Filipino Americans and Notting Hill (film): Difference between pages

(Difference between pages)
Content deleted Content added
23prootie (talk | contribs)
 
 
Line 1:
{{Infobox Film
[[Image:IMG 1056.JPG|thumb|right|350px|Flag-carriers at the 2006 '''[[Philippine Independence Day Parade]]''' in New York City. This annual parade and festival is said to be the largest Philippine celebration outside the Philippines and is attended by an estimated 300,000 people. Year 2006 also marks the 100th year of Filipino migration to the United States.]]
| name = Notting Hill
| image = NottingHillRobertsGrant.jpg
| caption = The film's poster.
| producer = [[Duncan Kenworthy]]
| director = [[Roger Michell]]
| writer = [[Richard Curtis]]
| starring = [[Julia Roberts]]<br>[[Hugh Grant]]<br>[[Rhys Ifans]]<br>[[Emma Chambers]]<br>[[Tim McInnerny]]<br>[[Gina McKee]]<br>[[Hugh Bonneville]]
| music = [[Trevor Jones (composer)|Trevor Jones]]
| cinematography = Michael Coulter
| editing = Nick Moore
| distributor = [[Music Corporation of America|MCA]]-[[Universal Studios|Universal]]<br />[[PolyGram Filmed Entertainment]]
| released = {{flagicon|UK}} [[May 21]], [[1999]]</br>{{flagicon|USA}} [[May 28]], [[1999]]
| runtime = 124 min.
| budget = $42 million
| gross = $116 million
| language = [[English language|English]]
| website = http://www.notting-hill.com/
| imdb_id = 0125439
| amg_id = 1:179536
}}
'''''Notting Hill''''' is a [[1999 in film|1999]] [[romantic comedy film]] set in the [[Notting Hill]] district of [[London]], [[England]], [[United Kingdom|United Kingdom]], that was released on [[May 21]] [[1999]]. The [[screenplay]] was written by [[Richard Curtis]] who had previously written ''[[Four Weddings and a Funeral]]''. It was produced by [[Duncan Kenworthy]], and directed by [[Roger Michell]]. The film stars [[Julia Roberts]], [[Hugh Grant]], [[Rhys Ifans]], [[Emma Chambers]], [[Tim McInnerny]], [[Gina McKee]] and [[Hugh Bonneville]].
 
Bookshop owner William Thacker's world begins to turn upside down after the world's most famous actress, Anna Scott, visits his store. Later, Will knocks his orange juice into Anna as she passes him in the street. After she gets changed at his house, Anna surprises Will with a kiss. The pair then begin a relationship, but encounter numerous problems on the way.
[[Image:IMG_0540_(2).JPG|thumb|right|350px|Ati-Atihan performers at the Annual '''Philippine Independence Day Parade''' in New York City. The parade is considered one of the largest in terms of participants and spectators in the Big Apple.]]
 
The film was well received by critics, and charted well at the box office, becoming the highest grossing British film yet released. The film won a [[British Academy of Film and Television Arts|BAFTA]], and both won and was nominated for several others.
The '''Filipino American''' ('''Fil-Am''' for short) community is the second-largest [[Asian American]] group in the United States [http://www.census.gov/prod/2002pubs/c2kbr01-16.pdf] Fil-Ams are Americans who trace their ancestry back to the [[Philippines]], an [[archipelago|archipelagic]] nation found in [[Southeast Asia]] south of [[Taiwan]] and east of the South China Sea, and have are now residents or citizens of the [[United States]].
 
==Plot==
In the year 2000, the United States Census counted over 2.4 million Americans who identified their ancestry as [[Filipino people|Filipino]], and 22% of the [[Asian American]] population but is speculated to be at 4.5 million in which includes the number of undocumented Filipinos. Filipino-Americans are also a subgroup of the [[Overseas Filipinos]]. More than half of the Filipino American community is of American citizenship and the rest are Filipino nationals and/or dual citizens of the [[United States]] and the [[Philippines]]. Assuming the current immigration trend and the high birth-rate among Filipinos, the population is expected to reach 6 million by [[2010]].
[[Image:Notting_Hill.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Will and Anna together on a date.]]
William Thacker is the owner of an [[independent bookstore]] which specializes in [[travel writing]] in [[Notting Hill, London, England|Notting Hill]]. Witty, cultivated and handsome, he has not been coping well with his divorce and is currently sharing his house with an eccentric [[Wales|Welsh]] wannabe artist named Spike. One day, Thacker encounters world famous [[Hollywood]] actress Anna Scott during her trip to London, when she enters his shop to purchase a book. Shortly thereafter, the pair accidentally collide in the street, causing William to spill his orange juice on the both of them. He offers his house, which is just across the road, as a place for Anna to get changed. She accepts and they repair to his abode. Having got changed, Anna surprises Will with a kiss. She makes sure that Will does not tell anyone about it, and leaves.
 
Days later, Will asks Spike if he has any messages. Spike has trouble writing down, or remembering any messages left for Will, but does recall "Some American girl called Anna" calling a few days previous. Anna is staying at the Ritz, under a pseudonym, and asks Will to come and visit her. When he arrives, Anna's room has become the centre for a press day and as a result, Will is mistaken for a member of the press. He has to interview every single cast member of Anna's new film ''Helix'', even though he has not seen the film himself. Will does get to talk to Anna, and invites her to his sister Honey's birthday party.
Most Filipino Americans reside in [[California]], [[Washington]], [[New York City]] Metropolitan Area and [[Hawaii|Hawai'i]]. In addition to California and Washington, Filipinos form the largest group of Asians in [[Alaska]], [[Maine]], [[Montana]], [[Nevada]], [[North Dakota]], [[Oregon]], [[South Dakota]], [[Virginia]], and [[Wyoming]]. And in addition to [[Hawaii]], they are the second largest group of Asians in [[Arizona]], [[Florida]], [[Idaho]], [[Indiana]], [[Illinois]], [[Maine]], [[Mississippi]], [[New Jersey]], [[New Mexico]], [[South Carolina]], [[Texas]], [[Virginia]] and [[West Virginia]].
 
There, at Max and Bella's house, Anna feels at home with Will's circle of friends, putting up a good case for the "last brownie". The pair go on several dates, to the cinema and to a restaurant. Anna invites Will back to her hotel room, only to find that her American boyfriend, although Anna asserts that they have broken up, but Will has to leave anyway. Some time later, Anna arrives on Will's doorstep, hoping for a place to stay. Some degrading images of her have been leaked to the press and she needs to hide out. The pair bound once again, with Will helping Anna learn lines for her new film. That night, the pair sleep together for the first time. In the morning, Will is stunned to see a throng of reporters at their doorstep, it seems that careless talk by Spike down at the pub the previous night had alerted the media to Anna's whereabouts. She leaves in a hurry, and William decides once and for all to forget her.
Congress has established two months in celebration of Filipino American culture in the United States. [[Asian Pacific American Heritage Month]] is celebrated in May. Upon becoming the largest Asian American group, [[Filipino American History Month]] was established, celebrated in October, commemorating the first landing of Filipinos on October 18, 1587 in Morro Bay, California.<sup>[http://www.bibingka.com/sst/esperanza/morrobay.htm]</sup> <sup>[http://us_asians.tripod.com/timeline-1600.html]</sup>
 
Later, Anna returns to England to make another film. She invites Will to the set of the film, he listens to the sound recording whilst Anna is busy filming. He overhears her telling her co-star that Will is "just some guy", and leaves. The next day, Anna comes to the bookshop once again, hoping to resume their love affair, but William turns her down. Will consults his friends on his decision, leading him to realize that he has just made the biggest mistake of his life. He and his friends search for Anna, racing across London in Max's car. They reach Anna's press conference before she leaves for the [[United States]], and Will successfully persuades her to stay in England with him. Anna and Will get married, with the film concluding with a shot of Will and a pregnant Anna sitting on a park bench in Notting Hill.
==Cultural profile==
[[Image:simeon_acoba_takes_office.jpg|Benjamin J. Cayetano|thumb|300px|On May 19, 2000, [[Simeon R. Acoba, Jr.]] became only the third Filipino American appointed to a state's highest judicial office. Acoba will serve as a Justice of the Hawai'i State Supreme Court until May 18, 2010.]]
 
