“She’s Not Black”: Filipino Americans in the Desegregating American South

This article examines histories of Filipinos in the twentieth-century Southeastern United States. Analyzing oral history, I discuss the reasons why a Filipino family chose to migrate to North Carolina. Then, I explore how Filipinos in the South represented tokens of multiculturalism used by local politicians in order to maintain a de facto segregation in the state for as long as possible. Lastly, I explore the historiography of Filipino migration history. I argue that the history of Filipino migration to the US would benefit from research into Filipinos who settled in the American South.