Topline:
Filipino communities have had an enormous impact on Southern California history, from Little Manila in downtown Los Angeles to Historic Filipinotown and suburbs like Northridge and Cerritos.
Why now: October is Filipino American History Month.
The backstory: Filipino sailors first landed in California in 1587 in Morro Bay as part of a scouting mission.
Filipino communities have a deep and rich history in Southern California — dating back centuries.
To learn more about that story during Filipino American History Month this October, we talked to historians on our daily news show AirTalk with Larry Mantle. And we learned some key takeaways:
“The first recorded landing of Filipinos in what we now know in the United States was in Morro Bay, California, in 1587,” said Joy Sales, assistant professor of Asian American Studies at California State University, Los Angeles.
According to Sales, they were part of a crew that came to scout the land and make contact with the indigenous people of California. At the time, the Philippines was a colony of Spain.
“There's actually a longer history of Filipinos coming to Spanish colonial America, to California, to what we now know as Louisiana, to colonial Mexico…It goes far back, even before the founding of the United States,” Sales said.
Spain sold the Philippines to the United States at the turn of the 20th century, a decision that was made without input of Filipinos.
Americans saw their new colony as a source for cheap labor.
“There was still a need for farm labor here, especially in California, because California is the breadbasket of America," Sales said. “There's records and sources of labor recruiters…going to the Philippines and specifically recruiting those with a farm working background or peasant background. And they would flash American dollars."
Filipino workers would go on to become crucial to the farm labor movement, with prominent organizers like Larry Itlong, who led strikes and formed the United Farm Workers with César Chávez.
While about two-thirds of Filipinos who emigrated to California worked in the agriculture industry, the other third ended up in cities.
In downtown Los Angeles, “Filipinos actually developed and created a kind of small Little Manila around First and Main Street,” said Joseph Bernardo, adjunct professor in the Asian and Asian Pacific American Studies Department at Loyola Marymount University.
According to Bernardo, Little Manila developed as “a result of really racial and class segregation. [Filipinos] were subject to much overt discrimination at that time. A lot of harassment, particularly from the LAPD.”
Eventually, Little Manila gave way to what is now Historic Filipinotown.
When whites were fleeing the suburbs as part of white flight, Filipinos were able to start raising families, and they were able to purchase homes in what is now present-day Historic Filipinotown.
“After World War II, when whites were fleeing the suburbs as part of white flight, Filipinos were able to start raising families, and they were able to purchase homes in what is now present-day Historic Filipinotown,” Bernardo continued.
The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 brought a new wave of Filipinos to the U.S. Often skilled professionals who already spoke English due to America’s colonization, these immigrants didn’t create ethnic neighborhoods in the same ways as many Asian American immigrant groups. That's because they weren't dependent on an ethnic economy to survive.
In the 1960s, suburbs were booming across the U.S., including the Sunbelt cities like Los Angeles. And immigrants wanted in on it.
“Suburbs like Northridge and West Covina and Walnut, Cerritos, Carson, and all the other communities, even into the Inland Empire, like Rancho Cucamonga, Corona, and Chino Hills…offered that piece of the American dream,” said James Zarsadiaz, associate professor of history and director of the Yuchengco Philippine Studies Program at the University of San Francisco.
Topline:
The Los Angeles City Council’s recently approved budget includes funding to expand a city program that diverts police from some mental health crisis calls to 911.
The backstory: Since launching in 2024, trained clinicians with the city’s Unarmed Model of Crisis Response (UMCR) have handled over 20,000 calls ranging from mental health crises to wellbeing checks. About 96% of those calls were resolved without police or a response from the L.A. Fire Department.
What's new? The new city budget includes funding to expand those teams from nine police divisions — including Devonshire, Wilshire, Southeast, West L.A., Olympic and West Valley — to a total of 15.
Why it matters: A 2024 LAist investigation found that nearly one-third of LAPD shootings since 2017 involved someone living with a mental illness and/or experiencing a mental health crisis.
Read on... for more about plans to expand the city program
The Los Angeles City Council’s recently approved budget includes funding to expand a program that diverts police from some mental health crisis calls to 911.
Since launching in 2024, trained clinicians with the city’s Unarmed Model of Crisis Response (UMCR) have handled over 20,000 calls ranging from mental health crises to wellbeing checks. About 96% of those calls were resolved without police or a response from the L.A. Fire Department.
The new city budget includes funding to expand those teams from nine police divisions — including Devonshire, Wilshire, Southeast, West L.A., Olympic and West Valley — to a total of 15.
“In a year where many programs continue to fight for service funding from the city, it’s so great that we are able to continue prioritizing this,” Godfrey Plata, deputy director of progressive policy advocacy group the LA Forward Institute, told LAist.
