Filipinos started coming to America after the Spanish-American War of 1898.  Most of them were in the U.S. Navy.  Then in the 1920"s Filipinos from the Ilocos and Visayan  regions were recruited to work in the sugar and pineapple fields of Hawaii.  Some of them left Hawaii and went to California to work as migrant farm laborers. Stockton was the gateway to the U.S. mainland at that time.  At that time,  not many beautiful Filipinas were allowed to immigrate to America.  Only Philippine men were.

Some Filipinos went to Seattle and Alaska to work in the salmon industry.  Those in Alaska were called "Alaskeros".  In the 1960"s,  professionals started to come to America.  These included doctors,  nurses,  teachers,  and lawyers.  These Filipinos were mostly Tagalog speaking. 

Many Filipinos residing in America brought their relatives also to the U.S.  Most of them vacation in the Philippines,  but never move back there.  The Filipino community is the largest ethnic group after Hispanics in America.  They,  like the Germans,  Irish,  Polish,  and Mexicans before them are American now.