Little Manila facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Little Manila
Little Manila in Woodside, Queens, New York City
Filipino name
Tagalog	Munting Maynila Maliit na Maynila

A Little Manila is a special community where many Filipino people live. These places are also called Manilatowns or Filipinotowns. They are like small pieces of the Philippines found in other countries.

These communities are home to Filipinos who have moved abroad. This includes people who live in another country permanently, like citizens or permanent residents. It also includes those who are there for a shorter time, such as workers or students. Even sailors and others who work outside the Philippines can be part of these communities.

What Makes These Communities Special?

Shops with Filipino Products

Filipino communities often have their own grocery stores. These stores sell products that Filipinos love and use every day. Even if similar items are available elsewhere, Filipinos often prefer to buy from these special stores. This shows how strong the community ties are.

Delicious Filipino Food

A selection of Filipino dishes

Many Filipinos who grow up in these communities learn to love Filipino food from a young age. Imagine eating sweet pork (called tocino) or sweet sausage (called longanisa) for breakfast! For dinner, popular dishes include adobo, pancit, and beef kaldereta. These foods are a big part of Filipino culture.

Focus on Education and Income

Filipino families often value education very highly. They believe that getting a good education is very important for their children's future. This focus on learning helps many Filipinos achieve good jobs. In fact, Filipinos often have some of the lowest poverty rates among Asian groups. They also tend to have higher income levels, showing their success.

Where Can You Find Little Manilas?

Australia

Sydney's Filipino Community

In Sydney, Australia, there are about 85,000 Filipino-Australians. Many of them live in the Blacktown area. Filipinos make up a large part of Blacktown's population. You can find Filipino food shops near the Blacktown railway station.

Melbourne's Filipino Community

In Melbourne, many Filipinos have settled in different areas. The largest number of Filipino families live in the western suburbs of the city.

Canada

Winnipeg: A Big Filipino Community

Winnipeg is home to 56,400 Filipinos. This makes them the third largest Filipino community in Canada. However, they are the largest group by percentage of the city's total population (8.7%). About 1 in 10 Filipinos in Canada live in Winnipeg.

Winnipeg has a Filipino community center called The Philippine Canadian Centre of Manitoba (PCCM). This center helps the Filipino community and hosts events like Folklorama. There are also Filipino newspapers and a radio station, CKJS, that shares Filipino news and music. Many Filipinos in Winnipeg live in the West End and North End areas.

Toronto Area: Canada's Largest Filipino Hub

Toronto, in Ontario, has the largest Filipino community in Canada. Over 250,000 Filipinos live in Toronto and its nearby suburbs. Filipinos make up 5% of Toronto's population. About 9,000 Filipinos move to Toronto every year.

Downtown Toronto's Filipino Spots

Over 20,000 Filipinos live in Downtown Toronto. Many live in St. James Town and Parkdale. You can find a few Filipino businesses and offices here. These include a store, a restaurant, a dental office, and a community center.

North York's "Little Manila"

North York, a northern part of Toronto, is home to over 25,000 Filipinos. Their community is mainly around Clanton Park and Flemingdon Park. The area around Bathurst Street and Wilson Avenue is known as "Little Manila" because of the many Filipino businesses there. Street festivals are held here in the summer.

Scarborough: Many Filipino Businesses

Scarborough, in eastern Toronto, has over 40,000 people of Filipino origin. Filipinos are a large group here. You can find Filipino shops and offices in almost every mall and plaza. There are many popular Filipino restaurants, bakeries, and stores selling imported Filipino products. Many services for sending money or packages to the Philippines also have offices here.

Mississauga: Growing Filipino Presence

Mississauga, a city west of Toronto, has over 30,000 Filipinos. Tagalog, a Filipino language, is the 7th most spoken language in the city. Mississauga has many Filipino businesses and professional offices. There are also two Filipino community centers and cultural events like the annual Philippine Festival at Mississauga Celebration Square.

Montreal: Quebec's Filipino Center

Montreal has the largest Filipino community in Quebec, with nearly 44,000 Filipinos. Many Filipinos in Montreal live in the Snowdon neighborhood. This area has many Filipino businesses and offices. The Filipino Association of Montreal and Suburbs is an important group for Filipinos in the city.

Asia

Hong Kong's Filipino Community

Hong Kong is home to a large Filipino community.

Indonesia's Filipino Community

There is a Filipino community in Indonesia.

Japan's Filipino Pubs

In Takenotsuka, Adachi Ward, Tokyo, you can find a small "Little Manila" with Filipino pubs.

