Perlas ng Austin

"The Pearl of the Orient" is a Spanish colonial phrase used to describe the Philippines in the 1700s. It is incorporated into the lyrics of the country’s national anthem:

“Bayang magiliw, Perlas ng Silanganan (Translation: Gentle people, Pearl of the East)”

Filipino-American curators, Susan Fifer and Tonee Sinsay-Carpio, reclaimed the term to describe Austin’s local Filipino-American community. This virtual exhibit was made in collaboration with the Austin Filipino-American Association (AFAA), Asian American Resource Center and the Austin History Center's  Asian American Community Archives Program  as a celebration of the Central Texas Filipino community.

Archival images and documents on display can be found in the  AFAA Records  (AR.2011.019),  Susan Fifer Papers  (AR.2012.029) and Filipino-related  Austin Files  at the Austin History Center. These complete collections are available for public viewing at the Austin History Center Reading Room during open hours.

Some of the earliest Asian immigrants trace their roots back to the Philippines. Franciscan missionaries from Spain even referred to East Texas as a "New Philippines" for a period of time in the early 1700s. During the Philippine-American War (1899-1902), many of the officers based in Texas served abroad. These officers hired Filipino laborers during their stay abroad and would often bring them back to the United States.

Rudolfo Fernandez was born in September 1890 at Vagan, Illocos Sur in the Philippines. As a young boy he served as an interpreter to Captain John August Hulen for over two years. Hulen adopted Fernandez and the two traveled back to his home in Gainesville, Texas in 1901. They moved to Austin in 1903, where Rudolfo attended grammar school and Austin High School. He eventually graduated from Houston High School and was a part of the first incoming class at the William Marsh Rice Institute in 1912.

The yo-yo was first popularized in the United States by Filipino immigrant Pedro Flores in the 1920s. In 1932 world-champion yo-yo'er Joe de Vera along with Simeon Masangya and Benson Cuidadno were invited to Austin by the Austin Statesman to teach Austin residents how to master the small toy. They performed at membership meetings of local organizations like the Kiwanis Club.

The United States established the Exchange Visitor Program in 1948 to fill U.S. needs for professionals, including nurses. This program coupled with the immigration reform of 1965 resulted in a large influx of Filipino nurses coming to Texas.

Susan Tolentino Fifer was born in the Philippines in 1953 and immigrated to Ennis, Texas in the 1970s to pursue a career in nursing. It was in Ennis where she met her husband John Fifer and the couple later moved to Austin in 1980. She worked at Seton Hospital for over thirty-five years as a Stroke Coordinator. When there was a nation-wide nurse shortage in 2002, Susan traveled to the Philippines to recruit a class of 55 nurses to work for the Seton Healthcare Network. She is a past President of both the Austin Filipino-American Association and the Network of Asian American Organizations. 

The Austin Filipino American Association (AFAA) was founded in 1986 by community member Sunny Graham as a public, non-profit organization established to preserve, promote and enhance Filipino culture through education and cultural arts. The organization is also committed to providing community assistance and recreation for those living in Austin, Texas and surrounding areas.

Sunny Graham first came to America as an exchange student when she was 15 years old. Sunny lived in Austin from 1973 to 1991. In 1986, she started a Filipino Association with a handful of Filipino residents. This small group became the core of the Austin Filipino American Association, incorporated as a Central Texas nonprofit in 1987.

One of the earliest events organized by the Austin Filipino American Association was a Pista Sa Nayon in 1998 at Fiesta Gardens. The cultural celebration was organized in partnership with the Austin Pacific Islanders of Central Texas and drew a crowd of nearly 1,000 people. AFAA has continued the Pista Sa Nayon tradition every year, bringing together all that the Filipino culture has to offer through sharing food, song, dance and traditional dress.

The Filipino community of Austin has a long history of gathering together to celebrate the rich and diverse cultural heritage of their home country. Organizations like AFAA have hosted Filipino performances and festivals not only to educate others about Filipino culture, but to create a space for Filipino Austinites to connect with one another to build a thriving community.

In addition to uplifting the Filipino voice through celebration and cultural arts, the Central Texas community has been dedicated to supporting one another through small business leadership, charitable work, providing support services, and other forms of community engagement.

On July 30, 2005, AFAA organized its very first singing competition titled Austin Pinoy Idol. The event served as a fundraiser for Bantay Bata 163 FDN and ABS CBN Foundation, which provides social services to Filipino children in crisis. The event featured vocal and dance performances from children and adults.

St. Peter the Apostle Catholic Church was established in 1962. The parish holds a Filipino Mass the first Saturday of each month. Father Chris Ferrer is the pastor of St. Peter the Apostle Parish in Austin and Judicial Vicar of the Diocese of Austin.

Arnis, also known as Kali or Eskrima, is the national martial art of the Philipinnes. Many of these demonstrations and classes are led by Master Erwin Ballarta, who started training in 1974 in Manila under Fred Tolentino. He went on to win first place as the first Filipino American full contact Arnis champion at the Philippine Embassy in New York City, the title of 1980 Grand Champion and the 1981 U.S. Midwest Champion. Professionally, Ballarta performed security duty for people such as Ann Richards, Sheryl Crow and Robin Williams. He has also served as former president of the Austin Filipino American Association.

Hanzy Bustamante, MD is a Filipino physician, pharmacist and orator in Austin. He graduated from the University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Pharmacy in 1990. He contributed to several newspapers in the Philippines and served as the co-editor of several bio-ethics publications. He immigrated to the U.S. in 2000 to practice medicine and help others realize success through the development of high performance habits. Bustamante received recognition in 2019 for his outstanding leadership as the AFAA Youth Group Chair.

Established in 1996 and officially incorporated as a 501(c)(4) non-profit organization, the Network of Asian American Organizations (NAAO) is an Austin information network that unites and promotes the Asian American community through educational, cultural, social and business initiatives. The Network of Asian American Organizations provides an avenue for communications both within the Asian community and in reaching out to the greater community. AFAA has been a longtime partner with NAAO and received the Outstanding Non-Profit Asian Organization Excellence Award in 2008.

As Asian Pacific Americans become the fastest growing population in Austin, the Central Texas Filipino community continues to strengthen and thrive. Special thanks to community curators Susan Fifer, Tonee Sinsay-Carpio and other members of the Austin Filipino American Association for their expert guidance on this project. To learn more about AFAA visit  http://www.afaaonline.org/ . And to learn more about the activities, programs, and services offered by the Asian American Resource Center visit  www.austintexas.gov/aarc .