==Cast and characters==
Despite race relations problems of the late 19th and early 20th centuries in the American Northwest, some Filipino Americans today tend to integrate with American society without serious hardships. Filipino nationals have been living in an American-molded society since the early 1900s. Culturally, the Philippines is the most Westernized country in Asia, a legacy of over three centuries of Spanish and American colonial rule. From the Spanish, Filipino culture has taken a small but distinct Latin/Catholic flavor, and most Filipinos are distinguishable from other Asians by having a Hispanic-sounding name and/or surname.
*'''[[Julia Roberts]]''' as '''Anna Scott''': A world famous film star. She meets Will whilst filming in Notting Hill, when she comes into his book shop.
*'''[[Hugh Grant]]''' as '''William Thacker''': Owner of a travel book shop in Notting Hill, who has recently divorced his wife. He meets Anna Scott when she comes in looking for a book.
*'''[[Rhys Ifans]]''' as '''Spike''': Will's strange Welsh flatmate, who dreams of being an artist. He is described by Will as "the stupidest person in the world".
*'''[[Emma Chambers]]''' as '''Honey Thacker''': Will's ditzy younger sister, she is a huge fan of Anna Scott.
*'''[[Tim McInnerny]]''' as '''Max''': Will's best friend, who Will often stays with. He and Bella host Honey's birthday party.
*'''[[Gina McKee]]''' as '''Bella''': Max's wheelchair bound wife.
*'''[[Hugh Bonneville]]''' as '''Bernie''': A failing stockbroker and a friend of Will. He fails to realise who Anna Scott is upon first meeting her.
*'''[[James Dreyfus]]''' as '''Martin''': Harry's assistant at his bookshop.
*'''Richard McCabe''' as '''Tony''': A failing restaurateur, whose restaurant the group often attend.
*'''[[Dylan Moran]]''' as '''Rufus''': A thief who attempts to steal from Will's bookshop. Despite being caught on the CCTV he professes his innocence, and conceals the stolen book in his underpants.
 
[[Alec Baldwin]] makes an uncredited appearance as Anna's American boyfriend.<ref name=variety>{{cite web|url=http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117907270.html?categoryid=31&cs=1&p=0|title=Notting Hill|accessdate=2007-05-19|date=[[1999-04-30]]|author=Elley, Derek|publisher=Variety}}</ref> [[Sanjeev Bhaskar]] has a cameo role as one of the loud and offensive men in the restaurant Anna and Will attend.<ref name=bfi>{{cite web|url=http://www.bfi.org.uk/features/ultimatefilm/chart/details.php?ranking=95&cc=on|title=95: NOTTING HILL|accessdate=2007-05-19|publisher=British Film Institute}}</ref> A young [[Mischa Barton]] makes a brief appearance as the [[child actor]] whom William interviews for ''Horse & Hound'' magazine.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/pages/you/article.html?in_article_id=449705&in_page_id=1908|title=Mischa Barton: Little Miss Sunshine|accessdate=2007-05-19|date=[[2007-05-12]]|author=Gordon, Jane|publisher=The Mail on Sunday}}</ref>
Since the early 1900s the country has been heavily influenced by American culture. After the [[Spanish American War]] and during the course of the [[Philippine-American War]], the Philippines was made into a United States [[territory]] and later a [[commonwealth]] from [[12 December]] [[1898]] to [[4 July]] [[1946]]. Even after the Republic of the Philippines was established, the flow of popular American culture into the country continued unabated - from major league [[baseball]] and professional [[basketball]] to [[Coca-Cola]], from [[MTV]] to Big Macs. English language instruction is required in most schools beginning at the elementary level, and the Philippines has one of the highest rates of English-speakers in the world [http://www.tourism.gov.ph/Special/esl3.asp]. Philippines sports pages headline [[MLB]] and [[NBA]] sports scores from the mainland United States everyday. While elements of [[Americana]] have been embraced (or imposed) in Filipino society, there have been periods of anti-American sentiment in the Philippines. Nevertheless, there is minimal culture shock when Filipino nationals migrate to the United States.
 
==Production==
===Development===
Richard Curtis spoke at length as to how he originally came up the idea for the film.
{{cquotetxt|When I was lying sleepless at nights I would sometimes wonder what it would be like if I just turned up at my friends' house, where I used to have dinner once a week, with the most famous person at that time, be it [[Madonna]] or whomever. It all sprang from there. How would my friends react? Who would try and be cool? How would you get through dinner? What would they say to you afterwards? That was the starting point, the idea of a very normal person going out with an unbelievably famous person and how that impinges on their lives.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.notting-hill.com/behindscenes/index.html|title=Behind-the-Scenes|accessdate=2007-05-22|publisher=Notting Hill.com}}</ref>}}
 
''Four Weddings and a Funeral'' director [[Mike Newell (director)|Mike Newell]] was approached for the film, but rejected it to work on ''[[Pushing Tin]]'' instead. He did later admit that in commercial terms he had made the wrong decision, but did not regret it.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://efilmcritic.com/feature.php?feature=78|title=The man who told Notting Hill to 'sod off'|accessdate=2007-05-21|author=Chris Parry|publisher=eFilm Critic}}</ref> The film's producer Duncan Kenworthy then turned to Roger Michell, stating that "Finding someone as good as Roger, was just like finding the right actor to play each role. Roger shone out."<ref name=production>{{cite web|url=http://www.notting-hill.com/behindscenes/index.html|title=About the Production|accessdate=2007-05-22|publisher=Notting Hill.com}}</ref>
 
====Language=Casting===
Julia Roberts was the production team's "one and only" choice for the role of Anna, although Michell and Kentworthy did not expect her to accept the part. She did however take the role, with her agent citing it as "the best romantic comedy she had ever read".<ref name=production/> Roberts herself commented that after reading the script she decided she was "going to have to do this".<ref name=dreamteam>{{cite web|url=http://www.notting-hill.com/behindscenes/index.html|title=A Romantic Comedy Dream Team|accessdate=2007-05-22|publisher=Notting Hill.com}}</ref> The decision to cast Hugh Grant as Will was unanimous, as together Grant and Curtis had a "writer/actor marriage made in heaven". Michell stated that "Hugh does Richard better than anyone else, and Richard writes Hugh better than anyone else", and that Grant is "one of the only actors who can speak Richard's lines perfectly".<ref name=production/> The casting of Hugh Bonneville, Tim McInnerny, Gina McKee, Emma Chambers and Rhys Ifans as Will's group of friends was "rather like assembling a family". Michell explained that "When you are casting a cabal of friends, you have to cast a balance of qualities, of types and of sensibilities. They were the jigsaw that had to be put together all in one go, and I think we've got a very good variety of people who can realistically still live in the same world."<ref name=production/>
[[Image:Tagalog USC2000 PHS.svg|thumb|Tagalog language spread in the United States.]]
 
