A Seat at the Table: Representation, Identity, and the Filipino American Journey
I came across an image(above) recently that made me stop and reflect. Three individuals stood proudly before the U.S. Capitol, accompanied by a statement that carried historic weight: for the first time, a Native American, a Native Alaskan, and a Native Hawaiian are serving together in the House of Representatives.
It is the kind of moment that, at first glance, feels symbolic. But when you sit with it a little longer, it becomes something more a reminder of how long the road to representation has been for so many communities.
For most of American history, the faces inside Congress did not reflect the diversity outside its walls. Entire groups-Indigenous peoples, immigrants, and communities of color were largely absent from the rooms where national decisions were made.
So when we see change, even incremental change, it matters. It made me ask a question that feels personal:
Where do Filipino Americans stand in this evolving American story?
Today, there is a Filipino American voice in the U.S. House of Representatives- Robert Garcia. His journey, from immigrant roots to public service at the highest levels, is both inspiring and familiar. It echoes the quiet resilience of so many Filipino families who came to this country not seeking recognition, but opportunity.
But the Filipino American story in U.S. politics did not begin here.
We can look back to leaders like Bobby Scott, one of the longest-serving members of Congress with Filipino ancestry. At the state and local levels, many others have paved the way often without fanfare, but with lasting impact.
And yet, compared to our numbers and contributions, Filipino Americans remain underrepresented in national leadership. That contrast is striking.
Ours is a community deeply woven into the fabric of American life. We have been on the frontlines of healthcare, in the corridors of science and research, in the military, and in public service. I think about my own journey at the FDA years spent in service, contributing in ways that were meaningful, even if not always visible.
That has been the Filipino way: to serve with dedication, humility, and excellence.
But representation asks for something more. It asks not only that we serve but that we are seen.
That our voices are heard in the shaping of policy, not just in its implementation.
That young Filipino Americans can look at Congress and say, “Someone there understands where I come from.”
The image I saw is not just about Native representation. It is part of a broader shift, a slow, sometimes uneven movement toward an America that reflects its true diversity.
And in that movement, Filipino Americans are beginning to take their place. Still, there is work to be done.
Representation is not a destination; it is a process. Each new voice added to Congress is not the end of the story, but the continuation of it.
A Future Already Taking Shape
As I write this, I cannot help but think of my granddaughter( Carenna Katague Thompson), standing at the threshold of her own future, preparing for graduate school, with dreams of teaching at a college or university.
Another granddaughter ( Marina Katague) wrote me recently: "Hi Lolo ( Grandpa): Just to let you know, I am hoping I will finish my doctoral thesis by July. Also evaluating and thinking on post- doctoral opportunities/employment".
Both my granddaughter's path are still unfolding.
There is uncertainty, as there always is at the beginning. Questions about opportunity, direction, and purpose. But there is also something my generation did not always have in the same way:
Visibility. Possibility. A clearer sense that she belongs in any room she chooses to enter.
When my two granddaughters looks at the world today at Congress, at universities, at leadership across this country, they are beginning to see faces that reflect a broader America. Not perfectly, not completely, but undeniably more than before. And that matters.
Because representation does something quiet but profound. It expands the imagination. It tells the next generation, “This space is not closed to you.”
Whether both of them becomes a professor, a researcher, or perhaps something entirely unexpected, I hope they carry that understanding with them, that their voices has value, that their heritage is not a limitation but a strength, and that their presence in any field is part of a larger story still being written.
A story that includes all of us. For my two granddaughters, and for so many young Filipino Americans like them, the question is no longer simply “Is there a place for us?”
It is becoming something far more powerful:
“What will we do with the place that is now opening?”
And perhaps that is the true meaning behind the image I saw.
Not just who is in Congress today - but who will be there tomorrow.
Not just representation as it exists - but representation as it continues to grow.
Because the future is no longer something we wait for.
- Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA-03): Representing Virginia since 1993, he is the first American of Filipino ancestry to serve as a voting member of Congress. Delegate Jim Moylan (R-GU): Represents Guam and is heavily involved in Filipino-American initiatives, including co-leading a resolution for Filipino-American History Month.
- Rep. Mark Takano (D-CA-39): While not exclusively identified in all lists, he is often involved in API Congressional caucuses.
- U.S.-Philippines Friendship Caucus: This caucus works to strengthen ties between the two countries, often involving members with Filipino heritage or districts with large populations.
- Filipino-American History Month: Congress has officially recognized October as Filipino-American History Month.
- Emerging Representation: The 2024 election cycle highlighted several Filipino-American candidates aiming to increase representation at both state and federal levels.
AI Overview: For the current 119th Congress, Pew has a good set of demographic estimates, though some categories are reported a bit differently than your question asks. The cleanest figures I found are for gender, race/ethnicity, education, wealth, and religion in the 119th Congress.
Gender
There are 151 women and 382 men in the 119th Congress, out of 533 voting members in Pew’s count. That works out to about 28% women and 72% men.
Race and ethnicity
Pew’s current race/ethnicity report says 139 members identify as Black, Hispanic, Asian American, Native American, or multiracial, which is 26% of voting members.
For the groups you asked about specifically, Pew’s breakdown gives approximately 74% White and 26% non-White overall; by chamber, the House has 303 White, 61 Black, 46 Hispanic, 18 Asian American, 3 Native American, and 5 multiracialmembers, while the Senate has 83 White, 5 Black, 7 Hispanic, 3 Asian American, and 1 Native American.Education
Pew’s education data for the 118th Congress found that 94% of House members and all but one senator held at least a bachelor’s degree. A CRS profile of the 119th Congress says 96% of House members and 99% of senators have at least a bachelor’s degree, and 66% of House members and 78% of senators hold advanced degrees beyond a bachelor’s.
That means the vast majority of Congress has a bachelor’s degree or higher, and a very large share also has graduate or professional education.Wealth
Reliable, current, official counts of how many members of Congress are millionairesare harder to pin down than gender or religion because wealth is usually estimated from financial disclosure ranges rather than declared directly. I did not find a clean, authoritative 119th-Congress count in the sources above, so I would treat any exact “millionaire” number cautiously. If you want, I can pull together the best available estimate from financial disclosure studies and journalism.
Religion
Pew’s “Faith on the Hill” report for the 119th Congress says 150 are Catholic, 32 are Jewish, and 4 are Muslim. The same report says 87% of Congress is Christian overall.
So the shares you asked for are roughly Roman Catholic 150, Jewish 32, and Muslim 4.
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