Filipino Immigration

Children's Literature

Currently, over two million people of Filipino heritage live in the United States. Often overlooked among ethnic groups that have migrated to the United States and Canada, Filipinos make up one of the most vibrant portions of the respective national ethnic tableaus. In Filipino Immigration, author Jim Corrigan traces the sometimes torturous pathway faced by newcomers to North America whose roots lie in the Philippine Islands. Corrigan begins this illustrated volume of the broader "Changing Faces of North America" series by outlining the history of Filipino-Western relations. Historically, as author Corrigan points out, the Philippines was a rich archipelago that Europeans, and then Americans, seized for imperial interests. Over several centuries the Spanish and then the Americans came to dominate the future of the land and its people. In the twentieth century, an increasing number of Filipinos chose to start a new life in North America. These Asian immigrants brought with them cultural, linguistic, and social traditions and the merger of Filipino and North American societies has not been without its bumps in the road. In one of the more interesting sections of this book, the author highlights the difficulties that have dogged some Filipino immigrants. In the end, immigration from the Philippine Islands to North America has offered both new hope to the immigrants and a fresh diversity for local populations. This compelling tale is well-told in this colorful and well-written book. 2004, Mason Crest Publishers, Ages 10 up.
—Greg M. Romaneck