'Filipino Towns' around the US preserve history and raise community's visibility

October 18, 2025

'Filipino Towns' around the US preserve history and raise community's visibility

Filipinos set foot on the North American continent for the first time over four centuries ago, and Filipino Americans are still on a quest to make a cultural footprint

It was over four centuries ago to the day Saturday that Filipinos set foot on the North American continent for the first time. Now, Filipino Americans are working to sustain a cultural footprint.

During celebration of October's Filipino American History Month , many Filipinos are seeking their cities' acknowledgment of “Filipino Towns” — a cultural district designation similar to Chinatowns, Japantowns and Koreatowns that highlights the contributions of expat and immigrant populations to a major city's overall identity.

That recognition can be through landmarks, event support or even permanent signage. Three years ago, Los Angeles' Historic Filipinotown — first designated as a neighborhood in 2002 — constructed a gateway arch, and Little Manila in New York City's Queens borough debuted an official street sign. Now, Las Vegas has joined the club.

An official “Filipino Town Cultural District” street sign was unveiled last week to great fanfare — six months after Clark County commissioners unanimously passed a resolution affirming the distinction.

“That was a great day,” Rozita Lee, the original Filipino Town Las Vegas board president, recalled about the county's approval. “A great day because we realized that the government actually recognized us Filipinos as a valid, solid entity here in Nevada. We were all so happy.”

Lee, 90, has lived in Las Vegas for nearly 50 years. She has seen a 1.2-mile (1.6-kilometer) corridor east of the Strip blossom with Filipino small businesses, a radio station and chains like Seafood City supermarket and Jollibee. Last year, the Filipino Town board's first step was to gather data to bolster their proposal. Filipinos are the largest Asian group in metro Las Vegas with over 200,000.

They also spread the word among business owners.