Filipino Americans in Florida — 188K Strong | Jacksonville Navy Roots, Tampa Bay & Miami | PinoyBuilt
Filipino Americans in Florida
188,000 Strong — Navy Roots in Jacksonville, Tampa Bay Healthcare, and Miami's Fil-Am South
Florida is not the first state people name when they think of the Filipino diaspora. But with approximately 188,834 Filipino Americans — and growing — the Sunshine State holds the fifth-largest Filipino American population in the country and is one of the fastest-growing Fil-Am destinations in the nation. Filipino Americans are Florida's second-largest Asian American ethnic group, behind Asian Indians, and make up significant portions of the Asian population in Jacksonville, Tampa, Orlando, and Miami.
The story of Filipino Americans in Florida is, at its core, a Navy story — like Vallejo, like San Diego, like so many communities across America where Filipinos followed the fleet and stayed. Jacksonville's two Naval installations have anchored the state's largest Filipino community since World War II, when Filipino sailors began arriving under U.S. Navy enlistment programs that offered a path to citizenship. But Florida's Fil-Am story has long since outgrown its military origins. Today, Filipino Americans in Florida are nurses staffing the state's booming healthcare system, engineers and technicians at Kennedy Space Center, educators in the public school system, business owners along the Gulf Coast, and the increasingly visible backbone of a community building its civic presence from Jacksonville to Miami.
This page is PinoyBuilt's definitive reference on Filipino Americans in Florida — who we are, where we live, and what we've built in the Sunshine State.
A History of Filipinos in Florida
Florida's Filipino American community was built in layers — by the U.S. Navy, by the Immigration Act of 1965, by the healthcare pipeline, and most recently by a wave of families relocating from California and Hawaii in search of a lower cost of living and a warmer welcome.
Jacksonville's Filipino community has long advocated for a Philippine Consulate in Jacksonville — the nearest consular offices are in Miami and Atlanta, making passport renewals and document processing a significant hardship for tens of thousands of residents. Organizations including the Filipino American Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce and We Filipinos Inc. have formally petitioned local leaders for a consular presence. With 33,000+ Filipinos on the First Coast, the case is strong.
Where Filipino Americans Live in Florida
Florida's Filipino American population is distributed across three major metros — Jacksonville in the northeast, Tampa Bay in the west, and Miami-Dade/Broward in the southeast — with notable communities in Orlando, Pensacola, and the Space Coast (Brevard County).
| Metro / County | Filipino American Population | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Jacksonville (Duval County) | 24,000–33,000+ | Largest Fil-Am community in FL; Navy foundation |
| Miami metro (Miami-Dade) | 21,535 | South Florida Fil-Am hub; diverse immigrant networks |
| Tampa Bay (Hillsborough/Pinellas) | 18,724 | Healthcare and education community |
| Orlando (Orange County) | Notable presence | UCF corridor; healthcare; theme park workers |
| Space Coast (Brevard County) | Notable presence | NASA/aerospace; SFACEF community org |
| Pensacola (Escambia County) | Notable presence | NAS Pensacola; Fil-Am Association of Pensacola |
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau ACS; First Coast News; Modern Cities; Philippine Consulate Florida
City Spotlights
Jacksonville is the unofficial capital of Filipino American Florida. With an estimated 33,000 Filipino Americans on the First Coast — over 24,000 in Duval County alone — the community here is the largest in the state and one of the largest in the American Southeast. It was built by Navy families and has expanded into every sector of the city: healthcare (Mayo Clinic Jacksonville, UF Health, and Memorial Hospital have large Filipino nursing staffs), education, business, and civic leadership. The community clusters in two principal hubs — the Westside near Argyle Forest and the Southside north of the University of North Florida. At least 15 Filipino American organizations are active in the city, from the Filipino American Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce to the Philippine Cultural Foundation and the We Filipinos Inc. cultural group.
The Tampa Bay area — spanning Hillsborough and Pinellas counties — has approximately 18,724 Filipino Americans, concentrated around the region's large hospital networks, the University of South Florida, and the suburban communities of South Tampa and Clearwater. The Association of Filipino Students at USF (AFS at USF) has been one of the most active Fil-Am student organizations in the state for decades, and the Tampa Bay Fil-Am community is anchored by professional networks in healthcare, education, and the military (MacDill Air Force Base).
The Miami metro — Miami-Dade and Broward counties — has approximately 21,535 Filipino Americans, forming a Fil-Am community distinct from those of the Navy cities. South Florida's Fil-Am population arrived through different pathways: healthcare recruitment, international business, and the Caribbean-facing immigrant networks that make Miami one of the most globally connected cities in the U.S. The Asian American Federation of Florida (AAFF), headquartered in North Miami Beach, serves as the umbrella coalition for Filipino and other Asian American organizations statewide.
