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; 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, Washington State contributed to this history with the recognition of 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, Efforts must continue to promote the study of Filipino American history and culture, as mandated 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 imperative 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 found in the state, and is the fourth largest state of Filipino Americans in the United States, and the location of historic Filipino communities; and
     WHEREAS, Filipinos have served with special distinction in the United States military branches;
     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives acknowledge that October 2011 is the 424th 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 Rey Pascua, President of the Filipino American Community of the Yakima Valley, and to the National Office of the Filipino American Historical Society, for further distribution to citizens of the State of Washington.