===Filming===
Filipinos speak [[Tagalog language|Tagalog]], [[Visayan languages|Binisaya]], [[Ilokano language|Ilokano]] and [[Taglish]] at home. However, an overwhelming majority do speak [[English language|English]] fluently.
Curtis chose the setting of Notting Hill for the film as he lived there and knew the area well, stating "Notting Hill is a melting pot and the perfect place to set a film".<ref name=___location>{{cite web|url=http://www.notting-hill.com/behindscenes/index.html|title=Notting Hill, the place, the movie ___location|accessdate=2007-05-22|publisher=Notting Hill.com}}</ref> This left the producers with a challenge of having to film in a heavily populated area. Kenworthy noted "Early on, we toyed with the idea of building a huge exterior set. That way we would have more control, because we were worried about having Roberts and Grant on public streets where we could get thousands of onlookers." In the end they decided to take the risk anyway and film in the actual streets.<ref name=___location/> Michell was worried "that Hugh and Julia were going to turn up on the first day of shooting on Portobello Road, and there would be gridlock and we would be surrounded by thousands of people and paparazzi photographers who would prevent us from shooting". The ___location team, and security forces prevented this, as well as preventing problems the presence of a film crew may have caused the residents of Notting Hill, who Michell believes were "genuinely excited" about the film.<ref name=___location/> The film's ___location manager Sue Quinn described her job of finding suitable locations and getting permission to film there as "a mammoth task". She said
{{cquotetxt|The major problem we encountered was the size of our film unit. We couldn't just go in and shoot and come out. We were everywhere. Filming on the London streets has to be done in such a way that it comes up to health and safety standards. There is no such thing as a road closure. We were very lucky in the fact that we had 100% cooperation from the police and the Council. They looked favorably on what we were trying to do and how it would promote the area.<ref name=___location/>}}
Quinn and the rest of her ___location team had to send letters to thousands of people in the area, promising that they would donate to each person's favourite charity, resulting in over two hundred different charities receiving money from the film project.<ref name=___location/>
 
The film's production designer was [[Stuart Craig]] who was pleased for the chance to do a contempory film, stating on the film "we're dealing with streets with thousands of people, market traders, shop owners and residents which makes it really complex".<ref name=___location/> Filming began on [[April 17]] [[1998]], in both West London and at [[Shepperton Studios]].<ref name=production/> Will's bookshop was situated on [[Portobello Road]], which was one of the main areas in which filming took place. Other places within Notting Hill where filming took place included Westbourne Park Road, [[Golborne Road]], [[Landsdowne Road]] and the Coronet Cinema.<ref name=___location/> After filming for a period of six weeks in Notting Hill, filming moved to the [[Ritz Hotel]], where filming had to take place at night, the [[Savoy Hotel]], the Nobu Restaurant, the [[Zen Garden]] and [[Kenwood House]].<ref name=___location/> One the film's final scenes takes place at a film premiere, which presented difficulties for the production team. Michell wanted to film the scene in [[Leicester Square]], but the request was declined due to huge problems that fans attending a [[Leonardo DiCaprio]] premiere had caused the police. Through a health and safety act, the production received permission to film and constructed the scene in just twenty-four hours.<ref name=___location/> Interior scenes were the last scenes to be filmed, with them taking place at Shepperton Studios.<ref name=___location/>
'''Tagalog''' is the fifth most-spoken language in the United States, with about 2 million speakers.<ref name="Dealing with Diversity">{{cite book | last =Adams | first =J.Q. | authorlink = | coauthors =Pearlie Strother-Adams | year =2001 | title =Dealing with Diversity | publisher =Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company | ___location =Chicago, IL | id = 0-7872-8145-X}}</ref><ref name="US Census Bureau, languages in the US">{{cite web|url=http://www.census.gov/prod/2005pubs/06statab/pop.pdf|coauthors=United States Census Bureau | title=Statistical Abstrac of the United States: page 47: Table 47: Languages Spoken at Home by Language: 2003|accessdate=2006-07-11}}</ref>This has caused various Filipino American civic organizations and Philippine consulates to offer language courses about it. [[California]]'s public educational system offers the language as a foreign language course, meanwhile many colleges and universities in the Golden State have begun teaching it to coincide with the growing Filipino community.
 
The film features the [[1950 in art|1950]] [[Marc Chagall]] painting ''[[La Mariée]]''. In the story, Anna sees a print of the painting in William's home, and later gives him what is presumably the original. According to director Michell in an article in ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'', the painting was chosen because screenwriter Curtis was a fan of Chagall's work, and because ''La Mariée'' "depicts a yearning for something that's lost." Producers had a reproduction made for use in the film, but had to first get permission from the painting's owners as well as clearance from the British [[Design and Artists Copyright Society]]. Finally, according to producer Kenworthy, "we had to agree to destroy it. They were concerned that if our fake was too good, it might float around the market and create problems." The article also noted that "some experts say the real canvas could be worth between $500,000 and $1 million."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,273720,00.html|title=Flashes|date=[[1999-06-11]]|accessdate=2007-05-20|author=Joe Dziemianowicz; Clarissa Cruz|publisher=[[Entertainment Weekly]]}}</ref>
Like other immigrant languages, fluency in Tagalog and in other [[languages of the Philippines]] tend to be lost among second- and third-generation Filipino Americans. This has created a language barrier between old and new generations.
 
====The arts=Music===
Music for the film was composed by ''Four Wedding and a Funeral'' composer Trevor Jones.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.filmtracks.com/titles/notting_hill.html|title=Notting Hill|accessdate=2007-05-23|publisher=Filmtracks.com}}</ref> Several additional songs written by other artists appeared on the film's soundtrack. These include [[Elvis Costello]]'s [[cover version|cover]] of the [[Charles Aznavour]] song "[[She (Charles Aznavour song)|She]]", as well as [[Ronan Keating]]'s specially recorded cover version of "[[When You Say Nothing at All]]", the song reached number one in the British charts.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/soldonsong/songlibrary/whenyousaynothingatall.shtml|title='When You Say Nothing at All'|accessdate=2007-05-21|publisher=BBC}}</ref> Originally, Charles Aznavour's version of the song was used in the film, but American test screening audiences could not understand it. Costello was then brought in by Richard Curtis to record a cover version of the song.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/395140.stm|title=Elvis alive and well in Notting Hill|accessdate=2007-05-23|author=Darryl Chamberlain|date=[[1999-07-20]]|publisher=BBC News}}</ref>
The inclusion of [[Jasmine Trias]] and [[Camile Velasco]] in the 3rd season of ''[[American Idol]]'' gave Filipino talent recognition among its viewers. [[Apl.de.ap]] of the [[Black Eyed Peas]] is another well-known Filipino American musician. From Broadway musicals to the Disney Channel ([[Lalaine]] in ''[[Lizzie McGuire]]''), Filipinos can be seen all over the arts and entertainment world.
 
