ...
, including inihaw na liempo and kare kare, snacks such as
pandesal Pandesal ( es, pan de sal, salt bread, lit. "salt bread") is a staple bread roll in the Philippines commonly eaten for breakfast. It is made of flour, yeast, sugar, oil, and salt. Description ''Pandesal'' is a popular yeast-raised bread in the ...
, and desserts including ensaïmada, purple ube cakes,
halo-halo Halo-halo, correctly spelled ''haluhalo'', Tagalog for "mixed" (the more common spelling instead literally equating to "mix-mix") is a popular cold dessert in the Philippines made up of crushed ice, evaporated milk or coconut milk, and various ...
, and mango cake rolls. ''Turo Turo''-style
buffet A buffet can be either a sideboard (a flat-topped piece of furniture with cupboards and drawers, used for storing crockery, glasses, and table linen) or a system of serving meals in which food is placed in a public area where the diners serve ...
dining has become readily available. Beginning in the mid-2010s, Filipino cuisine began to take on a more prominent place in the New York metro as well as Washington metro areas. As of 2022, Kabayan Grill had opened six branches on Long Island, including four in Queens, and its largest ''Turo Turo''-style dining branch in Suffolk County, where a growing Filipino community has been thriving on the county's peninsular geography resembling some parts of the Philippines.


Languages

Filipinos in New York and New Jersey, as in the United States as a whole, are highly fluent in English. However, in the largest Little Manilas in the area, including Woodside, Jersey City, and Bergenfield, Tagalog signage is commonplace. Spanish is also learned due to local and cultural proximity to the in New York as well as being commonly taught as a second language in public schools through the NYC Department of Education's bilingual programs.


NYC-area Filipinos

File:Marissa Aroy.jpeg, Marissa Aroy File:Regie cabico 4192049.JPG, Regie Cabico File:Jiggly_Caliente.png,
Jiggly Caliente Bianca Castro (born November 29, 1980), commonly known as Jiggly Caliente, is a Filipino-American drag performer, singer, and actress best known for competing on the fourth season of '' RuPaul's Drag Race'', the sixth season of '' RuPaul's Drag ...
File:Ernabel Demillo.jpg, Ernabel Demillo File:Vanessa Hudgens - 2019 by Glenn Francis.jpg, Vanessa Hudgens File:Dragcon-4 (47937164822).jpg, Manila Luzon File:Vanessa_Minnillo_2009.jpg,
Vanessa Minnillo Vanessa Joy Lachey (née Minnillo; born November 9, 1980) is an American actress, beauty pageant titleholder, fashion model, and television host. She was named Miss Teen USA in 1998. She has been a New York–based correspondent for ''Entertain ...
File:Paolo Montalban and Ali Ewoldt 2016.jpg,
Paolo Montalbán Paolo Montalban (born May 21, 1973) is a Filipino-American actor and singer best known for his performance in the 1997 Disney television film, '' Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella'' as Prince Christopher, opposite Brandy as Cinderella. He repri ...
and
Ali Ewoldt Ali Ewoldt (born October 6, 1982) is a Filipino-American theatre actress, who made her Broadway debut in the ''Les Misérables'' revival in 2006, playing Cosette. She has also performed on national and international tours and in U.S. regional th ...
File:Nadal in 2009.jpg,
Kevin Nadal Kevin Nadal is an author, activist, comedian, and Distinguished Professor of Psychology at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and The Graduate Center of the City University of New York. He is a researcher and expert on the effects of microag ...
File:Model Geena Rocero Coming out Transgender (13563189244).jpg,
Geena Rocero Geena Rocero (born 1983) is a Filipino-born American model, TED speakers, TED speaker, and transgender advocate based in New York City. Rocero is the founder of Gender Proud, a media production company that tells stories of the transgender commu ...
File:lea salonga 2021 2.jpg,
Lea Salonga Maria Lea Carmen Imutan Salonga (; born February 22, 1971), known professionally as Lea Salonga, is a Filipino singer, actress, and columnist. Nicknamed "Pride of the Philippines," she is best known for her roles in musical theatre, for supplyi ...


