Filipino soldiers, who served in the U.S. armed forces, and their families came from 1945 until the early '60s. Professionals were encouraged to come in the 1960s and '70s during the boom years of the U.S. economy. The final wave came when U.S. immigration policies favored family reunification of those Filipinos already in the United States as immigrants or citizens. The states with the largest Filipino population are California, Hawaii, Illinois, New York, New Jersey, Washington, Virginia, Texas, Florida, and Maryland. Filipino Catholics' experience of church is very different from that of most U.S. parishioners.
Filipino parishes are very large, with little personal interaction between priest and people.
Filipinos are not used to registering in a parish or contributing through Sunday envelopes. Much of what they know of Christian doctrinal truths and moral values is learned through these sacramental and devotional practices. Recently, however, Filipinos have begun to take an active role in American Church life. Their sheer numbers, their youth and vigor have forced parishes to recognize their presence. For example, in the Archdiocese of San Francisco, Filipinos comprise approximately eighteen percent of the church-going population.