==Reception==
Other famous Filipino Americans in the entertainment industry include [[Pop music|pop]] singer [[Enrique Iglesias]], his half-Filipina mother and [[Mestizo#The Philippines|Spanish-mestiza]] [[socialite]] [[Isabel Preysler]], actress and occasional singer [[Tia Carrere]], [[dance]] recording artist [[Jocelyn Enriquez]]; [[Vanessa Anne Hudgens]] of Disney's recent made-for-television movie ''[[High School Musical]]''; and comedian ''[[Saturday Night Live|SNL]]'' alumnus [[Rob Schneider]], who has appeared in such films as ''[[The Hot Chick]]'' and ''[[The Benchwarmers]]''. [[Nicole Scherzinger]], lead-vocalist of the [[Pussycat Dolls]] and also an actress, is said to be a proud Filipino American. [[Chad Hugo]] from the rock band [[N.E.R.D]] is Filipino American. [[Cassie]], half [[Filipina]], is the singer of the hit single "Me & U". WWE Superstar [[Batista]] is a proud Filipino American, has tattooed the Filipino flag, along with the Greek flag as well on his upper left arm. The list also includes the lead role of the motion picture the [[Crying Freeman]], [[Mark Dacascos]].
===Critical reaction===
The film was meet with generally positive reviews, scoring an 85% "Cream of the Crop" rating at [[Rotten Tomatoes]].<ref name=rt>{{cite web|url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/notting_hill/|title=Notting Hill (1999)|accessdate=2007-05-21|publisher=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]}}</ref> "Variety's Derek Elley said that "It's slick, it's gawky, it's 10 minutes too long, and it's certainly not "''Four Weddings and a Funeral'' Part 2" in either construction or overall tone", giving it an overall positive review.<ref name=variety/> Cranky Critic called it "Bloody damned good", as well as saying that it was "A perfect date flick."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.crankycritic.com/archive99/nottinghill.html|title=Notting Hill|accessdate=2007-05-19|publisher=Cranky Critic}}</ref> Nitrate said that "''Notting Hill'' is whimsical and light, fresh and quirky", with "endearing moments and memorable characters".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nitrateonline.com/1999/rnottinghill.html|title=Notting Hill|accessdate=2007-05-19|author=Savada, Elias|date=[[1999-05-28]]|publisher=Nitrate}}</ref> In his review of the film's DVD John J. Puccio noted that "The movie is a fairy tale, and writer Richard Curtis knows how much the public loves a fairy tale", calling it "a sweet film".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dvdtown.com/reviews/notting-hill/739/2|title=Notting Hill <nowiki>[Ultimate Edition]</nowiki>|accessdate=2007-05-20|author=John J. Puccio|publisher=DVD Town.com}}</ref> Desson Howe of the [[Washington Post]] gave the film a very positive review, praising Rhys Ifans peformance as Spike.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/movies/reviews/nottinghillhowe.htm?movieslede=y|title='Notting Hill': Easy to Love|accessdate=2007-05-21|date=[[1999-05-28]]|author=Desson Howe|publisher=[[Washington Post]]}}</ref> James Sanford gave ''Notting Hill'' three and a half stars, saying that "Curtis' dialogue may be much snappier than his sometimes dawdling plot, but the first hour of "Notting Hill" is so beguiling and consistently funny it seems churlish to complain that the rest is merely good."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.interbridge.com/jamessanford/1999/notting.html|title=Notting Hill|accessdate=2007-05-21|author=James Sanford|publisher=Kalamazoo Gazette}}</ref> Sue Pierman of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel stated that "''Notting Hill'' is clever, funny, romantic - and oh, yes, reminiscent of ''Four Weddings and a Funeral''", but that the film "is so satisfying, it doesn't pay to nitpick."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www2.jsonline.com/enter/movies/reviews/may99/m.nott28052799.asp|title='Notting Hill' is perfect romantic fit for Roberts, Grant|accessdate=2007-05-21|date=[[1999-05-27]]|author=Sue Pierman|publisher=Milwaukee Journal Sentinel}}</ref> [[Roger Ebert]] praised the film, saying "the movie is bright, the dialogue has wit and intelligence, and Roberts and Grant are very easy to like."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19990528/REVIEWS/905280301/1023|title=Notting Hill|accessdate=2007-05-21|date=[[1999-05-28]]|author=Roger Ebert|publisher=Chicago Sun-Times}}</ref> Kenneth Turan gave a good review, concluding that "the film's romantic core is impervious to problems".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.calendarlive.com/movies/reviews/cl-movie990527-6,0,7251334.story|title=Notting Hill|accessdate=2007-05-21|date=[[1999-05-28]]|author=Kenneth Turan|publisher=Calender Live}}</ref> [[CNN]] reviewer Paul Clinton said that ''Notting Hill'' "stands alone as another funny and heartwarming story about love against all odds".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cnn.com/SHOWBIZ/Movies/9905/27/review.notting.hill/|title=Review: Julia, Hugh a perfect match for 'Notting Hill'|accessdate=2007-05-21|date=[[1999-05-27]]|author=Paul Clinton|publisher=CNN}}</ref>
 
Widgett Walls of Needcoffee.com gave the film "three and a half cups of coffee", stating that "the humor of the film saves it from a completely trite and unsatisfying (nay, shall I say enraging) ending", but criticised the film's soundtrack.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.needcoffee.com/html/reviews/nhill.html|title=Notting Hill (1999)|accessdate=2007-05-21|publisher=Needcoffee.com|author=Widgett Walls}}</ref> Dennis Schwartz gave the film a bad review with a grade of "C-" citing "this film was pure and unadulterated balderdash".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sover.net/~ozus/nottinghill.htm|title=NOTTING HILL|accessdate=2007-05-21|date=[[2000-11-29]]|author=Dennis Schwartz|publisher=Ozus' World Movie Reviews}}</ref>
[[Kirk Hammett]] of Metallica is of Filipino-American descent. Ernie Reyes Sr. and Ernie Reyes Jr. martial arts experts. [[Michael Copon]] of "One Tree Hill" is Fil-Am, too. The former Miss Teen USA [[Vanessa Minnillo]]'s mom is Filipina. Famous broadway actress Miss Saigon as Kim, Lea Salonga. Shannyn Sossamon of "A Knight's Tale", not too famous but Fil-Am actress. Also, Paolo Montalban, not so known. [[Jerome Fontamillas]] of the band [[Switchfoot]] plays the drums. The band popularized the song "Dare You To Move". Another guy who stars in a sitcom, [[Alec Mapa]], is also Fil-Am.
 
''Notting Hill'' was placed 95th on the [[British Film Institute]]'s "list of the all-time top 100 films", the results of the list were based on estimates of each film's British cinema admission level.<ref name=bfi/>
====Education====
Filipino Americans tend to be highly educated <sup>[http://news.csusb.edu/story_full.asp?articleID=1824]</sup> <sup>[http://www.philippinenews.com/news/view_article.html?article_id=fe33d98b4102a5112006b12263ac4599]</sup>. For example, the [[American Medical Association]] has deemed medical and healthcare education in the Philippines to equal that of training in the United States{{fact}}. Only [[Japan]] shares that distinction among the Asian nations. It is relatively easy for Filipino nationals to enter the American healthcare workforce, inspiring them to settle and seek United States citizenship upon arrival. With the shortage of American nurses beginning in the 1980s, clinics and hospitals in the United States have been hiring directly from the Philippines offering substantial salaries. According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], 60,000 Filipino nationals migrated to the United States every year in the 1990s to take advantage of such professional opportunities. Other Filipino nationals come to the United States for a college or university education, return to the Philippines and end up migrating to the United States to settle.
 