Brevard County, home to Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral, has a notable Filipino American population drawn by NASA-related aerospace employment and military assignments at Patrick Space Force Base. The Space Coast Filipino American Charitable and Educational Foundation (SFACEF) serves this community — a quiet but accomplished cluster of engineers, technicians, and healthcare workers who represent the full breadth of the Filipino American professional story in America.
Florida is one of only three states — alongside Nevada and Texas — identified by demographers as emerging growth hubs for Filipino American migration in the 2020s. The combination of no state income tax, lower housing costs relative to California and Hawaii, a strong healthcare job market, and warm year-round climate makes Florida an increasingly attractive destination for Fil-Am families being priced out of the West Coast.
The Navy & the Military Foundation
The U.S. Navy is the reason Jacksonville has the largest Filipino American community in Florida — and why Pensacola has one at all. Jacksonville alone has two major Naval installations: Naval Air Station Jacksonville and Naval Station Mayport. From the 1940s onward, Filipino sailors stationed at these bases brought their families, and their families brought more family. The chain migration that followed built the community that exists today.
Like their counterparts in Vallejo and San Diego, Filipino sailors in Jacksonville were initially restricted to steward and mess roles — serving officers, cleaning quarters, working below the visibility line of a Navy that had recruited them but not yet fully welcomed them. Their children and grandchildren became nurses, business owners, teachers, and — in the case of Anna Lopez Brosche — the first Asian American elected to the Jacksonville City Council, and eventually its president. The arc from below-deck to City Hall spans less than three generations.
→ Read PinoyBuilt's California Pillar — home of the nation's largest Fil-Am community
→ Read PinoyBuilt's Vallejo Pillar — another Navy Fil-Am community
Community & Culture Today
Florida's Filipino American community in 2026 is organized, diverse, and growing. Statewide, the Asian American Federation of Florida (AAFF) coordinates over 70 Asian Pacific American organizations including multiple Filipino groups — from NANAY, Inc. (serving elderly Filipinos) to Bayanihan International Ladies Association of Central Florida to SFACEF on the Space Coast. In Jacksonville, 15 or more active organizations span professional associations for doctors and nurses, cultural groups, civic organizations, and community service nonprofits.
Filipino food, faith, and *bayanihan* hold the community together across the state's geography. Filipino churches — particularly Catholic and evangelical congregations — serve as primary gathering points from Jacksonville to Miami. Filipino restaurants and markets anchor community corridors in each metro. And the annual cultural events — fiestas, Simbang Gabi, pageants, and cultural nights — keep the next generation connected to who they are and where they came from.
NANAY, Inc. is a Florida-based Filipino American organization dedicated to serving the elderly Filipino community — providing social services, cultural programming, and community support for aging Fil-Am Floridians who may be isolated from family or unfamiliar with available resources. The organization's name itself — nanay, Tagalog for mother — reflects the deep value Filipino culture places on caring for elders. It is listed as a member organization of the Asian American Federation of Florida.
→ Read PinoyBuilt's community coverage
Notable Filipino Americans in Florida
Anna Lopez Brosche made history as the first Asian American elected to the Jacksonville City Council — and later became its President, the first woman of color to hold that position. Her Filipino father was a U.S. Navy sailor stationed in Jacksonville, making her story a direct second-generation arc from the military pipeline to civic leadership. She has been one of the most prominent Filipino American elected officials in Florida history and a symbol of what the Jacksonville Fil-Am community has built over three generations.
Social: Search Anna Lopez Brosche on Facebook for public profile.
A leading figure in the Filipino American business community in Jacksonville, Ligaya Kirkland has been at the forefront of efforts to bring a Philippine Consulate to Northeast Florida — advocating alongside We Filipinos Inc. and Coral Ridge Ministries for consular services that would serve the 33,000+ Filipinos on the First Coast. Her work represents the civic activism embedded in Jacksonville's Fil-Am community.
Nik Nanton is a Jacksonville-based Emmy Award-winning documentary filmmaker of Filipino descent whose work has been broadcast on major networks. He represents the growing presence of Filipino American creative professionals in Florida's media landscape — a community that is increasingly visible not just in healthcare and government but in arts, culture, and storytelling.
Born Joseph Glenn Herbert in Tacoma, Washington, to a Filipino mother and American father, Jo Koy is one of the most successful Filipino American entertainers in history — a Netflix special veteran, Golden Globes host, and a voice for Fil-Am pride in mainstream comedy. He has resided in Florida and remains one of the most searched Filipino American public figures in the country.