Plata said UMCR’s expansion is one more step toward taking the program citywide, which his group hopes to do by the 2028 Olympics.
The crisis teams are slated to go online within the six additional police divisions by June 2027. It’s not yet clear which police divisions will be selected for expansion.
The move comes after the City Council voted unanimously in February to make the pilot program permanent.
A 2024 LAist investigation found that nearly one-third of LAPD shootings since 2017 involved someone living with a mental illness and/or experiencing a mental health crisis.
In 2024, the city partnered with three nonprofit organizations — Exodus Recovery, Alcott Center and Penny Lane Centers — to provide teams of trained clinicians in service areas spread across L.A. The teams are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week within the Police Department’s Devonshire, Wilshire, Southeast, West L.A., Olympic and West Valley divisions.
Crisis response workers are trained in de-escalation techniques, mental health, substance use, conflict resolution and more, according to a report from the Office of City Administrative Officer. The teams don’t have the authority to order psychiatric holds for people in crisis, but they can work with them to find help locally, and spend more time on follow up than law enforcement can.
In its first year, Los Angeles’s Unarmed Model of Crisis Response sent teams of unarmed clinicians to more than 6,700 calls for service, ranging from mental health crises to wellbeing checks. About 4% were redirected to the LAPD. Average response times have been under 30 minutes.
Examples of these interactions include members of the teams taking food to a woman who was crying and hungry, working with a business owner to engage with someone sleeping in a parking lot and sitting with a family for nearly three hours to help resolve a conflict involving a relative.
During an L.A. City budget hearing last month, fire officials expressed support for the Unarmed Model of Crisis Response.
The department said it’s worked with the teams of clinicians to divert calls for service away from fire first responders since September 2025. The department saw 144 calls diverted to UMCR in the month of March alone.
“We’ve found them to be an incredible asset and ally to addressing some of the issues in the field,” LAFD Chief Jaime Moore told council members at the hearing. “The recommendation would be to expand the program, get it into more police divisions which would then get it into more of our battalions and our bureaus."
City officials have expressed support for expanding UMCR citywide by the 2028 Olympics.
With the plan to expand to 15 police divisions by June 2027, UMCR would need to expand into another six divisions to meet that goal.
Topline:
Matthew Perry’s former live-in assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, was sentenced Wednesday to three years and five months in prison for his role in the actor's overdose death. He was also fined $10,000.
What we know: Iwamasa injected Perry with ketamine several times in October 2023, including three times on the day the Friends actor died, according to the plea agreement. The agreement also says Iwamasa found Perry unconscious at least twice in October 2023.
Background: Perry died in October 2023 in his Pacific Palisades home. The L.A. County medical examiner determined the cause was “acute effects of ketamine.” According to the plea agreement, Sangha worked with alleged drug dealer Erik Fleming to distribute ketamine to Perry. On Oct. 28, 2023, Perry's personal assistant injected the actor with at least three shots of ketamine provided by Sangha.
Who else has been sentenced? Iwamasa is the fifth person sentenced in Perry’s overdose death. For their roles in Perry’s death, San Diego physician Mark Chavez was sentenced to eight months of house arrest, along with community service. And Santa Monica-based doctor Salvador Plasencia was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in federal prison. Drug dealer Jasveen Sangha was sentenced to 15 years in prison, and Erik Fleming was sentenced to two years.
Topline:
Koreatown is preparing for major 2026 FIFA World Cup watch parties next month, with thousands of fans expected to cheer on South Korea during three of its group stage matches.
Concerns: As excitement builds around the World Cup, concerns remain about possible federal immigration enforcement during the international event.
Where to watch: The three watch parties are scheduled for June 11 and June 24 at Liberty Park and June 18 at Seoul International Park, which organizers expect to draw thousands of attendees.
Read on... for more on the massive watch parties in Koreatown coming next month.
The story first appeared on The LA Local.
Koreatown is preparing for major 2026 FIFA World Cup watch parties next month, with thousands of fans expected to cheer on South Korea during three of its group stage matches.
As excitement builds around the World Cup, concerns remain about possible federal immigration enforcement during the international event.
The three watch parties are scheduled for June 11 and June 24 at Liberty Park and June 18 at Seoul International Park, which organizers expect to draw thousands of attendees.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass attempted to reassure any concerns about federal raids Tuesday while promoting the watch parties.
“I want folks to know that the World Cup is going to be peaceful,” Bass said during a press conference at Liberty Park. “With this administration, I can tell you the best that I know at this hour. So with that in mind, I do not believe that ICE will be at any of the watch parties.”
Bass could not give a firm guarantee that immigration enforcement would not take place during the tournament.
At a media roundtable on Thursday, Bass said federal law enforcement would have a visible presence around World Cup events and venues.