===Box office performance===
Many of the newer generations of Filipino Americans born in the United States gravitate towards business and the professions, such as [[architecture]], [[administration|business administration]], [[economics]], [[education]], [[engineering]], [[medicine]] and [[nursing]]. Most attend well-known universities and colleges, while a small number prefer community colleges and vocational schools.
The film had its world premiere at the [[Odeon]], Leicester Square on [[April 27]] [[1999]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/329426.stm|title=Notting Hill premieres in Leicester Square|accessdate=2007-05-23|date=[[1999-04-27]]|publisher=BBC News}}</ref> The premiere received media attention in the British tabloid press, as Julia Roberts attended sporting unshaven arm pits.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theglobeandmail.com/series/field/stories/mclaren02.html|title=Letter from Notting Hill|accessdate=2007-05-23|date=[[2002-12-20]]|author=Leah McLaren|publisher=Globe and Mail}}</ref> ''Notting Hill'' charted well at the box office, earning $116,089,678 as its overall domestic gross, with a worldwide gross of $363,889,678, losing out to ''[[Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace]]''.<ref name=boxoffice>{{cite web|url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=nottinghill.htm|title=NOTTING HILL|accessdate=2007-05-20|publisher=[[Box Office Mojo]]}}</ref> It totaled $27.7 million over its opening weekend, breaking American box office records,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/358820.stm|title=Notting Hill has The Force|accessdate=2007-05-23|date=[[1999-06-02]]|publisher=BBC News}}</ref> and making it the biggest ever opening for a romantic comedy film at that point, beating previous record holder ''[[My Best Friend's Wedding]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=1046&p=.htm|title=Weekend Box Office|accessdate=2007-05-20|date=[[1999-06-02]]|author=Brandon Gray|publisher=[[Box Office Mojo]]}}</ref> ''Notting Hill'' made another $15 million the following week,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=1048&p=.htm|title=Weekend Box Office|accessdate=2007-05-20|date=[[1999-06-07]]|author=Brandon Gray|publisher=[[Box Office Mojo]]}}</ref> but then began to lose out.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=1053&p=.htm|title=Weekend Box Office|accessdate=2007-05-20|date=[[1999-06-21]]|author=Brandon Gray|publisher=[[Box Office Mojo]]}}</ref> One month after its release, ''Notting Hill'' lost its record for highest grossing opening weekend for a romantic comedy film to ''[[Runaway Bride (1999 film)|Runaway Bride]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=1065&p=.htm|title=Weekend Box Office|accessdate=2007-05-20|date=[[1999-08-03]]|author=Brandon Gray|publisher=[[Box Office Mojo]]}}</ref> It was the sixteenth highest grossing film of 1999,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/yearly/chart/?yr=1999&p=.htm|title=1999 DOMESTIC GROSSES|accessdate=2007-05-20|publisher=[[Box Office Mojo]]}}</ref> and as of May 2007 is the 104th highest grossing film of all time.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/alltime/world/?pagenum=2&p=.htm|title=WORLDWIDE GROSSES|accessdate=2007-05-20|publisher=[[Box Office Mojo]]}}</ref> At the time, it had become the highest grossing British film of all time.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/431153.stm|title=Notting Hill breaks film record|accessdate=2007-05-23|date=[[1999-08-26]]|publisher=BBC News}}</ref>
 
====Economics=Awards===
''Notting Hill'' won the Audience Award for Most Popular Film at the [[British Academy of Film and Television Arts|BAFTA]]s in 2000,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0855372.html|title=2000 British Academy of Film and Television Awards|accessdate=2007-05-22|publisher=infoplease.com}}</ref> and was nominated in the categories of The Alexander Korda Award for Outstanding British Film of the year, and Best Performance by an Actor in a supporting role for Rhys Ifans.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/662167.stm|title=Bafta nominations in full|accessdate=2007-05-22|date=2000-03-01|publisher=BBC News}}</ref> The film also won Best Comedy Film at the [[British Comedy Awards]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.britishcomedyawards.com/pastwinners99.html|title=The Past Winners 1999|accessdate=2007-05-22|publisher=British Comedy Awards}}</ref> The film's soundtrack won Best Soundtrack at the [[Brit Awards]], beating ''[[Star Wars - Episode I: The Phantom Menace]]''.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/entertainment/2000/brit_awards/625884.stm|title=Brits 2000: The winners|accessdate=2007-05-22|date=[[2000-03-03]]|pblisher=BBC News}}</ref> The film won Best British Film, Best British Director for Roger Michell, and Best British Actor for Hugh Grant at the [[Empire Awards]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.britishtheatreguide.info/news/library/soft/blwh-022000.htm|title=What are they doing?|date=2000-02-20|accessdate=2007-05-21|publisher=British Theatre Guide}}</ref>
As a result of their level of education, many Filipino Americans are now in the [[upper middle class]], and the community enjoys substantial economic well-being <sup>[http://academic.udayton.edu/race/04needs/income02.htm]</sup> <sup>[http://www.census.gov/apsd/wepeople/we-3.pdf]</sup> <sup>[http://www.ntac.hawaii.edu/products/Vol2%20Cult.Briefs/ACB-Vol2-Iss3-Philippines.pdf]</sup>. This is especially true for those working in [[nursing]], where the United States suffers shortages. Filipino Americans are also considered to have one of the highest average income per household in the nation.
The film received three nominations at the [[Golden Globes]], in the categories Best Motion Picture - Comedy/Musical, Best Motion Picture Actor - Comedy/Musical for [[Hugh Grant]], and Best Motion Picture Actress - Comedy/Musical for [[Julia Roberts]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thegoldenglobes.com/welcome.html?movie/notting_hill.html|title=Notting Hill|publisher=TheGoldenGlobes.com|accessdate=2007-05-22}}</ref>
 
Filipino Americans are also the highest remitters of US dollars to the [[Philippines]]. In 2005, the Filipino American collective dollar remittances reached a record-high of $5.6 billion dollars. The buying power of the Filipino American community is at $52 billion dollars<sup>[http://www.filipino-directory.com/framesets/directoryf.html]</sup>.
 
Many Filipino Americans are home-owners. At the point of retirement, many Filipino Americans tend to head back to the [[Philippines]], since the value of the dollar remains significant in the Philippine economy.
 
====Religion====
Filipino Americans largely share mainstream American religious beliefs and values, often to a greater extent than currently popular in American culture. This is in part due to the Philippines being one of only two [[Catholic]]-majority countries in Asia (the other being [[East Timor]]). The Philippine Archipelago is the world's third largest Catholic Country both in geography and population, surpassed only by Brazil and Mexico, respectively. The introduction, and subsequent adoption, of Roman Catholicism and Christian values in the Philippines were the direct result of over 300 years of Spanish colonial rule in the archipelago. Filipino Americans tend to be devout in their faith traditions{{fact}}: Attending church services every Sunday, reading the Bible and reciting the rosary, sending their children to [[parochial school]]s, and donating to Catholic charities. There are other religious faiths with smaller numbers of Filipino American adherents, with the various Protestant denominations having the most members.
 
[[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]] reports that [[Tagalog language|Tagalog]] is the fourth-most-spoken language among members worldwide, and other Filipino languages are among the ten most-spoken in the Church, with so many of those members in American congregations that they hold their services in Tagalog.
 
[[New York]] now hosts to the first-ever Church for Filipinos named after the national saint of the Philippines, San Lorenzo Ruiz. The [[San Lorenzo Ruiz Church]] was officially designated as the Church for Filipinos in July 2005, first in the United States, and second in the world, the first being in Rome.
 
====Settlement and Little Manilas====
The story of Filipino Americans has began, according to some historians, in 1787 when the first permanent Filipino settlements established in North America near Barataria Bay in southern Louisiana. Under three centuries of Spanish rule in the Philippines and the half a century of American rule to follow, Filipinos have been under a great amount of Euro-American influence and emigrants to live overseas has an of experience not alien for them.
First- and second-generation Americans originating from Asian countries have a tendency to form close-knit communities of their own in the United States, similar to those groups which preceded them. This has been historically true for the [[Chinese American]] and [[Vietnamese American]] communities. Filipino Americans, however, have a tendency to settle in a more dispersed fashion, living in communities across the country without a need for establishing close ties with other Filipino Americans in the area. Based on several sociological field studies and surveys, there are more instances of Filipino American families finding themselves in areas without other Filipino Americans than experienced by other Asian group, many of them find themselves in communities with a high-diversity.
 
