On October 18, 1587, the first Filipinos landed in what is now the Continental United States at Morro Bay. They arrived as crew aboard the Nuestra Señora de Buena Esperanza, which had sailed from Portuguese Macau, as part of the Manila galleon trade between the Viceroyalty of New Spain (Mexico) and its subordinate territories in the East Indies. During about three days of travels ashore around Morro Bay, the crew of the Nuestra Señora de Buena Esperanza came in contact with the Chumash people, ultimately resulting in the death of a Filipino crew member. Departing Morro Bay after the deaths of the crew members, the Nuestra Señora de Buena Esperanza eventually reached its intended destination of Acapulco, New Spain. No other Filipino landed in California until 1595. In 1995, a monument on Morro Bay was dedicated to commemorate the events of 1587. October has been designated as Filipino American History Month since 2009 in recognition of these events. Background Thousands of years ago, the Chumash people established the region around the Channel Islands and areas from San Luis Obispo to Malibu as their territories. At the beginning of the 16th century, European explorers began to explore the Pacific. The Spanish traveled westward with Vasco Núñez de Balboa, first seeing the Pacific Ocean from Panama; then the Pacific was crossed by Ferdinand Magellan, who reached the Philippines. The Chumash's first contact with Europeans occurred on October 10, 1542, when Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo's expedition sailed into the area from central Mexico Their next contact with Europeans would be 45 years later. Beginning in the mid-16th century, Spain conducted its campaign to conquer the Philippine Islands, led by Miguel López de Legazpi. This concluded with Spanish forces repelling Chinese ambitions to control Manila. As a consequence of the conquest of the Philippines, in 1565 the Manila galleon trade began, sailing from Acapulcoinitially to Cebu, and after 1571 to Manila. These ships were crewed largely by Filipinos. There were some reports of mistreatment and those affected experienced arduous conditions, ranging from poor rations to disease, and receiving the lowest pay among the crew. From 1582 until his death in 1586, Francisco Gali plied the Manila galleon route, initially as a navigator. On a return voyage to Mexico in 1584, Gali navigated the ship he was in to a high latitude, which brought the ship along the North American coast, which Gali had thought was