Malaysia: A Long History of Filipinos

Malaysia is very close to the Philippines. It has one of the largest Filipino communities in the world, with hundreds of thousands of people. Filipinos have lived in Malaysia for a very long time. Many live in Sabah and the Kuala Lumpur metropolitan area.

Saudi Arabia: Filipino Businesses and Food

Many cities in Saudi Arabia have Filipino businesses. In Khobar, you can find the only Jollibee Restaurant in the Eastern Province. There are also Filipino stores selling Philippine products and vegetables. In Jeddah, a place called Balad is where Filipinos often gather on weekends. It has many shopping malls, restaurants, and grocery stores that cater to Filipinos.

Singapore: Lucky Plaza's Filipino Hub

In Lucky Plaza in Singapore, you can find a "Little Manila." It has many Filipino restaurants, money transfer agencies, beauty salons, medical offices, and stores.

South Korea: Hyehwa's Filipino Gathering Spot

In Seoul, South Korea, there is a "Little Manila" where many Filipinos live and work. The main area for Filipinos is in Hyehwa, near the Hyehwa Catholic Church. On Sundays, after church, you can find stalls selling Filipino goods and snacks.

Taiwan: Filipino Workers and Shops

Taiwan has about 77,933 Filipino workers. Most work in factories or as caregivers. In Taipei, "Little Manila" is on Zhongshan North Road. Shops and stalls that serve Filipinos are near Saint Christopher's Roman Catholic Church. You can even buy balut (a Filipino snack) here.

United Arab Emirates: Filipinos in Dubai

The Karama and Satwa districts in Dubai are home to thousands of Filipinos. St. Mary's Church is a main meeting place for the Filipino community.

Europe

Italy: Little Tondo in Palermo

In Palermo, Italy, there is a neighborhood called Little Tondo. It has a large Filipino population. Italy is home to 250,000 Filipinos.

United Kingdom: London's Filipino Hub

The biggest Filipino community in the United Kingdom is in and around London, especially near Earl's Court. Other cities like Liverpool and Manchester also have many Filipinos. Big Filipino festivals are held in the UK during the summer. The largest one is 'The Barrio Fiesta sa London', held every July in Lampton Park, Hounslow. This festival has been happening since 1985 and now lasts for two days.

United States

California: Home to Many Filipinos

California has the largest number of Filipino Americans in the United States, with about 1.2 million people. The Greater Los Angeles region has over 600,000 Filipinos. Los Angeles County alone has more Filipinos than any other county in the U.S. The San Francisco Bay Area is second, with over 460,000 Filipinos.

Greater Los Angeles: Historic Filipinotown

Greater Los Angeles has the most Filipinos outside of the Philippines. In 2002, the City of Los Angeles named a part of Westlake as Historic Filipinotown. This area has special crosswalks decorated with Filipino patterns.

Historic Filipinotown was one of the first places Filipinos settled in Los Angeles. Many Filipino families bought homes and started businesses here in the 1940s. Today, the area is still a cultural center for Filipinos in Los Angeles. It has many Filipino service groups, art galleries, restaurants, medical clinics, and churches. St. Columban Filipino Church, founded in 1946, was the first Filipino Catholic church in the U.S.

San Francisco Bay Area: Daly City's "Pinoy Capital"

In the past, San Francisco had a "Manilatown". Today, part of Kearny Street is still called Manilatown. In 2016, the SOMA Pilipinas Filipino Cultural Heritage District was created in San Francisco's South of Market neighborhood.

Daly City, near San Francisco, has the highest number of Filipino Americans in the mainland U.S. About 33% of the city's population is Filipino American. It is often called the "Pinoy capital." Many nearby cities like Colma and South San Francisco also have large Filipino populations. The Filipino TV networks ABS-CBN and The Filipino Channel (TFC) have offices in Redwood City.

Another area with many Filipinos is around Vallejo. About 21% of Vallejo's population is Filipino American. Many towns around Vallejo, like American Canyon and Hercules, also have large Filipino communities.

San Diego: "Manila Mesa" and More

In the early 1900s, Filipinos in San Diego lived mostly in downtown San Diego. Today, Filipino Americans are the largest Asian American group in San Diego County. National City, next to San Diego, has a large number of Filipino residents. Other areas like Mira Mesa (sometimes called "Manila Mesa") and Paradise Hills also have many Filipinos. A part of California State Route 54 is even named the "Filipino-American Highway."

Stockton: A Historic Filipino Community

Stockton, in the San Joaquin Valley, has a historic Filipino population that dates back to the 1930s. Filipinos make up 7.2% of Stockton's population.

