Walk the Talk in 1587 Sneakers
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1587 Sneakers | AP87 Golden Panda (Source: 1587 Sneakers)
Tired of being told that Asian Americans are "follower consumers," King, a veteran of the sneaker industry (he worked at Reebok for nine years), decided to create a luxury brand that was unapologetically Asian, but still appealed to everyone. He named his company 1587, after the year of the first documented arrival of Asian people in America. Thirty-three years before the Pilgrims arrived at Plymouth Rock, the Asian American story began.
And those first Asians were Filipino.
During the first 250 years of Spanish rule in the Philippines, Spain tapped the wealth of the east with great ships that crossed the treacherous Pacific. From 1565 to 1815, the Spanish kept up a shuttle of ships between Manila and Mexico. Silk, gems, and exotic spices from the Orient were exchanged for silver from Mexico and products from Europe.
Called "Luzones Indios" by the Spaniards, Filipino sailors were among the crew of galleon Nuestra Señora de Esparanza, a voyage of discovery to explore the coast of northern California in 1587. On October 18, 1587, the ship entered what is now Morro Bay, California, and a landing party, which included said Luzones Indios, was sent ashore, marking the first landing of Asian people in the continental United States.
He named his company 1587, after the year of the first documented arrival of Asian people in America. Thirty-three years before the Pilgrims arrived at Plymouth Rock, the Asian American story began.
In 1991, the Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS) board of trustees passed a resolution proclaiming October as Filipino American History Month in recognition of our overlooked 1587 milestone. And in 2009, Congress officially recognized October as Filipino American History Month.
Adam wanted to celebrate Filipino American History Month with a 1587-branded (in more ways than one) shirt that incorporated the traditional Filipino tattooing practice of batok into a map of Morro Bay. We reworked the shirt's initial design together and it turned out to be a home run, selling out swiftly. Clearly, he was onto something, feeding a market that was seemingly ravenous.
FAHM Celebration T-shirt (Source: 1587 Sneakers)
Galvanized by the success of the Filipino American History Month shirt, I asked King about how I could further be involved. I so believe in his mission to make Asian American culture fashionable and I share his passion to harness our power. So, I invested a good deal of my own money and now co-own 1587 Sneakers with King and company co-founder Sam Hyun, a prominent speaker and activist in the Asian American Pacific Islander community. For now, the shoes at $288 are only available online from here: https://www.1587sneakers.com/collections/sneakers-adam
1587 Sneakers Founders Sam Hyun (left) and Adam King (Source: 1587 Sneakers)
Asians are the fastest growing racial and ethnic group in the USA. We are as much a part of the DNA of this country as anyone, and we're not going anywhere. Let's make our presence known. As proud Filipino Americans; let's continue that pioneering spirit.
(Photo by Jonathan Yu)
Jose Antonio Vargas, a journalist and filmmaker, is the founder of the organization Define American.