The night and its honorees highlighted the fact that "unlike other Asian immigrants, Filipinos have the English language skills that lead to quicker assimilation to mainstream culture" (Wendy Leung – AsianWeek on September 8, 2006) – in addition to Indian immigrants (to a less known perception) – and have adapted/embrace/integrated within the American entertainment industry more quickly. This has resulted in the Filipino communities’ quick assimilation into the American culture and their English abilities (many Filipinos arrived in the U.S. speaking English) have limited the community’s need and/or desire to have “Filipino” neighborhoods to feel "comfortable," as compared to other ethnic groups – Asian or non-Asian. This has resulted in the general perception of artists such as Apl de Ap, Tia Carrere, Cheryl Burke, Lou Diamond Phillips, Rob Schneider and others as American artists, as ooppose to an Asian/Asian American artist/performer.

The Filipino American communities' abilitiy to assimlate quickly and culturally adapt have short-circuited language issues that have “separated” other Asian communities to the general public that has continued a “foreigner” perception. In contract, the inability to quickly assimlate and/or speak English have defined, separate, isolate and/or strengthen other Asian-ethnic communities such as the Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Thai and others that have led to the formation of ethnic-specific enclaves for their respective immigrant generation. These very same issues have been the subject of debate within the Filipino and Asian communities on what is a true definition of an Asian Pacific American? Note: It is interesting that many within the Filipino American communities are seeking to establish and/or remember past Filipino Towns ("Little Manila") communities to remember their history that will illuninate what paths are available in the future.

Allan Pineda grew up in a slum outside Angeles City on the island of Luzon. His mother was Filipino. He never met his father, who was an American in the U.S. Air Force. His first connection to the U.S. came when a charity group found him an American sponsor, who started sending him the equivalent of 7 cents a day to help pay for food. Pineda had problems with his eyes, so his sponsor — a deputy Los Angeles County counsel named Joe Ben Hudgens and single parent — adopted him so he could receive better medical care in the U.S. After his mother agreed and seven years of waiting, he arrived to live with Hudgens, a deputy Los Angeles County counsel at Atwater Village in 1989.

Pineda attended John Marshall High School and immersed himself in the multicultural environment and the local hip-hop scene. He went to parties at homes and nightclubs across Southern California, where he made connections that led to the formation of the Black Eyed Peas. The group rose to prominence in the late 1990s with an upbeat brand of rap and stunning dance moves. Their multiculturalism — Filipino, Latino and black members — set them apart.

John Chiang (born July 31, 1962 in New York City) is a Democratic politician and has been California State Controller since January 8, 2007. He previously served as Chair of the California Board of Equalization and represented the Fourth District, primarily serving southern Los Angeles County.

Chiang is the oldest son of four children from immigrant parents from Taiwan. He was born in New York City and grew up within the first Asian Pacific American family in their Chicago district. He graduated with honors with a degree in Finance from the University of South Florida and has a law degree from Georgetown University Law Center. He came to Los Angeles in 1987 where he got involved with the Democratic Party of the San Fernando Valley (DP/SFV).

Chiang began his career as a tax law specialist for the IRS. He worked as an attorney for then California State Controller Gray Davis, and also worked on the staff of California Senator Barbara Boxer. He was first elected to office as Member of the Board of Equalization in 1998 and elected to a second four-year term in 2002.

WM Financial Services is a full-service brokerage firm that specializes in helping individuals meet their financial goals. The segment offers a broad range of investment products, including individual retirement accounts (IRAs), fixed annuities, life insurance, stocks and bonds as well as retirement and estate planning. The segment also offers mutual funds, including those in the affiliated mutual fund family, WM Group of Funds.