Pilipinos in New York: The History, The Voice, and The Heartbeat

It is said that the beauty of New York lies in the fact that so many people are from some place else. Walk around and you’ll meet a bodega owner from Yemen, manicurist from Nepal, a fifth generation Italian American restaurateur, and a taxi driver from Nigeria . . . the list goes on and on.   In a place where one can get lost in its vibrant diversity, I set out to find the history, the voice, and the heartbeat of Pilipinos in New York and this is what I found.

History. In the 1960’s there was a wave of Pilipino immigration into the New York area. They were mainly academics seeking political refuge during martial law. Most likely, the Ivy League institutions and political climate in the city that would have welcomed them with more open arms are what drew them in. Then through out the 70’s & 80’s most Pilipinos immigrated to work in the medial field. Many of them were recruited to work in hospitals in the toughest neighborhoods during the night shift. Also, up until about 10 years ago some hospitals instituted a strict “No Tagalog” rule. Institutional injustices such as these lead to a strong Pilipino contingent in the New York Nurses Association.  In the 90’s the major influx of Pilipinos into the area came as domestic workers. A group of Pilipina domestic workers who wanted to advocate against unfair wages and abuses founded Domestic Workers United.

In the most recent years many elderly Pilipinos are being petitioned by their family members to enter the country. Another large source of Pilipino migration is from young second generation Pilipino Americans from other parts of the country who are drawn in for school, work, and the bright lights of the city. As of the 2005, the American Community Survey from the US Census reported that NYC has the 4th largest Filipino population behind LA, San Francisco, and Honolulu and Filipinos are the 4th largest Asian Am ethnic group in NYC behind Chinese, Indian and Korean Americans.

Voice. When compared to other areas of the country, Pilipino’s in New York are relatively “new”. Unlike in Hawaii and California where there are populations of fourth and fifth generation Pil-Ams, the majority Pilipinos in New York are first and 1.5 generation. In areas most densely populated with Pilipinos like Woodside and Jamaica it’s more common to hear Tagalog, or any other of the many dialects instead of English. There is something so familiar about the area that can feel like walking the streets of Metro Manila. Then there are quite a few Pilipinos making their way as homeowners in the suburbs of Long Island, professors in universities, actors on the stages of Broadway and celebrity chefs in the fine dining restaurants all over Manhattan. Organizations such as the Jaycees and Collaborative Opportunities for Raising Empowerment (CORE) are made of young Pilipino American professionals committed to service for our community. CORE was responsible for the lighting of the Empire State Building in the colors of the Philippine Flag. Then there are longer standing community organizations such as Philippine Forum and Filipino American Human Services, Inc. (FAHSI).

Heartbeat. In my search to find out more about Pilipinos in NYC, I met with the Executive Director of FAHSI and she told me,  “In my opinion, what makes our community here in New York unique, is the fact that we are so vibrant and visible,” said Johanna Martinez, Executive Director of FAHSI. I got the chance to watch some senior women put on a “Senior Prom” talent show and I saw just what she was talking about. After the show, I spoke to an elderly woman that everyone called so affectionately Tita Nelia and she said, “All of us here we are like sisters . . . when I am with them my problems dissolve.”  These were some poignant words on just how Pilipinos have thrived in New York. No matter where we are, as long as we are together, we are family and that makes our lives that much better. I heard this theme of resilience again, when I spoke to Noilyn Abesamis-Mendoza, a founding member of Kalusugan Coalition and a second generation Pil-Am from Southern California who now calls NYC her home. She told me that a major turning point for her was 9/11. She told me her story about running home from work on that fateful day and all of the anti-immigrant sentiment in the city after it happened. And she said, “ I knew then I had to stay and I was determined to rebuild.”

Pilipinos in New York can be found anywhere and everywhere. We're chillin’ at a backyard family party in Queens and enjoying a bottle of wine with Pilipino inspired tapas in the Lower East side. We are on the night shift at Bellevue Hospital and teaching in the classrooms of Harlem; taking care of children in the Upper East Side and working on Wall Street. No matter who we are and what we are doing we are all part of that same family with a swagger & toughness that comes from the city and the warmth & resilience that comes from our homeland.