Filipinos have been immigrating to the United States since the early 1900s. In 1903, pensionados arrived in the US from the Philippines to study in colleges and

universites. Starting in 1906, Filipinos came to Hawaii, Alaska, California and Washigton to work on sugarcane plantations, farms, lumberyards, and salmon canneries. In the post-WW II era,

Filipino physicians, nurses and other health care workers came to the US for specialty training. Most of them stayed in the US after their training stint and married Americans and raised families. In late 19th and early 20th century California, they were not allowed to marry White people, which included Mexican Americans.

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

The U.S. Military also played a significant role in bringing Filipinos to the United States. The US began recruiting Filipinos into either the United States Navy at Subic Bay Naval Base to crew US Navy vessels and the United States Air Force at Clark Air Base. After their service stints, they settled in the US mainland. Additionally, many American soldiers married Filipinos and brought them to the United States.

There are also many significant populations of Filipinos in the country of Canda.