This microsite commemorates our individual and collective journeys as Filipina Americans who graduated with doctorates. We specifically center Pinay Doktoras to counter the educational barriers faced by women of color in academia today and among Filipinas for centuries.

• In 1923, pensionada Dra. Encarnacion Alzona was the first Filipina to earn a PhD in the United States.

• In 2019, Dra. Rachel Quinajon conducted her dissertation on Pinays in doctoral programs "so that it is no longer challenging to name at least eleven Filipinas with doctoral degrees in our communities."

• In 2024, at least 10 Pinay Doktoras with ties to Southern California graduated with PhDs.

You're invited to our Doktora P-Grad!

Join our party at the Tiendaan Night Market! We all have something to celebrate, so drop by our table to add your wins to a community art installation, take a selfie at the photobooth, congratulate a Pinay Doktora, or just soak up the celebratory vibes. 

Saturday, August 24, 6-10pm
18754-18756 Amar Rd, Walnut, CA
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Pilipino/Pilipinx Graduation (P-Grad) celebrations honor graduating students, family, and friends. This tradition has been adopted by Filipino American collegiate organizations in Southern California for more than three decades.

Likewise, because we did not earn our doctorates alone, we chose to celebrate ourselves and each other together in community.

Learn about our stories, our research, and how to contact us.