05.13.08
Fil-Ams in Virginia flexing political, economic power
Officers and members of the Cebuano-Speaking
Association of Tidewater (CSAT) put up one of their
cultural extravaganzas, complete with period
costumes, that has been a yearly crowd drawer in
Virginia Beach
Fil-Ams shops fill this row of stores on Lila Lane in
Virginia Beach, earning it the nickname “Little
Manila” which is home to a flourishing travel
agency, a Filipino martial arts school, video store
and other establishments
Joe Ortega, president of the Olongapo City
Association of Tidewater (OCAT), supervises final
preparations for the group’s induction ceremonies
in Virginia Beach recently.
Filipino-Americans of Hampton Road, Virginia Beach are among the top skilled and highest-paid people in their place. The economy of the Filipino-Americans there is growing. They Hampton Road is consist of Virginia southeastern region which composes of Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Hampton, Newport News and Williamsburg. The place has 34- Filipino-American organizations on which they embody the professional groups, ethnic and geographical partitions in the Philippines.
The place has now 50,000 Filipino-Americans residing in there, enough to boost a certain small community’s economy. Those people are divided into businessmen, nurses, employees, navy men and families. The Filipino-American nurse is composed of Filipinas both American and Filipino who works at Norfolk and Virginia Beach hospitals. The employees are high-educated people who choose to be employees in the stores at Virginia Beach, rather than to be the person in charge. Philippine Chamber of Commerce in Virginia Beach assist Filipino-American entrepreneurs with their business and provide networking opportunities.