New book traces Filipino community’s presence in Greater Boston

Filipinos in Greater Boston by Dr. Mary Talusan Lacanlale, assistant professor of Asian-Pacific Studies at California State University, Dominguez Hills, has been released by Arcadia Publishing (SC), tracing the presence of Filipinos in Massachusetts since the 19^th century.

The book highlights the rich histories of Filipinos in Greater Boston and aims to inspire more works that document the immigrant community that has grown in the early 21st century to more than 25,000 people.

During the American Civil War, 1860-65, a dozen Filipino men living in Massachusetts enlisted in the Union Army. In the 1900s, Filipino pensionados studied at Harvard, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and other colleges. After the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, Filipino medical, military and other professionals settled in and around Greater Boston in Cambridge, Lexington, Malden and Quincy.

Author Dr. Mary Talusan Lacanlale. FACEBOOK

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Filipino immigrants founded civic organizations such as the Philippine Medical Association of New England, Pilipino-American Association of New England and Philippine Nurses Association of New England.

Since 1976, parents have been volunteering at Iskwelahang Pilipino (Filipino school) to encourage their American-born children’s pride for Filipino traditions. Included are never before seen photographs of the late Sen. Benigno Aquino’s  family during their time in exile.

Mary Talusan Lancanlale recently published two other books, Instruments of Empire: Filipino Musicians, Black Soldiers, and Military Band Music During US Colonization of the Philippines and Our Culture Resounds, Our Future Reveals: A Legacy of Filipino American Performing Arts in California. Her sister Grace Talusan, author of The Body Papers: A Memoir, wrote the foreword to Filipinos in Greater Boston.

The paperback book is available at Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org, Amazon, Target and other booksellers.