Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS) has been in the forefront of the Pagdiriwang celebrations, as well as in other activities throughout the United States, in order to highlight the rich history, traditions and culture of Filipinos in the United States as well as their contributions to mainstream society.

 

The Filipino American National Historical Society was founded by Dorothy Cordova in Seattle in 1982. A community-based organization, its mission is to collect, document, share and disseminate Filipino American history. Through the efforts and vision of Fred Cordova, FANHS created a national archive which has the largest collection of Filipino American materials in the U.S. There are 28 chapters which gather the history of their geographic region. Through oral history interview or journal writing groups personal stories have been collected. More than 3,000 historical photographs and documents have been collected or scanned. The National Office, various chapters and individual members have produced books, exhibits and videos.

 

Its collections and expertise are shared with authors, scholars doing research, filmmakers, students and ordinary people looking for family information. FANHS has published scholarly journals, newsletters and a blog. It conducts public programs – including 12 national conferences in different cities which focus on different aspects of Filipino American history.

 

Past projects include the award-winning video Filipino Americans Discovering Their Past for the Future; the renowned pictorial essay Filipinos: Forgotten Asian Americans; and various regional publications and photo exhibits.

 

The FANHS staff are volunteers committed to its mission. For FANHS information, call (206) 322-0202, email: fanhsnational@earthlink.net, web: www.fanhs-national.org.