Filipino American College & University Organizations in Florida
Florida has one of the largest and most active networks of Filipino American student organizations in the country — reflecting both the size of the Fil-Am community and the state's massive public university system. From Gainesville to Tallahassee to Tampa to Orlando, Filipino student associations have been building community, hosting cultural nights, and welcoming the next generation of Fil-Am leaders on campuses across the state for decades.
These are the confirmed Filipino American student organizations in Florida with active web or social presence as of 2026.
The Filipino Student Association at the University of Florida is one of the most active and well-established Fil-Am student organizations in the state, with over 2,800 Instagram followers, 1,000+ posts, and a dedicated website at uffsa.net. UF FSA runs sub-organizations including a sports team and a first-year welcome program — a full ecosystem for Filipino students entering one of Florida's flagship universities.
The Filipino Student Association at UCF has been active since at least 2005 and is one of the largest Fil-Am student organizations in Central Florida. Its signature annual event, Sayaw (which means "dance" in Filipino), has been a cornerstone of UCF's Filipino cultural calendar for two decades — bringing together students from across the state. UCF FSA describes itself as "your home away from home" — a phrase that resonates across every Filipino American student org in the country.
The Association of Filipino Students at USF (AFS at USF) is a Tampa Bay institution — an organization built on five pillars: family, culture, philanthropy, sports, and dance. AFS hosts a statewide annual talent show that has featured artists including Travis Atreo, JR Aquino, and The Filharmonic, with proceeds going to Gawad Kalinga. With over 2,100 Instagram followers and 820+ posts, AFS at USF is one of the most active Filipino student organizations in Florida.
The Filipino Student Association at Florida State University promotes Filipino culture and history for both the Filipino community and those unfamiliar with Fil-Am heritage. Through events, philanthropy, and advocacy, FSA FSU works to raise awareness of Filipino culture across the Tallahassee campus and the broader North Florida community. Active on both Instagram and Facebook with 650+ Facebook followers.
PinoyBuilt is building the most comprehensive directory of Filipino American student organizations in the United States. If your college or university in Florida has a Filipino American student org with an active web or social presence — FASA, FSA, AFS, Samahan, Kapisanan, or any name — submit your organization here and we will add it to this page. Verified listings only — must have an active Instagram, website, or campus portal page. We're especially looking to list organizations at FIU, FAU, UNF, and Florida Poly.
UCF's Filipino Student Association has hosted its annual cultural showcase Sayaw — meaning "dance" in Filipino — every year since 2005. That makes it one of the longest-running Filipino American cultural events on any college campus in the Southeast United States. Twenty years of Sayaw. Twenty years of Filipino students in Orlando saying: kami ay nandito — we are here.
Approximately 188,834 Filipino Americans live in Florida according to the 2020 U.S. Census — making them the second-largest Asian American group in the state and placing Florida fifth nationally by Filipino American population. The community is growing steadily as Fil-Am families relocate from California and Hawaii, and estimates for 2025 likely exceed 200,000.
Jacksonville (Duval County) has the largest Filipino American community in Florida, with approximately 33,000+ residents of Filipino descent. Filipino Americans make up about 35% of Jacksonville's Asian population. The community was founded by U.S. Navy families and is concentrated in two hubs: the Westside near Argyle Forest and the Southside north of UNF.
Jacksonville has two major Naval installations — NAS Jacksonville and Naval Station Mayport — that have been drawing Filipino sailors and their families since World War II. By the 1950s, 90% of North Florida's Filipino population had military ties. Today Jacksonville is the unofficial capital of Florida's Fil-Am community, with 15+ active organizations and first-generation representation in civic leadership.
Anna Lopez Brosche was the first Asian American elected to the Jacksonville City Council, later becoming its President — the first woman of color to hold that position. Her Filipino father was a U.S. Navy sailor stationed in Jacksonville. Her career is one of the most significant examples of second-generation Filipino American civic leadership in Florida history.
Yes. Florida is one of three states — alongside Nevada and Texas — identified as emerging growth hubs for Filipino American migration in the 2020s. No state income tax, lower housing costs relative to California and Hawaii, strong healthcare employment, and warm climate are the primary drivers. The community is expected to continue growing through the late 2020s.
Florida has a robust Fil-Am organizational ecosystem. Key organizations include the Asian American Federation of Florida (AAFF) statewide, the Filipino American Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce, the Philippine Cultural Foundation, NANAY, Inc. (serving elders), the Space Coast Filipino American Charitable and Educational Foundation (SFACEF), and the Fil-Am Association of Pensacola. On campuses, active FSAs operate at UF, UCF, USF, and FSU.