“The events will be safe, because these are international events. And so it’s not just going to be LAPD, it’s going to be a lot of other local law enforcement agencies as well as federal support,” she said. “So in some instances, especially near the venues, you will have federal presence, not ICE, probably the National Guard, but they will be here.”
Bass said she feels confident there will not be ICE raids during the World Cup matches in Los Angeles, because President Donald Trump and his administration do not want the games to project chaos on the international stage.
“I think during these games … the last concern will be security, because you’ll see an overwhelming force of security. We just have to get our people to not be fearful that there will be ICE raids that happen,” she said about the World Cup and the 2028 Summer Olympics.
“He doesn’t want the world to see chaos on our streets. He really doesn’t. And that’s why I feel confident that we will not have ICE raids,” she said about Trump.
Bass added Tuesday that she believes ICE would be present in Inglewood during the World Cup to “look for people who might be on the no-fly list.”
Viewing parties for South Korea’s June 11 opener against the Czech Republic and its June 24 match against South Africa will be held at Liberty Park in Koreatown, with programming beginning at 2 p.m. for both events.
The June 18 match against Mexico will take place at Seoul International Park and is expected to draw the largest crowds. Organizers say programming for that event will begin at 10 a.m. and continue throughout the day, with the match livestream beginning at 6 p.m.
Each event will feature large outdoor viewing areas with giant LED screens, live cheering squads and a main stage with K-pop performances, taekwondo demonstrations, traditional Korean performances, ballet and other entertainment throughout the day.
Organizers are also planning mini soccer games, face painting, photo booths and other family-friendly activities. Food trucks and vendors will line the festival grounds, and a separate senior area is being planned so older attendees can participate safely alongside younger fans.
Young-wan Kim, consul general of South Korea in Los Angeles, said the World Cup carries deep emotional significance for many in the community because of memories from South Korea’s historic 2002 World Cup run.
“It’s an opportunity for us to demonstrate our strengths and our unity and our solidarity,” Kim said. “I hope our celebration of unity goes beyond our community, bringing all races, all people with different backgrounds together.”
Viewing party organizers are working with the Los Angeles Police Department, Los Angeles Fire Department, private security teams, medical staff and city officials to prepare for the large crowds, said Duha Hwang with marketing agency and organizer Advue.
He added that organizers already have insurance coverage and safety measures in place for the events.
The watch parties are being organized by the Korean American Federation of Los Angeles, the L.A. Korean Festival Foundation, the Korean American Chamber of Commerce and more groups.
The first 1,000 attendees at each match will receive free “Red Devils” shirts and cheering items. The “Red Devils,” the official supporters group for South Korea’s national soccer team, became a defining image of the 2002 World Cup, when massive crowds dressed in red packed streets across the country to cheer on the team during its historic run to the semifinals — still the furthest an Asian men’s national team has ever advanced in the tournament.
Hwang said organizers hope to recreate some of that atmosphere in Koreatown.
“We believe this event is becoming something much bigger than a traditional Korean community gathering,” Hwang said.
Topline:
The Los Angeles City Council has officially delayed minimum wage increases for tourism workers. The council made the final vote Tuesday, pushing back a boost to $30 an hour for airport and hotel workers from 2028 to 2030.
Why it matters: The controversial move comes after L.A. faced major pressure from business interests, which had gathered enough signatures to put a measure on the November ballot to repeal the business tax. That effort could have financially ruined the city if it passed.
The backstory: After the City Council voted to delay the wage from the November ballot, the leaders behind that ballot measure withdrew it.
Read on... for how workers are responding to the delay.
The Los Angeles City Council has officially delayed minimum wage increases for tourism workers. The council made the final vote Tuesday, pushing back a boost to $30 an hour for airport and hotel workers from 2028 to 2030.
The controversial move comes after L.A. faced major pressure from business interests, which had gathered enough signatures to put a measure on the November ballot to repeal the business tax. That effort could have financially ruined the city if it passed.
After the City Council voted to delay the wage from the November ballot, the leaders behind that ballot measure withdrew it.
It's a maneuver hotel workers have called a "shakedown." Originally celebrated as an "Olympic Wage," the $30 minimum was pegged to the arrival of the 2028 Games in Los Angeles. But a battle to upend it started as soon as the City Council passed it last year.
Workers who had counted on the increases aren't happy.
" I would expect my councilmember to stand up for working Angelenos, not help giant companies take money out of our pockets," Jordan Long, a bartender at LAX, said at a recent council meeting.
Stuart Waldman with the Valley Industry & Commerce Association told LAist that business groups decided to advance their ballot measure after unions wouldn't broker a deal with them directly.
"The business community has taken a page out of the union playbook to play hardball," he said.
Council members Eunisses Hernandez, Ysabel Jurado and Hugo Soto-Martinez voted against the motion to finalize the wage delay Tuesday.