In areas with low Filipino populations, Filipinos often form loosely-knit social organizations aimed at maintaining the sense of "family" which is a key feature of Filipino culture. Such organizations generally arrange social events, especially of a charitable nature, and will keep members up-to-date on local events of interest to Filipinos. While events are well-attended, the associations are otherwise a small part of the Filipino American's life.
 
However, there are instances where Filipino Americans form close-knit neighborhoods of their own, especially in [[California]] and [[Hawaii]]. A few townships in these parts of the country have established "[[Little Manila]]s", civic and business districts tailored for the Filipino American community.
 
The City of [[Los Angeles]] has even posted signs identifying the otherwise-unofficial Little Manila part of town and the hub of 150,000 Filipinos in the Los Angeles area. [[San Francisco]] also has a large Filipino American community, mostly concentrated in the Pacific Heights section as an estimated 65,000 Filipinos live in that city.
 
Similarly, more Filipino-oriented neighborhoods have been forming in parts of [[New York]], [[New Jersey]], and [[Pennsylvania]]. A conglomeration of businesses that are Filipino-owned of various types have opened up in service to the growing Filipino constituency.
 
[[New York City]]'s bustling environment carries a proud collection of many different ethnicities, each with their own festivals and parades. It is known for the [[St. Patrick's Day Parade]], [[Puerto Rican Day Parade]], [[Columbus Day|Columbus Day Parade]], and many others that are celebrated annually, that bring hundreds of thousands of parade participants and spectators. The Filipino equivalent, the [[Philippine Independence Day Parade]], is traditionally held on the first Sunday of June at Madison Avenue, turning it into the focal point of Filipino pride on that day. The celebration occupies nearly 27 city blocks which includes a 3.5-hour parade and an all-day long street fair and cultural performances. It gathers as many as 200,000 marchers, participants, and spectators and is filled with a variety of organization banners, bands, dances, and an abundance of Philippine flags. There are also talks of moving the parade into [[Fifth Avenue]], which would make it the first and only [[Asian American]] parade that would be held on that strip of the Manhattan island.
 
==21st Century Challenges==
====Diversity====
When people speak of [[Asian Americans]], they tend to identify that label with [[Chinese American]], [[Korean American]] or [[Japanese American]], but seldom Filipino Americans. This is partly due to the lack, or invisibility in representation, of Filipino American role models in the wider community and media, despite actually being the second-largest Asian American group in the United States. Due to the extreme ethnic diversity that exists in the Philippines, with both native Filipino, Spanish, and Chinese influences, having iconic role models is particularly difficult - one might just as well try to label all Americans who move to China as "American Chinese", even though ethnically they may be completely different from one another.
 
Many Filipinos are ethnically closer to other [[Austronesian]]-speaking Pacific groups than to "mainland" Asians, although there is also significant mainland Asian influence, particularly Chinese, in the Philippines. Although the Philippines is far away from Latin America, they share a common history of Spanish influence. They are also sometimes grouped with [[Pacific Islanders]], based solely on geography.
 
Intermarriage of Filipino Americans with other races puts them in a pattern of not only assimilation, a likelihood of an Asiatic cultural group enhanced with ancestry of Euro-Americans, Hispanics, African Americans and American Indians, and this was documented in California for a few decades.
 
In June of 2002, Philippine President [[Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo]] and representatives of U.S. President [[George W. Bush]] presided over the grand opening and dedication of the [[Filipino Community Center]] in [[Waipahu, Hawaii|Waipahu, Hawai'i]]. It is the largest Filipino American institution in the United States, with the goal of preserving Filipino American history and culture.
 
===="The Invisible Minority"====
Ease of integration and assimilation has gained the Filipino American the label of "Invisible Minority." Recent Filipino immigrants tend to assimilate rapidly, as most are fluent in English, the majority are Christians, are usually highly educated and economically well-off. Assimilation of Filipinos is the result of needing to excel in American society. Filipinos compensate their language, history and voices for a better life in the United States and attainment of the American Dream. The label of "Invisible Minority" also extends to the lack of political power and representation of, by and for Filipino Americans. In the mid-1990s, only 100 Filipino Americans held elected office, with all but one serving at the municipal or state level.
 
====Dual citizenship====
As a result of the passage of Philippines Republic Act No. 9225, also known as the Citizenship Retention and Re-Acquisition Act of 2003, Filipino Americans are eligible for dual citizenship in both the United States and the Philippines. However, dual citizens are barred from participating in homeland elections through the recently-passed absentee voting bill. Overseas suffrage was first employed in the May 2004 elections in which Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was reelected to a second term.
 
In addition, the Philippine government actively encourages Filipino Americans to visit or return permanently to the Philippines via the "Balikbayan" program. To facilitate this process, and to encourage American business investment in the country, the Philippine government has established consulates in various areas of the United States. These are located in [[Chicago]]; [[Guam]]; [[Honolulu]]; [[Los Angeles]]; [[New York]]; [[Saipan]]; and [[San Francisco]] while honorary consulates are also available in [[Atlanta]], [[Fort Lauderdale]], [[Houston]], [[Majuro]], [[Miami]] and [[New Orleans]].
 
In 2004, about 6,000 people became dual citizens of the [[Philippines]] and the [[United States]]. This act encourages many Filipino Americans to invest in the Philippines, buy land (only Filipino citizens are allowed to purchase land in the [[Philippines]]), vote in Philippine elections, retire in the Philippines, and participate in representing the Philippine flag, especially in the field of sports.
 
Due to this act, many Filipino Americans have been recruited to participate in international sports events such as the [[Olympic Games]] in Athens 2004, the recent [[23rd Southeast Asian Games]] in [[Manila]], the upcoming 15th [[Asian Games]] in 2006 and [[Olympic Games]] in Beijing 2008. These will bring hopes of reviving the spirit of Philippine sports and garnering the Philippines' first ever Olympic gold medal as well as a spot in other future events such as the [[FIFA World Cup]] and the [[World Baseball Classic]], all which remain elusive.
 
====Post 9/11 immigration and issues====
After the attacks on [[11 September]] [[2001]], the United States government felt compelled to crackdown on foreign visitors and workers residing in the United States who failed to meet the requirements of their original [[visas]], citing a threat to national security. Many Filipinos have entered the United States on temporary education and work visas but often choose to stay well past their visa expiration dates. The [[Immigration and Naturalization Service|United States Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization Service]] was dissolved and replaced with the [[United States Citizenship and Immigration Services]] in hopes of more aggressive prevention of visa fraud. However, university study abroad programs to the [[Philippines]] have been cut, cancelled, or postponed due to fears of terrorism even though terrorism clearly exists throughout the world.
 
To date, Filipinos remain the second-largest immigrant population in the United States, behind the [[Mexican]]s, with an average of 70,000 people migrating annually. About 75% consist of family sponsorship while the remainder is employment-oriented. A majority of this number prefer to live in [[California]], followed by [[Hawaii]], [[Illinois]], [[New York]], [[New Jersey]], [[Washington]], [[Florida]], [[Louisiana]], [[Texas]], [[Nevada]] and [[Alaska]].
 