Education

* Tracy Espiritu – District Instructional Coach, Elizabeth Public Schools, Elizabeth, New Jersey, 2014–2015
Milken Educator Award The Milken Educator Awards is an educator recognition program in the United States that provides unrestricted grants of $25,000 cash to teachers deemed successful, in surprise ceremonies. Created in 1985 by education reformer and philanthropist Lo ...
* Amado Gabriel Esteban – President,
Seton Hall University Seton Hall University (SHU) is a private Catholic research university in South Orange, New Jersey. Founded in 1856 by then-Bishop James Roosevelt Bayley and named after his aunt, Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, Seton Hall is the oldest diocesan u ...
, South Orange, New Jersey, appointed in 2011 *
Conrado Gempesaw Conrado "Bobby" Gempesaw is an academic administrator who served as the 17th president of St. John's University in New York City. He is the first layperson to hold the position since the university's establishment in 1870, as all 16 prior preside ...
– President of
St. John's University (New York City) St. John's University is a private Roman Catholic university in Queens, New York City. It was founded in 1870 by the Congregation of the Mission (C.M., the Vincentian Fathers) with a mission to provide the youth of New York with a Catholic uni ...
*
Kevin Nadal Kevin Nadal is an author, activist, comedian, and Distinguished Professor of Psychology at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and The Graduate Center of the City University of New York. He is a researcher and expert on the effects of microag ...
, PhD – Professor of Psychology, John Jay College of Criminal Justice; author, ''Filipino American Psychology: A Handbook of Theory, Research, and Clinical Practice''


Food

* Angela Dimayuga – chef and creative director.


Health

* Vernie Bacolot, MS, RN-BC – President, Philippine Nurses Association of New York, 2012–2014 * Eduardo Macalino, M.D., Brooklyn – President, Philippine Medical Association of America, under the auspices of the
American Medical Association The American Medical Association (AMA) is a professional association and lobbying group of physicians and medical students. Founded in 1847, it is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Membership was approximately 240,000 in 2016. The AMA's st ...
* Belle M. Villafuerte – President, Philippine Nurses Association of New Jersey, 2014–2016


Media

* Marissa Aroy – Emmy-winning filmmaker; documentary producer of ‘‘Delano Manongs’’ *
Katherine Creag Katherine Creag Gafner (December 26, 1973 – February 10, 2021) was a Filipino-American television journalist. She worked for WNBC for a decade prior to her death. Before that, she worked for NY1, WTVH, and WNYW. She won several awards for her ...
– journalist, '' WNBC'' * Anne del Castillo – Executive director, NYC Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment * Ernabel Demillo – four-time Emmy-nominated journalist; former reporter for Fox-5; host of '' Asian American Life'' on
CUNY TV , mottoeng = The education of free people is the hope of Mankind , budget = $3.6 billion , established = , type = Public university system , chancellor = Fél ...
*
Kristine Johnson Kristine Johnson (born June 5, 1972, in Angeles City, Philippines), is a co-anchor at WCBS-TV in New York City on the 5 p.m. and 11 p.m. newscasts with Maurice DuBois. Early life and education Johnson was born in the Philippines, the daughter o ...
– anchor, '' WCBS-TV'' * Ligaya Mishan – food critic, ''The New York Times'' * Noel Pangilinan – editor, specializing in Filipino immigration to the United States * Nina Pineda – journalist, '' WABC-TV'' *
Elaine Quijano Elaine Cagas Quijano is an American television reporter. Formerly with CNN, she is now an anchor with CBS News. Early life and education Quijano is a second-generation Filipino American. She grew up in the Skokie and Morton Grove suburbs of ...
– in October 2016, became the first
Asian American Asian Americans are Americans of Asian ancestry (including naturalized Americans who are immigrants from specific regions in Asia and descendants of such immigrants). Although this term had historically been used for all the indigenous peopl ...
journalist to anchor a U.S. national
debate Debate is a process that involves formal discourse on a particular topic, often including a moderator and audience. In a debate, arguments are put forward for often opposing viewpoints. Debates have historically occurred in public meetings, a ...
* Hazel Sanchez – journalist, WCBS-TV * Reena Rose Sibayan – photographer, '' The Jersey Journal''


