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The Filipinos or the Filipino people, are the ethnic group related to the country of the Republic of the Philippines in Southeast Asia.

History

It was originally believed that Filipinos were Malays who came from Malaysia, however according to contemporary research by anthropologists, linguists, and archaeologists, the vast majority of Filipinos are descended from people who spoke Austronesian languages. They migrated to the what is now the Philippines from southern China via Taiwan thousands of years ago. There are also various Negrito groups whose ancestors are believed to have migrated much earlier than the Austronesian-speaking migrants.

Prior to the arrival of the Spaniards in 1521, the Philippines was not united under a single nation. The inhabitants were divided into separate tribes or nations usually based on their respective ethnolinguistic groups.

By the mid-to-late 16th century, the archipelago was refered to as Filipinas (Philippines) in honor of King Philip II of Spain.

During the over three centuries of Spanish rule, the term Filipino usually refered to Spaniards who were born in the archipelago. Indigenous Filipinos were usually refered to as indio (Indian).

By the time the United States colonized the country in 1898, the indigenous population came to be known as Filipinos. However, the term indio was still being used well into the early part of the 20th century, as evidenced by Roman Catholic baptismal records.

Religion and culture

Filipino culture is primarly based on the various ethnic groups. However, Spanish culture has had a great influence in the Philippines. The most notable of which was the introduction of Roman Catholicism which 80% of the population practices.

There are many celebrations which are usually rooted in Catholicism. For example, there is an annual Peñafrancia festival in the Bicolregion.. This is based on Our Lady of Peñafrancia. Residents of the villages of Guadalupe Viejo and Guadalupe Nuevo in Makati City celebrate Our Lady of Guadalupe.

A significant minority of Filipinos concentrated in Mindanao and the Sulu archipelago are adherents of Islam.

Other ethnicities

In addition to belonging to the indigenous ethnic groups of the country, there are also sizeable Chinese minorities in many parts of the country. Additionally, many Filipinos claim to have Spanish blood though the reality may be that only a small fraction of the population actually does.

In recent years, the Philippines has seen an increasing number of Koreans immigrating to the country.

Language

According to Ethnologue, there are more than 170 languages spoken in the country. The most-widely spoken of which is Tagalog. It is taught in schools throughout the country under the name Filipino.

Other languages spoken are Cebuano, Ilokano, and Hiliyganon.

Diaspora

Filipinos have been immigrating to the United States since the early 1900's. In 1903, pensionados arrived in the Philippines to study in colleges and universites. Starting in 1906, Filipinos came to , Alaska, California, and Washington to work on sugarcane plantations, farms, lumber, and salmon canneries.

Filipino immigration dramatically increased after Congress passed the Immigration and Nationality Act in 1965.

The US Military also played a significant role in bringing Filipinos to the United States. Filipinos were able to enlist into either the United States Navy at Subic Bay Naval Base and the United States Air Force at Clark Air Base in the Philippines. Additionally, many American soldiers married Filipinos and brought them to the United States.

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