However, visa petitions by Filipino Americans for their loved-ones back in the [[Philippines]] are on hold and backlogged. This issue is being contested by many active Filipino American and Asian American community leaders, as 1.4 million petitions are affected, and results in the delay of the [[reunification]] of many Filipino families. Filipinos also suffer one of the longest waiting periods among immigrant groups, considering that the Philippines is a former [[United States]] colony, an ally in instilling worldwide democracy and battling worldwide terrorism.
 
In 2005, 36,673 Filipinos became American citizens. [http://www.uscis.gov/graphics/shared/statistics/publications/2005NatzFlowRpt.pdf].
 
=====Filipinos on holiday=====
About 370,000 Filipinos travel to the United States every year for business and pleasure. They are fifth only from their Asian counterparts, beginning with the [[Japanese people|Japanese]] (estimated at 4 million annually), [[People's Republic of China|Chinese]] (750,000), [[Korean people|Korean]] (700,000), and [[India|Indian]] (430,000).
 
====Discrimination====
Filipino Americans are working against [[racial discrimination]] in the work force. Despite the level of education Filipino Americans have attained, the community continues to see discrepancies in the way salaries are proportioned among the different ethnicities represented at many firms.{{fact}}
 
Recent race-based hate crimes against Filipino Americans have occurred, including the [[1999]] murder of [[Joseph Ileto]] by [[white supremacist]] [[Aryan Nations]] member [[Buford Furrow]]. There have also been cases of unreasonable deportation and visa rejection against Filipino Americans, and greater scrutiny when re-entering the United States from Mexico and Canada, even for native-born US citizens. Filipino Americans today are continuing to be active in the fight against racial discrimination against any race.
 
A more recent form of discrimination is due to Philippine Islamist group [[Abu Sayyaf]] recently being linked to [[Al-Qaeda]] - which was responsible for the [[September 11, 2001 attacks]]. As a result of this link, some Filipino Americans have been under suspicion, and have allegedly been mistreated based on the assumption that they are collaborators to Filipino Muslim extremism.
 
====World War II veteran benefits====
During [[World War II]], over 200,000 Filipinos fought in defense of the United States against the Japanese in the Pacific theater of military operations, where more than half died. As a commonwealth of the United States before and during the war, Filipinos were legally American nationals. With American nationality, Filipinos were promised all the benefits afforded to those serving in the armed forces of the United States. In 1946, Congress passed the [[Rescission Act]] which stripped Filipinos of the benefits they were promised. Of the 66 countries allied with the United States during the war, only Filipinos were denied military benefits.
 
Since the passage of the Rescission Act, many Filipino veterans have traveled to the United States to lobby Congress for the benefits promised to them for their service and sacrifice. Over 30,000 of such veterans live in the United States today, with most being United States citizens. [[Sociologists]] introduced the phrase "Second Class Veterans" to describe the plight of these Filipino Americans. Since 1993, numerous bills were introduced in Congress to return the benefits taken away from these veterans. However, the bills died in committee. but the struggle continues today. The current "full equity" bills are [http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c109:S.146.IS: S. 146] in the Senate, and [http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c109:H.R.4574: H.R. 4574] in the House of Representatives.
 
==Holidays and Celebrations==
Extremely hospitable in nature, Filipino Americans are fond of celebrating with familes, extended families and friends. It is not unusual for a family to host as many as a dozen occasions each year (i.e., baptisms, birthdays, funerals, holidays, showers, weddings). Celebrations are highlighted by large buffets of traditional Filipino food including but not limited to [[adobo]] (savory soy sauce and [[vinegar]] stewed beef, pork or chicken), [[lumpia]] (egg rolls), [[pansit]] (fried noodles), [[litson]] (pronounced leh-chon, whole roasted pig), and fresh grilled fish. Ilocano food tends to be bitter in flavor including ''pinapaitan'' (beef stewed in bile broth) and [[bittermelon]] casseroles and omelets. Often such affairs can grow to become major neighborhood block parties as families haul out folding chairs and bales of paper plates.
 
Filipino American fondness for celebrating has most recently led to the establishment of larger community wide festivals celebrating the Filipino culture. Most festivals occur in May during [[Asian Pacific American Heritage Month]] and [[Flores de Mayo]], a [[Roman Catholic]] harvest feast in honor of the [[Blessed Virgin Mary]].
 
Several celebrations around the United States in commemoration of the [[Declaration of Philippine Independence|Philippine Independence]] occur mostly in the month of June. This is also considered the most important event of the community as it gives many Filipino Americans a chance to rekindle their Filipino roots. Certain parts of the country celebrate in the form of festivals, street fairs, and parades. An example of this is the [[Philippine Independence Day Parade]] in [[New York City]], the largest Filipino celebration of any kind in the United States.
 
{| class="wikitable"
|+<font size=+1>'''Major Celebrations in the United States'''</font>
|- style=background:#efefef;
! Date !! Name !! Region
|-
| April || Easter Salubong || Nationwide, USA
|-
| April || PhilFest || Tampa, FL
|-
| May || [[Asian Pacific American Heritage Month]] || Nationwide, USA
|-
| May || Filipino Festival || New Orleans, LA
|-
| May || Filipino Fiesta and Parade || Honolulu, HI
|-
| May || Flores de Mayo || Nationwide, USA
|-
| June (First Sunday) || '''[[Philippine Independence Day Parade]]''' || New York, NY
|-
| June (Second Sunday)|| Philippine Day Parade || Passaic, NJ
|-
| June|| Pista Sa Nayon || Vallejo, CA
|-
| June || [[New York Filipino Film Festival]] at [[The ImaginAsian]] Theatre || New York, NY
|-
| June || Empire State Building commemorates Philippine Independence [http://www.philippinenews.com/news/view_article.html?article_id=ce56ba8abb743542dce79ce7252a1ffc] || New York, NY
|-
| June (Last Sunday) || [[Philippine-American Friendship Day|Philippine-American Friendship Day Parade]] || Jersey City, NJ
|-
| June 12 || Fiesta Filipina || San Francisco, CA
|-
| June 12 || [[Philippine Declaration of Independence|Philippine Independence Day]] || Nationwide, USA
|-
| June || Pagdiriwang || Seattle, WA
|-
| July || Pista sa Nayon || Seattle, WA
|-
| July || Philippine Weekend [http://www.philippineweekend.org] || Delano, CA
|-
| August || Annual Philippine Fiesta [http://www.philippinefiesta.com] || Secaucus, NJ
|-
| September 27 || Festival of San Lorenzo Luis || New Orleans, LA
|-
| September || Festival of Philippine Arts and Culture (FPAC) || Los Angeles, CA
|-
| October || [[Filipino American History Month]] || Nationwide, USA
|-
| December 16 to 24 || Simbang Gabi Christmas Dawn Masses || Nationwide, USA
|-
| December 25 || Pasko Christmas Feast || Nationwide, USA
|-
| December 30 || [[Jose Rizal]] Day || Nationwide, USA
|}
<BR>
 
==History==
* '''1587''', first Filipinos in North America landed in Morro Bay near [[San Luis Obispo, California]]
 
* '''1763''', first permanent Filipino settlements established in North America near [[Saint Malo (Louisiana)|Barataria Bay]] in southern [[Louisiana]]
 
* '''1781''', Antonio Miranda Rodriguez chosen a member of the first group of settlers to establish the City of [[Los Angeles, California]]
 
* '''1898''', United States annexes the Philippines
 
* '''1899''', [[Philippine-American War]] begins
 
* '''1903''', first ''Pensionados'', Filipinos invited to attend college in the United States on American government scholarships, arrive
 
