Filipina Suffragists of the 20th Century: Confronting Race, Gender, and Empire in the Fight for Voting Rights

This lecture explores the significant yet overlooked contributions of Filipina Americans to the suffrage movements in both the United States and the Philippines during the early 20th century. Despite the centennial anniversary of the 19th Amendment’s ratification in 1920, the role of Filipina American suffragettes remains underexplored. By uncovering their stories, this lecture will discuss how their advocacy intersected with broader national and global efforts to dismantle the racial, gendered, and imperial barriers to women’s voting rights.

A conversation between Professor Rose Cuison-Villazor, Professor Adrian De Leon, Danika Fernandez, and Professor Rhacel Salazar Parreñas follows the lecture.

Rose Cuison-Villazor is Professor of Law and Chancellor’s Social Justice Scholar at Rutgers Law School where she previously served as Interim Co-Dean (2021-2023) and Vice Dean (2019-2021). Professor Cuison-Villazor is also Director of the Center for Immigrant Justice, which conducts publicly engaged research and policy work on progressive immigration and citizenship laws. She is an elected member of the American Law Institute. Her overall research agenda examines the extent to which laws, policies, and norms include and exclude individuals and groups from membership. She teaches and writes in the areas of immigration and citizenship law, property law, and race and the law.

Adrian De Leon is an Assistant Professor of History at New York University, and Co-Chair of Sulo: The Philippine Studies Initiative at NYU.

Danika Fernandez is Co-President of FANHS-MNY, an artist specializing in Filipino art song development, and a Donor Event Coordinator at William Paterson University

Rhacel Salazar Parreñas is the Doris Stevens Professor in Women’s Studies and Professor of Sociology and Gender and Sexuality Studies at Princeton University.

Organized by: Sulo: The Philippine Studies Initiative at NYU

Co-sponsored by: Espacio de Culturas at NYU, New York Southeast Asia Network (NYSEAN), Asian/Pacific/American Institute at NYU, Rutgers Center for Immigrant Justice, NYU School of Law Birnbaum Women’s Leadership Center, and FANHS Metro New York

The event is in person only. It is free and open to the public, but registration is required. Please note that seating is limited.

NYU provides reasonable accommodations to people with disabilities. Please submit your request for accommodations for events and services at least two weeks before the date of your accommodation need. Although we can’t guarantee accommodation requests received less than two weeks before the event, you should still contact us and we will do our best to meet your accommodation needs. Please email Dale Maglalang at dam506@nyu.edu for assistance.