For sixty years, we have been a family, a home, and a proud keeper of Filipino heritage in Alaska.
The Filipino Community of Anchorage, Alaska, Inc. is a nonprofit organization dedicated to celebrating and sharing Filipino heritage in Alaska. Since 1965, we have brought families together to honor our culture, care for one another, and pass our traditions on to the next generation.
We are grandparents and grandchildren, longtime Alaskans and brand-new arrivals, born in the islands and born right here in Anchorage. What unites us is simple: a love for our heritage and a belief that no one should feel far from home. Whether you come for the food, the dancing, the friendships, or the sense of belonging, there is always a seat for you at our table.
One summer evening in 1953, a few Filipino friends gathered near the Eagle River Bridge for a simple cookout. They shared a meal, told stories, and relished the spirit of friendship and camaraderie. The evening was so good that they told everyone about it, and the next picnic drew even more people.
At the time, many Filipinos were stationed at Fort Richardson and Elmendorf, and as more Filipino families settled in Anchorage, the little group kept growing. They learned to lean on one another and to help their kababayan in times of need. By the summer of 1957, they decided to make it official in spirit, calling themselves The Filipino Community of Anchorage and Vicinity, and marking the moment the only way that felt right: a Sunday picnic under the Eagle River Bridge, with everyone bringing food and a lechon at the center of it all.
They agreed to meet on the last Sunday of every month and set membership dues at five dollars a year to cover expenses. Before long, they were marching in the Fourth of July parade, joining the United Nations fairs at the Park Strip, and taking part in Fur Rendezvous, proudly representing Filipino culture across the city.
In the early 1960s, the group set out to become the true voice of all Filipinos in Anchorage. A committee formed to draft a constitution and bylaws, with yearly elections so everyone would have a chance to serve. After four years of heartfelt debate and discussion, the documents were ratified in 1965. Seventeen people signed their names that day and became the official Founders of the Filipino Community of Anchorage. Six decades later, we still carry their spirit forward.
With gratitude, we honor the founders who signed our constitution in 1965 and gave our community its lasting home.
We show up for one another. When a neighbor needs help, the whole community lifts together, just as our founders did from the very first picnic.
We treat each other as family. Every member, new or lifelong, belongs and is seen as one of our own.
We keep our culture alive through food, language, music, and dance, and we pass it proudly to the next generation of Filipino Alaskans.
We honor our elders and celebrate our youth, cherishing every generation for the gifts they bring to our community.
Six decades on, we gather as often and as joyfully as ever. Our year is filled with beloved traditions: the elegant Founders’ Day Banquet and Ball, the Philippine Independence Day picnic, the Senior Thanksgiving Dinner, our Christmas party, community health fairs, and more. Through our Karilagan Folkloric Group, we bring Filipino dance and tradition to stages across Anchorage, and through our education programs we invest in the dreams of our young people.
Our community grows stronger with every family that joins. Come to an event, become a member, or lend a hand. However you take part, you will find warmth, friendship, and a place that feels like home.