New York: Filipino Life in the Big Apple

New York State has about 200,000 Filipinos, mostly in New York City. Queens has the most Filipinos in the state. Smaller communities are also found in nearby counties.

Woodside, Queens: New York's Little Manila

Krystal's Cafe and Johnny Air Cargo shops on Roosevelt Avenue, Woodside, Queens, New York.

The Phil-Am grocery store in Woodside, Queens, New York

Woodside, Queens, is famous for its "Filipinotown" or "Little Manila." This area is along Roosevelt Avenue, from 63rd Street to 71st Street. It attracts Filipinos from all over New York and nearby states.

You'll find many Filipino cafés and restaurants here, like Ihawan and Krystal's Cafe. There are also places to send money or packages to the Philippines. Other Filipino-owned businesses include medical offices, driving schools, and beauty salons. In 2009, Jollibee, a famous Filipino fast-food chain, opened its first New York City branch in Woodside. Red Ribbon Bakeshop followed in 2010. In 2022, the corner of 70th Street and Roosevelt Avenue was officially co-named "Little Manila Avenue."

Manhattan: Cultural Hub and Parades

Philippine Center in New York City

The Philippine Consulate of New York in Manhattan is more than just a government office. It hosts many events for the Filipino American community. It even has a school called Paaralan sa Konsulado (School at the consulate) that teaches young Filipino Americans about their culture and language. The Philippine Center is a large building on Fifth Avenue.

New York City also hosts the annual Philippine Independence Day Parade along Madison Avenue every June. This is one of the biggest parades in the city and the largest Philippine celebration in the United States. It's a mix of a parade and a street fair, filled with Filipino culture, colors, and people.

New Jersey: Strong Filipino Presence

A Philippine Grocery in Jersey City, NJ

New Jersey has over 100,000 Filipinos. Many work in healthcare and other science fields. Filipino communities with businesses can be found in cities like Jersey City, Bergenfield, and Elizabeth. The Meadowlands Exposition Center in Secaucus hosts the annual Philippine Fiesta, a big cultural event for Filipinos in the New York area.

Jersey City: A Vibrant Little Manila

About 7% of Jersey City's population is Filipino. The city's Five Corners district has a lively Filipino community. The Newark Avenue area is full of Filipino culture and businesses. You'll find many Filipino restaurants, bakeries, stores, and even an office of The Filipino Channel. Phil-Am Food, the largest Filipino-owned grocery store on the East Coast, has been here since 1973.

Manila Avenue in Downtown Jersey City was named after the Philippine capital because many Filipinos built their homes there. There's also a memorial for Filipino-American veterans and a park with a statue of Jose P. Rizal, the national hero of the Philippines. Jersey City also hosts the annual Philippine–American Friendship Day Parade every June.

Bergenfield: Another Little Manila

Bergenfield is sometimes called the Little Manila of Bergen County. Many Filipinos live here, and it has many Filipino businesses, especially restaurants and bakeries. Red Ribbon, a popular bakery from the Philippines, has a branch here.

Edison: A Growing Filipino Hub

Edison, in Middlesex County, New Jersey, has become a growing center for Filipinos since 2000. Many Filipinos in this area work in healthcare and pharmaceutical companies.

Oregon: Filipino Spots in Portland

Portland is a hub for Filipino businesses. You can find Filipino restaurants and stores in Portland and Beaverton, like "Tambayan Restaurant and Mart."

Hawaii: A Large Filipino Population

Hawaii has a unique population mix, with no single majority group. The Filipino-American community makes up about 23% of the state's population. The Filipino Community Center in Hawaii is the largest Filipino establishment of its kind in the United States. It celebrates 100 years of Filipino immigration and contributions to the state. The town of Waipahu, on Oahu, has a majority-Filipino population and many small Filipino-owned businesses. It can be seen as "Hawaii's Little Manila."

Kansas City: Fiesta Filipina

The Kansas City metropolitan area has a Filipino community. They hold a "Fiesta Filipina" event every June.

Texas: Houston's Growing Filipino Area

In Houston, near the NRG Stadium, there is a growing Filipino American "Little Manila." It has a Jollibee, Max's Restaurant, and a Filipino supermarket called Cherry Foodarama. The Houston area has the most Filipino Americans in the Southern U.S.

New Places with More Filipinos

Recently, more Filipinos have been moving to different cities. Las Vegas now has about 90,000 Filipinos. Other cities seeing a rise in Filipino immigration include Seattle, Chicago, Orlando, Florida, New Orleans, Fort Wayne, Indiana, and Virginia Beach, Virginia.