* '''1906''', first Filipino laborers migrate to the United States to work on the [[Hawaii|Hawaiian]] sugarcane and pineapple plantations, California and [[Washington]] asparagus farms, Washington lumber, [[Alaska]] salmon canneries
 
* '''1920s''', Filipino labor leaders organize unions and strategic strikes to improve working and living conditions
 
* '''1930s''', first Filipino women and children migrate to the United States
 
* '''1936''', Philippines becomes self-governing. Commonwealth of the Philippines inaugurated
 
* '''1939''', [[Washington Supreme Court]] rules unconstitutional the Anti-Alien Land Law of 1937 which banned Filipino Americans from owning land
 
* '''1946''', Philippines becomes independent. Republic of the Philippines inaugurated; [[America is in the Heart]] by [[Carlos Bulosan]] published
 
* '''1955''', [[Peter Aduja]] becomes first Filipino American elected to office becoming a member of the Hawai'i State House of Representatives
 
* '''1965''', Congress passes [[Immigration and Nationality Act]] to facilitate ease of entry for skilled Filipino laborers
 
* '''1974''', [[Benjamin Menor]] appointed first Filipino American in a state's highest judiciary office as Justice of the [[Hawaii State Supreme Court]]
 
* '''1975''', Governor [[John A. Burns]] (D-HI) convinces Benjamin J. Cayetano to run and win a seat in the [[Hawaii State Legislature]], despite Cayetano's doubts about winning office in a white and [[Japanese American]] dominated district; Kauai's [[Eduardo E. Malapit]] elected first Filipino American mayor
 
* '''1981'''. [[Silme Domingo]] and [[Gene Viernes]] were both assassinated on June 1, 1981 inside a Seattle downtown union hall. The late Philippine Dictator Ferdinand Marcos hired gunmen to murder both ILWU Local 37 officers to silence the growing movement in the United States opposing the dictatorship in the Philippines.
 
* '''1987''', [[Benjamin J. Cayetano]] becomes the first Filipino American and second Asian American elected Lt. Governor of a state of the Union
 
* '''1990''', [[David Mercado Valderrama]] becomes first Filipino American elected to a state legislature on the mainland United States serving [[Prince George's County, Maryland|Prince George's County]] in Maryland
 
* '''1991''', Seattle's [[Gene Canque Liddell]] becomes first Filipino American woman to be elected mayor serving the suburb of [[Lacey City, Washington|Lacey City]]
 
* '''1992''', [[Velma Viloria]] becomes first Filipino American and first Asian American elected to the [[Washington State Legislature]]
 
* '''1993''', [[Mario R. Ramil]] appointed Associate Justice to the Hawai'i Supreme Court, the second Filipino American to reach the court
 
* '''1994''', [[Benjamin J. Cayetano]] becomes the first Filipino American and second Asian American elected Governor of a state of the Union
 
* '''1999''', US Postal worker [[Joseph Ileto]] murdered in a hate crime by [[Aryan Nations]] member Buford Furrow
 
* '''2000''', [[Robert Bunda]] elected Hawai'i Senate President and [[Simeon R. Acoba, Jr.]] appointed Hawai'i State Supreme Court Justice
 
* '''2003''', Philippine Republic Act No. 9225, also known as the Citizenship Retention and Re-Acquisition Act of 2003 enacted, allowing natural-born Filipinos naturalized in the United States and their unmarried minor children to reclaim Filipino nationality and hold dual citizenship
 
* '''2006''', Congress passes legislation that commemorates the 100 Years of Filipino Migration to the United States
 
==Notable Filipino Americans==
{{further|[[List of Filipino Americans]]}}
 
==Further reading==
'''Nonfiction'''
*The Filipino Americans from 1763 to the Present: Their History, Culture, and Traditions by Veltisezar Bautista, ISBN 0-931613-17-5
*Filipino Achievers in the U.S.A. & Canada: Profiles in Excellence]by Isabelo T. Crisostomo, ISBN 0-931613-11-6
*Filipino American Lives by Yen Le Espiritu, ISBN 1-56639-317-5
*Filipinos in Chicago (Images of America)] by Estrella Ravelo Alamar, Willi Red Buhay ISBN 0-7385-1880-8
*"Filipino Americans," by Carl L. Bankston III, in Pyong Gap Min (ed.), Asian Americans: Contemporary Trends and Issues ISBN 1-4129-0556-7
 
'''Fiction'''
*[[Starship Troopers]] by Robert Heinlein, ISBN 0-7857-8728-3
 
==See also==
* [[List of Filipino Americans|List of '''Filipino''' Americans]]
* [[List of U.S. cities with large Filipino American populations]]
* [[Filipino diaspora]]
* [[Filipino people]]
* [[Asian Americans]]
* [[Pinoy]]
* [[Philippine Independence Day Parade]]
* [[Overseas Filipino]]
 
== References ==
<div class="references-small"><references /></small>
 
==References==
{{Reflist|2}}
 
==External links==
{{wikiquotepar|Notting Hill}}
* [http://www.apa.si.edu/filamcentennial Filipino American Centennial Commemoration] from [[Smithsonian]] Asian Pacific American Program
* [http://www.filamartsnotting-hill.orgcom/ Fil''Notting Am ArtsHill''] official site
*{{imdb title|id=0125439|title=Notting Hill}}
* [http://www.fasgi.org/news/LA_declares_historic_filipinotown.html City of Los Angeles declares Historic Filipinotown]
*{{rotten-tomatoes|id=notting_hill|title=Notting Hill}}
* [http://www.bibingka.com/sst/esperanza/morrobay.htm Did Philippine indios really land in Morro Bay? by Hector Santos]
*{{metacritic film|id=nottinghill|title=Notting Hill}}
* [http://www.niu.edu/cseas/outreach/FilipinoAmericansinChicago.html Filipino Americans in Chicago]
*{{mojo title|id=nottinghill|title=Notting Hill}}
* [http://www.filipinoamericans.net/manilamen.shtml Manilamen: The Filipino Roots in America]
*[http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2004/dec/23/yehey/opinion/20041223opi5.html Filipino Founding Father of Los Angeles]
*[http://personal.anderson.ucla.edu/eloisa.borah/egbgalle.htm The Manila Galleon Trade, 1565-1815] see also [[Manila Galleon]] trade<sup>[http://www.ezilon.com/information/article_476.shtml]</sup>
* [http://personal.anderson.ucla.edu/eloisa.borah/chronology.pdf Chronology of Filipinos in America Pre-1898]
* [http://www.filipinoamericans.net/usrevcivilwar.shtml Filipino Veterans of War of 1812 and American Civil War]
 
----
{{AsAm}}
 
{{PHPeoplesmall}}
 
[[Category:Ethnic1990s groupsRomantic incomedy the United Statesfilms]]
[[Category:Filipino1999 Americans|*films]]
[[Category:FilipinoBritish American historyfilms]]
[[Category:OverseasEnglish-language Filipinos|Americanfilms]]
[[Category:Films set in London]]
[[Category:Films shot in Super 35]]
 
[[de:Filipino-AmerikanerNotting Hill (Film)]]
[[fr:Coup de foudre à Notting Hill]]
[[simple:Filipino American]]
[[it:Notting Hill (film)]]
[[tl:Pilipino-Amerikano]]
[[nl:Notting Hill (film)]]
[[ja:ノッティングヒルの恋人]]
[[no:Notting Hill (film)]]
[[pl:Notting Hill (film)]]
[[pt:Notting Hill (filme)]]
[[fi:Notting Hill]]
[[sv:Notting Hill (film)]]