WHEREAS, The earliest documented proof of Filipino presence in the continental United States was the date of October 18, 1587, when the first "Luzones Indios" set foot in Morro Bay, California, as published by Lorraine Crouchett in her book, Filipinos in California from 1982, which annotated John Walton Caughey's book, California from 1953; and
     WHEREAS, The Filipino American National Historical Society recognizes the year of 1763 as the date of the first permanent Filipino settlement in the United States in St. Malo Parrish, Louisiana, which set in motion the focus on the story of our nation's past from a new perspective by concentrating on the economic, cultural, social, and other notable contributions that Filipino Americans have made in countless ways toward the development of the United States history; and
     WHEREAS, The Filipino American National Historical Society recognizes that the 1888 documents of Port Blakely on Bainbridge Island, Washington - at the time the largest lumber mill in the world - as listing a "Manilla," the first known employee from the Philippines in the Pacific Northwest; and
     WHEREAS, It is good that efforts are continuing to promote the study of Filipino American history and culture, as recognized in the mission statement of the Filipino American National Historical Society, because the roles of Filipino Americans and other people of color have been overlooked in the writing, teaching, and learning of United States history; and
     WHEREAS, It is important for Filipino American youth to have positive role models to instill in them the importance of education, complemented with the richness of their ethnicity and the value of their legacy; and
     WHEREAS, Washington State is home to Filipinos, the largest Asian/Pacific Islander ethnic population in the state, and has the fourth largest population of Filipino Americans in the United States, and includes the locations of historic Filipino communities such as Wapato, Bainbridge Island, Seattle, Tacoma, Auburn, and Bremerton, among others; and
     WHEREAS, The 13th Biennial National Conference of the Filipino American National Historical Society returns, in July 2010, to Seattle, the site of the first National Conference;
     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives acknowledges that October 2010 is the 423rd anniversary of the presence of Filipinos in the United States, as a significant time to study the advancement of Filipino Americans in the history of Washington and the United States; and
     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be immediately transmitted by the Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives to the Filipino American National Historical Society.