Politics and diplomacy

* Arvin Amatorio – councilman for
Bergenfield Bergenfield is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 28,321, an increase of 1,557 from the 2010 censuscount of 26,764,Bergen County Bergen County is the most populous county in the U.S. state of New Jersey.Ambassador to the Permanent Mission of the Republic of the Philippines to the United Nations * Julie Ann Redoble Ladanan – Web and Multimedia Communications Specialist
United Nations Alliance of Civilizations
*Rolando Lavarro, Jr. – Jersey City council president, elected to city council in 2011 * Peter Mendonez, Jr. – councilman for West Windsor, New Jersey, elected in 2013 * Robert C. Rivas – mayor of Bergenfield between 1998 and 2003, the first Filipino mayor on the U.S. East Coast * Maria Torres-SpringerDeputy mayor of New York City beginning January 1, 2022 * Jonathan Wong – councilman for Mahwah, New Jersey, elected in 2014


Religion

* Julian Jagudilla – director of the Migrant Center at the Church of St. Francis of Assisi, Lower Manhattan


Sports

*
Benny Agbayani Benny Peter Agbayani, Jr. (; born December 28, 1971) is an American retired professional baseball player. He attended Saint Louis School, Hawaii Pacific University and the Oregon Institute of Technology. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) ...
– retired professional Major League Baseball player on teams including the New York Mets * Jason Brickman – former Long Island University
basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
player * Ernesto Ebuen – Six-time Philippine National Table Tennis champion; and in 2016, the top-ranked ping-pong player in the U.S.; co-founder of table tennis studio startup PingPod


Theater and arts

* Joan Almedilla
Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
actress, '' Miss Saigon'', ''Les Misérables'' * Regie Cabico – poet and spoken word artist *
Jiggly Caliente Bianca Castro (born November 29, 1980), commonly known as Jiggly Caliente, is a Filipino-American drag performer, singer, and actress best known for competing on the fourth season of '' RuPaul's Drag Race'', the sixth season of '' RuPaul's Drag ...
transgender singer, actress, activist, and
drag queen A drag queen is a person, usually male, who uses drag clothing and makeup to imitate and often exaggerate female gender signifiers and gender roles for entertainment purposes. Historically, drag queens have usually been gay men, and part of ...
(contestant on the fourth season of ''
RuPaul's Drag Race ''RuPaul's Drag Race'' is an American reality competition television series, the first in the ''Drag Race'' franchise, produced by World of Wonder for Logo TV (season 1–8), WOW Presents Plus, VH1 (season 9–14) and, beginning with the f ...
'') *
Joel de la Fuente Joel de la Fuente (born April 21, 1969) is an American actor. He first gained recognition for his role as 1st Lieutenant Paul Wang in '' Space: Above and Beyond'', and is best known for his roles as Dr. Johann Pryce in '' Hemlock Grove'', Kempeita ...
,
Maplewood, New Jersey Maplewood is a Township (New Jersey), township in Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The township is an inner-ring suburban bedroom community of New York City in the New York metropolitan area. As of the 202 ...
– actor *
Ali Ewoldt Ali Ewoldt (born October 6, 1982) is a Filipino-American theatre actress, who made her Broadway debut in the ''Les Misérables'' revival in 2006, playing Cosette. She has also performed on national and international tours and in U.S. regional th ...
– Broadway actress, first Filipino/Asian American to play
Christine Daaé Christine Daaé is a fictional character and the female protagonist of Gaston Leroux's 1910 novel ''The Phantom of the Opera'' and of the various adaptations of the work. Erik, the Phantom of the Opera and Viscount Raoul de Chagny both fall in ...
in ''Phantom of the Opera'' * Vanessa Hudgens – Broadway and film actress *
Vanessa Lachey Vanessa Joy Lachey (née Minnillo; born November 9, 1980) is an American actress, beauty pageant titleholder, fashion model, and television host. She was named Miss Teen USA in 1998. She has been a New York–based correspondent for ''Entertain ...
(née Minnillo) – television host, actress, fashion model *
Jose Llana Jose Llana (born 5 May 1976) is a Filipino-American singer and actor best known for his roles on Broadway. Biography Born 5 May 1976, Llana, a native of Manila, Philippines, grew up in Springfield, Virginia, a suburb of Washington, D.C. Afte ...
– Broadway actor,
Drama Desk Award The Drama Desk Award is an annual prize recognizing excellence in New York theatre. First bestowed in 1955 as the Vernon Rice Award, the prize initially honored Off-Broadway productions, as well as Off-off-Broadway, and those in the vicinity. Fol ...
Winner * Manila Luzon – drag queen * Evelyn Mandacsoprano opera singer, orchestra soloist, recitalist, and voice teacher *
Paolo Montalbán Paolo Montalban (born May 21, 1973) is a Filipino-American actor and singer best known for his performance in the 1997 Disney television film, '' Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella'' as Prince Christopher, opposite Brandy as Cinderella. He repri ...
– Broadway and television actor * Ralph Peña – founding member and current artistic director of the
Ma-Yi Theater Company Ma-Yi Theater Company is a professional, not-for-profit, Obie Award and Drama Desk Award-winning theater company based in New York City that was founded in 1989. Ma-Yi Theater is headed by executive director Jorge Ortoll and artistic director Ral ...
*
Catherine Ricafort Catherine Ricafort is an American actress, singer, software engineer, and entrepreneur. Ricafort has appeared in several Broadway productions, including Allegiance, the 2013 production of Cinderella, Mamma Mia!, Disaster! and Honeymoon in Vegas ...
– Broadway actress *
Conrad Ricamora Conrad Wayne Ricamora (born February 17, 1979) is an American actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Oliver Hampton on the ABC television series ''How to Get Away with Murder'' (2014–20). As a stage actor, he is noted for his roles in the ...
– multiple-award winning Broadway and screen actor *
Geena Rocero Geena Rocero (born 1983) is a Filipino-born American model, TED speakers, TED speaker, and transgender advocate based in New York City. Rocero is the founder of Gender Proud, a media production company that tells stories of the transgender commu ...
– transgender fashion supermodel and activist, founder of the ''Gender Proud'' organization *
Ninotchka Rosca Ninotchka Rosca (born December 17, 1946, in the Philippines) is a Filipina feminist, author, journalist, and human rights activist. best known for her 1988 novel '' State of War'' and for her activism, especially during the Martial Law dictatorsh ...
– writer, activist,
feminist Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male po ...
, educator, founder of GABRIELA *
Lea Salonga Maria Lea Carmen Imutan Salonga (; born February 22, 1971), known professionally as Lea Salonga, is a Filipino singer, actress, and columnist. Nicknamed "Pride of the Philippines," she is best known for her roles in musical theatre, for supplyi ...
– Broadway actress and Goodwill Ambassador for the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations


See also

* Filipino American Museum * New York Filipino Film Festival *
Philippine Center The Philippine Center is an agency of the Philippine Government in New York City and San Francisco in the United States. The New York City structure houses the Philippine Mission to the United Nations, the Philippine Consulate General, and the o ...
* San Lorenzo Ruiz Chapel ---- *
Asian Americans in New York City Asian Americans in New York City represent the largest Asian American population of any city in the United States. Population New York City alone, according to the 2010 Census, has now become home to more than one million Asian Americans, grea ...
* Bangladeshis in New York City *
Chinese people in New York City The New York metropolitan area is home to the largest and most prominent ethnic Chinese population outside of Asia, hosting Chinese populations representing all 34 provincial-level administrative units of China. The Chinese American population ...
* Demographics of New York City * Fuzhounese in New York City *
Indians in the New York City metropolitan region Indians in the New York City metropolitan area constitute one of the largest and fastest-growing ethnicities in the New York City metropolitan area of the United States. The New York City region is home to the largest and most prominent Indian ...
*
Japanese in New York City As of the 2000 Census, over half of the 37,279 people of Japanese ancestry in the U.S. state of New York lived in New York City.Robinson, Greg. "Japanese." In: Eisenstadt, Peter R. and Laura-Eve Moss (editors). ''The Encyclopedia of New York St ...
* Koreans in New York City * Russians in New York City *
Taiwanese people in New York City New York City is home to the second-largest Taiwanese American population, after the Los Angeles metropolitan area, California, enumerating an estimated 40,000 to 50,000 individuals as of 2020. History and location The Flushing neighborhood of ...


External links


New York Filipino Film and Arts Festival 2006


References

{{Filipino Americans Asian-American culture in New York City Ethnic groups in New York City Filipino-American culture in New York (state)