I Am Today's Filipino documents the many stories of present-day Filipinos, one-hundred years after the first significant wave of Filipino migration to the U.S. This exhibit provides an intimate glimpse into the individual lives and experiences that reflect the collective story of the Filipino community in 2006. It preserves a moment in the current history of Filipinos in America and encourages a greater awareness of the many contributions that Filipinos have made and continue to make to the U.S. Through the artistic display of photos and video, this original exhibit celebrates the diversity of the Filipino community while recognizing the rich cultural heritage and traditions shared among all Filipinos.

This year, the Smithsonian Institute is leading the national commemoration of the 100th Anniversary of the arrival of the first significant numbers of Filipino immigrants who came in 1906 to work on the plantations of Hawaii. The migration filled the need for an expanded labor force that has become vital to the development of the U.S. Today, Southern California is home to over one-million residents of Filipino descent, the largest Filipino population outside the Philippines.