Written by HRCap, Inc.
November 3, 2022
Origins of Filipino American History Month
Filipino American History Month (FAHM) is observed in October to celebrate the first recorded presence of Filipino diaspora in the U.S. during the Manila-Acapulco galleon trade. While U.S. Congress first recognized October as FAHM in the United States in 2009, FAHM’s origins stretch back to as early as 1992, when Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS) founder Dr. Dorothy Laigo Cordova and her husband, Dr. Fred Cordova, first established it.
Over the past month, HRCap has highlighted both Filipino and Filipino Americans personages, to celebrate how Filipino heritage is making a global impact. We hope that these Filipino leaders will be a source of inspiration for everyone.
Celebrating Filipino Leaders
Lea Salonga is a Filipina actress and singer that is best known for her Tony Award-winning role in Miss Saigon. She has also won the Olivier, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, and Theatre World Awards.
Melanie Perkins is ranked the richest woman in Australia. She was rejected by over 100 venture capitalists until the investment of her start-up business Canva, which is now valued at $26 billion.
Tony Tan Caktiong is a Filipino billionaire businessman, founder of Jollibee Foods Corporation, and co-chairman of DoubleDragon Properties. He has won the title of EY World Entrepreneur of the Year 2004 and EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2003 Philippines.
Sheila Marcelo is the co-founder of Care.com, which provides an online marketplace for childcare, senior care, tutoring, pet care, and housekeeping supplies.
Apl.de.Ap is a co-founder of the Grammy Award-winning hip-hop group "The Black Eyed Peas." He is also the founder of the Apl.de.Ap Foundation, which provides opportunities through arts, technology, and healthcare for the youth in the Philippines.
Celebrating Filipino Representation at HRCap
From our diverse team of recruiters and researchers at HRCap, we would like to highlight and recognize our fantastic Filipino leaders, who dedicate great amounts of time and effort into our Executive Search Practice Team. Both recruiters have made valuable contributions to the team and company with their recruiting technique, patient perseverance, and warm personalities.
We asked them what being a part of the Filipino American community means to them and what they enjoy about being a recruiter. This is how they responded:
Filipinos are very family-oriented, hard-working, and optimistic when facing resilience. As a Filipino American, the values and principles I grew up on made me grateful for my upbringing and how hard our families worked to provide better opportunities for us. Plus, our food is delicious!
As for recruiting, I learn something new every day, and I love the opportunity to work with companies from different industries in different verticals. We get to build special relationships with clients and candidates. It’s very exciting to know a company is growing with a candidate we work closely with and in a role that can change their lives. I am proud to work at HRCap which embraces cultural diversity and connects other Asians and Asian Americans to more opportunities.
Being Filipino American has always provided me with a sense of pride and belonging. Whether we are seen on stage or in hospitals, I feel that Filipino Americans are known to be welcoming, resilient, and, considering our nation’s history, forgiving people. We’ve embraced the Spanish and American influences and established our own unique identity on values of respect and goodwill. And we’re always game for karaoke.
One thing I really love about recruiting is that I’m exposed to learning about different jobs and locations. Researching or sourcing for cases broadens my perspective about the world and the career paths people choose. It’s always interesting to me to interact with a wide range of personalities and see what draws each of them to a job and what kind of skills bring value to their experience. I'm proud to be a part of HRCap because it provides the opportunity for me to connect with others and support them in multiple capacities along the way.
We are humbled to have both leaders representing, and look forward to promoting greater cultural diversity and inclusion in our workplace!
Source: HRCap, FANHS National
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