Of Note: Family, Fashion, and Filipino American History

This post is by Manuscript Division archives technician Kendall McKinley. Of Note is an occasional series in which we share items that have caught our eye.

The Milagros Gonzalez Jamias Family Photograph Album, housed in the Library of Congress Manuscript Division, depicts the life of a Filipino family during the American colonial period. The album contains photographs taken between 1921 and 1935, offering unique insight into Philippine society during a period of political reform, increased commercialization, and heightened American influence. The album portrays the impact of American influence in Filipino society while reflecting the lighthearted nature of domestic life for many wealthy families during this period.

In 1902, the American victory in the Philippine-American War resulted in the establishment of a provisional colonial government in the Philippines and the recruitment of wealthy Filipinos to participate in the new colonial project. Hoping to win the support of educated elites in the Philippines, the head of the Philippine Commission William H. Taft (later United States president) offered powerful government positions, elevated social status, and economic advancement to the wealthy Filipinos who supported his administration. This policy would come to shape Philippine society during the twentieth century, ensuring that many Filipinos equated wealth and status with the United States.

Many Filipinos who participated in the colonial government gained extended access to American consumer markets, causing many Filipino families to adopt American fashion and technology as a symbol of their elite social status. Reflecting this dynamic, the album includes photographs of the Gonzalez family dressed in American clothing and accompanied by American automobiles. The album also includes photographs of the vacations, family events, and workplaces of its subjects, indicating the role that wealth played in the education, labor, and leisure of the Gonzalez family. This dynamic showcases the dual identity of Filipino elites, as both key figures in Philippine society and participants in the American colonial project.

Beyond insight into Filipino society, the photograph album serves as a personal, visual history of the Gonzalez family, featuring their childhood adventures, careers in medicine, and experiences as parents. The dramatized poses and sarcastic captions in the album reflect the playful nature of family life for many affluent Filipinos during this era. Captions like “On strike” and “They’re spoiling the view” further emphasize the closeness among the Gonzalez family members, a bond that endured even as their descendants relocated to Washington, D.C., after World War II.

As the twentieth century progressed, increasing numbers of Filipinos immigrated to the United States in response to war, decolonization, economic opportunity, and changing immigration legislation. Like many Filipino families who immigrated to Washington, D.C., in the postwar era, members of the Gonzalez family established roots in the local Filipino American community. Reflecting the complex family histories of many Filipino Americans, the album offers a nuanced perspective on Filipino society while providing valuable insight into the lived experiences and history of a Filipino family.

Do you want more stories like this? Then subscribe to Unfolding History – it’s free!

“new colonial project . . .” “The Philippine-American War, 1899-1902,” Archive for the U.S. Department of State, accessed March 12, 2025.

“his administration . . .” Norman G. Owen, “Introduction: Philippine Society and American Colonialism,” in Compadre Colonialism: Studies in the Philippines under American Rule, ed. Norman G. Owen (Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 1971), 4-6.

“the United States . . .” “The Philippines, 1898-1946,” U.S. House of Representatives, Office of the Historian, accessed March 12, 2025.

“elite social status . . .” Gino Gonzales, “The Philippine Dress: 500 Years of Straddling Polarities,” Arts of Asia, Autumn 2022.

“after World War II . . .” “Eva Milagros Jamias Carr,” The Washington Post, December 12, 2006.

“immigration legislation . . .” John M. Liu, Paul M. Ong, and Carolyn Rosenstein, “Dual Chain Migration: Post-1965 Filipino Immigration to the United States,” The International Migration Review 25, no. 3 (1991): 487–513.