First Filipinos

The first Asians---the first Filipinos--landed in the United States for the first time in 1587 in Morro Bay, CA. They set sail from Manila, Philippines on July 12th, 1587 and landed on October 18th, 1587, over 30 years before the Pilgrims. Their arrival is recognized by a plaque on a special rock seen below.

Image Source: https://noehill.com/sanluisobispo/poi_filipino_landing.asp

Morro Bay, CA [Image Source: Visit SLO CAL]

The Filipinos arrived during the Manila-Acapulco Galleon Trade Era from 1565 to 1815, when Spanish gallons traveled across the Pacific from the Philippines to Mexico. The Manila Galleon Nuestra Senora de Esperanza landed in Morro Bay during their journey to Mexico. Along the way, they stopped in Morro Bay for three days from October 18th-20th. Aboard the ship was commander Pedro de Unamuno, who sailed for Spain; Franciscan Father Martin Ignacio de Loyola, nephew of the founder of the Jesuit order; priests; soldiers; and eight "Luzon Indios"--Filipinos from the northern Philippines island of Luzon.

Upon landing, the group put up a cross made from branches and claimed the land for Spain. A group of Filipinos and armed soldiers marched together with swords and shields and explored the nearby land. For the first two days, they encountered no homes or people, just beautiful rolling hills. On the third day, the group encountered Native Americans, resulting in an exchange of violence. One soldier and one Filipino were killed. The next day, Unamuno decided to leave and continue his journey towards Mexico, where he landed on November 22.

It is important to remember that Filipinos set foot on American soil long before America became its own country. Read more from Eloisa Gomez Borah's piece published in Filipino American National Historical Society Journal.

Image Source: https://muse.jhu.edu/pub/5/article/908214/pdf

Works Cited

"Filipino Landing" NoeHill Travels in California. 2018. https://noehill.com/sanluisobispo/poi_filipino_landing.asp

Gomez Borah, Eloisa. "The Filipino Landing in Morro Bay in 1587." Project Muse. 6 Oct. 2023 https://muse.jhu.edu/pub/5/article/908214/pdf

Guillermo, Emil. "If Filipinos were here first, shouldn’t this be the United States of the Philippines?" Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund. 16 Oct. 2017 https://www.aaldef.org/blog/emil-guillermo-filipinos-here-first-at-morro-bay-pedro-de-unamuno/