The Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS) was created out of a need to document Filipino American history for succeeding generations. Before Dorothy Laigo Cordova and her husband Fred Cordova took up the task, there was a paucity of information available about the Filipino American community's history in the United States.
Founded on 26 November 1982 in Seattle, Washington, the Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS) is a community-based organization whose mission is “to promote understanding, education, enlightenment, appreciation, and enrichment through the identification, gathering, preservation, and dissemination of the history and culture of Filipino Americans in the United States” with the goal “...to preserve, document, and present Filipino American history and to support scholarly research and artistic works which reflect that rich past...”
FANHS was first chartered in Washington State on 7 January 1985. The national office and archives is housed in Seattle, operating year-round to lend expertise and support to twenty-eight chapters across the United States. It is recognized as the primary informational resource on Filipino Americans for:
- community organizations
- primary and secondary schools, colleges, and universities
- local and national museums and historical associations
- independent authors, playwrights, and filmmakers
- teachers, students, and scholars
The first board of trustees was elected with 27 members from 12 states on 1 November 1986. In the same year, Fred Cordova, who was the founding president of FANHS, created the National Pinoy Archives. Dorothy Cordova is the founder and serves as executive director.
Since 1987, FANHS has sponsored national conferences (later ratified as a biennial event) where community folks of all ages and from all walks of life gather to share and present research, network with other Filipino Americans, and honor those who have produced ground-breaking innovative work in the field of historical research and analysis.
The 2006 biennial national conference was hosted by the Filipino-American Historical Society of Hawaii, in Honolulu, Hawaii.
The 2008 biennial national conference was hosted by the Alaska Chapter (Chapter 17) of the Filipino American National Historical Society, in Anchorage, Alaska during the week of the 4th of July holiday (July 3, 4 and 5, 2008), and featured the theme "Lure of the Salmon Song".
The 2010 biennial national conference was held July 21–24, 2010, in Seattle, Washington, and featured the theme, "A Quest for Emergence: A Retrospective."
The 2012 biennial national conference was held June 28-30, 2012, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and featured the theme "Resilience: A Filipino Legacy in a Global Community."
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.
FANHS has grown in leaps and bounds, with twenty-eight chapters across the country. Each chapter is responsible for collecting historical documentation, memorabilia, and artifacts in their respective areas.
The list of chapters and their years of charter is:
1. Oregon (1988)
2. Sacramento Delta (1989)
3. San Francisco (1989)
4. Hampton Roads (1990)
5. Institute Seattle (1990) (see Note 1)
6. Metropolitan New York (1991)
7. East Bay (1991)
8. Santa Clara Valley (1991)
9. Vallejo (1991)
10. California Central Coast (1991)
11. Midwest (1992)
12. Stockton (1992)(see Note 2)
13. Fresno (1993)
14. New England (1993)
15. Los Angeles (1993)
16. Monterey Bay (1994)(see Note 3)
17. Alaska (1994)
18. San Diego (1995)
19. Central Valley (1998)
20. Rio Grande (1998)
21. Wisconsin (2001)
22. Michigan (2004)
23. St. Louis (2004)
24. Pennsylvania (2005)
25. Sonoma County (2006)
26. Yakama Valley (2006)
27. New Jersey (2006)
28. Carolinas (2009)
Note 1: Reconstituted from chapter to institute Feb. 18, 2006
Note 2: Chartered as Stockton-Central Valley
Note 3: Chartered as Salinas-Monterey County
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