Filipino American History Month Reading List for Kids
A reading list for Filipino American History Month (October) organized by age, with activities and conversation starters.
Filipino American History Month is celebrated every October in the US, marking the arrival of the first Filipinos in what is now California in 1587. Congress recognized it officially in 2009. It’s a month for Filipino American families to deepen cultural ties — and for non-Filipino families to learn about one of America’s largest Asian communities.
Here’s a reading list organized by age, plus activity ideas.
Ages 2–4: Foundation books
Mga Kwento ni Lola Basyang adaptations
Lola Basyang’s folktales, adapted for toddlers. The most iconic Filipino children’s story tradition.
Filipino Lullabies (board books)
Bilingual lullaby books with illustrations. Both calming and culturally specific.
Baby’s First Words in Tagalog
Basic vocabulary boards. Essential for early language exposure.
Ages 4–6: Stories with plot
Cora Cooks Pancit by Dorina Lazo Gilmore
A grandmother teaches her granddaughter to make pancit. Warm, food-centered, intergenerational.
Mabuhay! (bilingual edition)
A picture book celebration of Filipino greeting culture and daily life.
The Birthday Letter by Nikki Grimes
A picture book featuring a Filipino American girl.
Lost in Manila by Augie Rivera
A boy visits the Philippines for the first time. Good for second-generation kids reconnecting to heritage.
Ages 6–8: More narrative
Alamat: Philippine Myths and Legends
Kid-friendly retellings of classic Philippine folklore.
When the Lights Went Out by Celeste Pimentel
A Filipino American family during a storm. Family-centered.
Bone Talk by Candy Gourlay (advanced end of this range)
Historical fiction set in pre-colonial Philippines. Remarkable.
Ages 8–10: For older readers
Hello, Universe by Erin Entrada Kelan
Newbery Medal winner. A Filipino American boy is the protagonist. Essential.
Lalani of the Distant Sea by Erin Entrada Kelan
Fantasy drawing on Filipino mythology.
Tall Story by Candy Gourlay
Filipino-to-British immigration story. Adolescent themes handled beautifully.
Any Day With You by Mae Respicio
Filipino American family story with magical realism.
Activities for Filipino American History Month
Learn about key historical figures. Philip Vera Cruz, Larry Itliong, Dolores Huerta (part-Filipino), José Rizal. Each has a kid-accessible biography.
Cook together. Adobo, sinigang, pancit, lumpia, halo-halo, turon. One dish per weekend of the month.
Visit a Filipino American community event. Most major US cities have events during October. San Diego, LA, and San Francisco are particularly active.
Watch Filipino American content. The Fabulous Filipino Brothers (for older kids), Easter Sunday (clips appropriate for younger kids).
Call relatives in the Philippines. If you have family there, schedule a weekly call during October. Let your kids hear Tagalog spoken by people who love them.
Learn the Filipino flag. Teach your kids what each color means. Have them draw one.
Read about the Manilamen of 1587. The first Filipinos in America arrived via Spanish galleon trade routes. The kid-friendly version of this story is a powerful one — Americans before there was even an America.
Key Filipino history to introduce by age
Ages 4–6: Foundational facts
- The Philippines is a country made of 7,000+ islands
- Filipinos are descended from many different peoples and speak many languages
- Lots of Filipinos live in America, especially in California, Hawaii, Nevada, and New York
- Filipino food is delicious (the real curriculum)
Ages 6–8: More specifics
- Spanish colonization and the 1896 Revolution
- American colonization and the struggle for independence
- Filipino contributions to American agriculture and the labor movement
- World War II and the Philippines
Ages 8–10: Real depth
- The specifics of Spanish and American colonial impacts
- The Larry Itliong story and the Delano Grape Strike
- Marcos-era history (appropriate context)
- Modern Filipino American identity conversations
The personalized Filipino book
At Akoni Books, our “Pinoy Pride” theme is a personalized story where your Filipino American child is the illustrated hero of a heritage-rich adventure — featuring Filipino food, family, and cultural specifics. Nine art styles. Ready in 5 minutes digital or 5–10 days printed.
Create a Filipino American book starring your child →
Making the month stick
A few tactics to make Filipino American History Month more than a one-week exercise:
Start a Filipino shelf. One corner of your child’s bookshelf dedicated to Filipino and Southeast Asian content. Add to it year-round, but especially in October.
Repeat certain traditions each October. A specific meal, a specific activity, a specific book re-read. Over five years, those traditions compound into memory.
Use the month as a grandparent call point. “It’s Filipino American History Month — what do you remember about October in the Philippines when you were my age?” Gets grandparents telling stories.
Document what you read. Small photo album of your kid with each month’s book. By age 10, they have a visual record of their Filipino reading life.
The bigger project
Filipino American History Month is one month of a year-round project — building a Filipino American kid who knows where they come from. One month a year of intensive focus, eleven months a year of quiet reinforcement. That’s the rhythm that produces a confident Filipino American identity.
Start this October with one book and one meal.
Mabuhay ang Pilipinas. May your kid grow up knowing they belong to a long, beautiful story.