[11][12] As of 2022, there were almost 4.5 million Filipino Americans in the United States[13][14] with large communities in California, Hawaii, Illinois, Texas, Florida, Nevada, and the New York metropolitan area.

[24] The first documented presence of Filipinos in what is now the United States dates back to October 1587 around Morro Bay, California,[25] with the first permanent settlement in Saint Malo, Spanish Louisiana, in 1763,[26] the settlers there were called "Manilamen" and they served in the Battle of New Orleans during the closing stages of the War of 1812, after the Treaty of Ghent had already been signed.

[30] Mass migration began in the early 20th century when, for a period following the 1898 Treaty of Paris, the Philippines was a territory of the United States.

By 1904, Filipino peoples of different ethnic backgrounds were imported by the U.S. government onto the Americas and were displayed at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition as part of a human zoo.

[39] Significant populations of Filipino Americans can be found in California, Florida, Texas, Hawaii, the New York metropolitan area, and Illinois.

The history of Spanish and American rule and contact with merchants and traders culminated in a unique blend of Eastern and Western cultures in the Philippines.

[53] Despite being from Asia, Filipinos are sometimes called "Latinos" due to their historical relationship to Spanish colonialism;[54] this view is not universally accepted.

[93] Other Christian denominations include Protestants (Aglipayan, Episcopalian, and others), and nontrinitarians (Iglesia ni Cristo and Jehovah's Witnesses).

[93] Additionally there are those Filipinos who are Muslims, Buddhist or nonreligious; religion has served as a dividing factor within the Philippines and Filipino-American communities.

[93] During the early part of the United States governance in the Philippines, there was a concerted effort to convert Filipinos into Protestants, and the results came with varying success.

[98] In 1997, the Filipino oratory was dedicated at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, owing to increased diversity within the congregations of American Catholic parishes.

[103] Filipino Americans, who are first-generation immigrants were more likely to attend mass weekly, and tended to be more conservative, than those who were born in the United States.

[115] On television, Filipino cuisine has been criticized, such as on Fear Factor,[116] and praised, such as on Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations,[117] and Bizarre Foods America.

[118] While "new" Filipino restaurants and fusion-type places have been opening up, traditionally, "native cuisine proved itself strong and resistant to 'fraternization' with foreign invaders.

Popular Filipino dishes such as pancit has Hokkien roots, adobo from Spain and Mexico, and the use of bagoong and patis, fermented sauces that stem from Malay origins.

[134] In a study conducted by Yusuke Kuroki, family connectedness, whether defined as positive or negative to each individual, served as one means of lowering suicide attempts.

[140] In 1961, the Philippine News was started by Alex Esclamado, which by the 1980s had a national reach and at the time was the largest English-language Filipino newspaper.

[161] In the 2020 presidential election, Philippines Ambassador Jose Manuel Romualdez alleged that 60% of Filipino Americans reportedly voted for Joe Biden.

[167] Due to scattered living patterns, it is nearly impossible for Filipino American candidates to win an election solely based on the Filipino-American vote.

[174] In the 117th United States Congress, Scott once again became the sole Filipino-American Representative after Cox was defeated in a rematch against David Valadao.

Individual earnings for both Filipino males and females were significantly lower than all Asians, suggesting multiple earners in a household.

[191][192] There is also a trend of Filipino Americans relocating from Hawaii and California to Nevada due to rising cost of living and housing prices.

[193] Average hourly wages for full-time, year-round workers in 2019[185] The representation of Filipino Americans employed in health care is high.

As of 2009[update], Filipinos were the fifth-largest community of illegal immigrants behind Mexico (6.65 million, 62%), El Salvador (530,000, 5%), Guatemala (480,000, 4%), and Honduras (320,000, 3%).

[235] Filipino Americans experience significant health disparities and are more likely to have diabetes, heart disease, high blood preasure and other issues.

[268] Filipino-American gay, lesbian, transgender, and bisexual identities are often shaped by immigration status, generation, religion, and racial formation.

[271] These topics are supported by a study that was conducted in 1997 by the Federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that revealed that 45.6% of Filipina American teenage students in San Diego public schools had seriously thought about committing suicide.

[275] Although having friends of diverse backgrounds gave these Filipinos a sense of inclusion among their peers, they also gained a heightened awareness of discrimination.

[280] However, in 1946, the United States Congress passed the Rescission Act of 1946 which stripped Filipino veterans of the promised benefits.

[298] In the 113th Congress, Representative Joe Heck reintroduced his legislation to allow documents from the Philippine government and the U.S. Army to be accepted as proof of eligibility.