The Filipino Federation of America: A History of a Socio-Religious Movement

The Filipino Federation of America: A History of a Socio-Religious Movement, 1925–1975

Steffi San Buenaventura, edited by David K. Yoo and Enrique B. de la Cruz
Series: Intersections: Asian and Pacific American Transcultural Studies

Hardback: $75.00
ISBN-13: 9798880702725
Published: November 2026
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Additional Information

University of Hawaii Press
286 pages | 6 b&w photographs
  • About the Book

  • This study examines the early history of Filipino migration to Hawai‘i and California from the 1920s, with particular attention to the Filipino Federation of America. Originating as a voluntary mutual aid society and later developing into a revitalization and messianic movement, the Federation provides a distinctive lens through which to understand the Filipino American experience.

    As a racial-ethnic social movement, the Federation exemplified how Filipino immigrants drew upon Indigenous worldviews and cultural resources to sustain community life in America. It offered its members a fraternal refuge, fostered strong expressions of Filipino nationalism, and contributed to the emergence of a racial and ethnic consciousness among immigrants in the United States.

    The Federation’s membership was drawn largely from young, single male migrant laborers—the sakadas who worked on Hawai‘i’s plantations and California’s farms. Their collective experience of racial discrimination, economic exploitation, and cultural isolation highlights the broader struggles of Filipino immigrants and their strategies for survival.

    At once local and transnational, the Federation also maintained active linkages to the Philippines, where leaders and members engaged in political and religious aspects of the movement. San Buenaventura’s The Filipino Federation of America records both a significant microcosm of the Filipino immigrant experience in America and an important case study in transnational migration history.

  • About the Author(s)

    • Steffi San Buenaventura, Author

      Steffi San Buenaventura (1942–2002) was a faculty member in Asian American studies at the University of California, Davis, at the time of her passing in November 2002.

    • David K. Yoo, Editor

      David K. Yoo is vice provost, Institute of American Cultures, and professor of Asian American studies and history at the University of California, Los Angeles.

    • Enrique B. de la Cruz, Editor

      Enrique B. de la Cruz is professor emeritus of Asian American studies at California State University, Northridge.