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Filipinos in the navy/usmc

T

taproot2779

Registered User
I'm from San Diego, big time navy/marine corps town (duh) and I have a lot of Filipino friends. 90% of their parents have/were in the Navy or Marine Corps plus a lot of interactions I've had on base have been with Filipinos as well.

Just wondering if that's representative of general demographics of the service or is it just so-Cali?
 
I think it was because the USN used to recruit directly out of the PI. I had several friends I went to OCS with who were prior enlisted that shipped to bootcamp from the PI.
 
Lots of the commissary/NEX/tailor/barbershop folks are either from the PI or have Phillipino heritage as well....In my experience there is a higher concentration there than in uniform...90% seems high in any case though.
 
The US Navy had been recruiting Filipino nationals since the Spanish-American War, but the program was formalized shortly after WWII.

Tens of thousands of Filipinos were recruited. They were the only foreign nationals allowed to enlist in the US Armed Forces, and then, only to the Navy.

The recruitment program was in exchange for allowing the US to maintain military bases in the Philippines (not to mention having fought side by side heroically against the Japanese occupation.)

Unfortunately, they were not allowed into any Navy Rates. They were limited to being Stewards until Adm. Zumwalt changed that in the early '70's, finally opening up most all rates for the Filipinos.

Despite its limitations, the recruitment program was a great benefit and opportunity for those of a war-torn country with a devastated economy and extremely poor standard of living. The program finally ended in 1992.

The Filipinos I knew and served with, to a man served with honor and reflected great credit upon their heritage.

Link
 
awesome info, thanks!



scoober78 said:
Lots of the commissary/NEX/tailor/barbershop folks are either from the PI or have Phillipino heritage as well....In my experience there is a higher concentration there than in uniform...90% seems high in any case though.
Click to expand...

I may have been exaggerating, but it was definitely rare to meet a Filipino who didn't have ties to the military one way or another.
 
Don't forget about Marines and Sailors bringing their Filipina brides (and sometimes, most of her family) back to the states. I think this is a large reason why there is such a huge Filipino/Fil-Am population in Hampton Roads. I think our neighborhood in Virginia Beach was >50% Filipino, making me (regular old white dude) a minority. I fit in great though because we all seem to love food, beer and karaoke. :D
 
Catmando said:
Unfortunately, they were not allowed into any Navy Rates. They were limited to being Stewards until Adm. Zumwalt changed that in the early '70's, finally opening up most all rates for the Filipinos.
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Most of the Chief MS/CS's I have met are Filipino. I think a lot of them still gravitate to that rank because it is a known quantity. There are still plenty in other rates though.

I believe Filipino's constitute the third largest immigrant group in the US, behind Mexicans and Chinese.
 
Catmando said:
The Filipinos I knew and served with, to a man served with honor and reflected great credit upon their heritage.
Click to expand...

When I got to San Diego for boot camp I actually had the thought that the plane flew too far and landed in the Phillipines. It was a bit of culture shock for me and once I got over it I have to agree wholeheartedly with Catmando.
 
We jokingly call it the "Filipino Mafia" here at NRB. Seems about 2/3 of the NEX & MWR employees are Filipino.

FWIW, I have worked with 2 Filipino Chiefs, and they were old-school hard core guys, who were AWESOME.
 
I had reverse culture shock when I moved to Texas, I was so used to girls bringing me lumpia and pansit that I damned near went crazy without that stuff, and not being filipino I was SOL on how to make it... but I finally got it right. The funniest part was A. trying to get these cowboys to first believe that it was a real food and B. getting them to stop calling lumpia "eggrolls."
 
Catmando said:
Unfortunately, they were not allowed into any Navy Rates. They were limited to being Stewards until Adm. Zumwalt changed that in the early '70's, finally opening up most all rates for the Filipinos.
Click to expand...

Even then most went to the service type rates like MS and PN because as foreign nationals they couldn't get a Secret Clearance. That is why you find so many of them concentrated in those types of support functions. Those that immigrated 20 + years ago to join the Navy had to go into those rates because of lack of a clearance, hence, so many E-7 and above in those rates today.
 
So what should I expect when I hit the fleet? Is it likely that I'll be leading sailors that are Filipino or is it mainly sporadic chiefs here and there plus the "mafia" at the exchange?
 
As of FY 04, the approximate Navy demographic breakdown was:

Caucasian: 60%
African American: 20%
Hispanic: 10%
Other (however this was classified): 10%

So, you will work with folks from all different walks of life, races, cultures, citizenry, etc. Asking how many as far as a percentage is tantamount to asking what percent get jets around here. Really an unknown thing.
 
suchismango said:
So what should I expect when I hit the fleet? Is it likely that I'll be leading sailors that are Filipino or is it mainly sporadic chiefs here and there plus the "mafia" at the exchange?
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What difference does that make ??? What "race" you'll be "leading" --- that makes a difference to you .... ???

Why would something like THAT even enter into your thinking ???
 
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