October is Filipino/a/x American History Month, a designated time of year to honor the diverse and vibrant community of over four million Filipinos in the U.S. Plymouth is grateful for the contributions of all our Filipino American staff!

Did you know that there’s a Filipino American behind Blake House, Seattle’s first affordable high rise in over 50 years? Michelle Umadhay started at Plymouth Housing in November 2020 as the senior real estate developer for Blake House. A joint development with Bellwether Housing, Blake House opened in May in Seattle’s First Hill neighborhood and features 112 studios apartments for seniors and veterans who have experienced chronic homelessness. As a developer, Michelle manages the whole lifecycle of a building project, from construction to move-in, to post-construction. 

Michelle received recognition for her work on Blake House at the building’s grand opening celebration.

“You know, I do this work because it’s good work. Being the minority in most spaces here in Washington, including Asian/Asian American spaces, I honestly don’t think about the fact that I’m typically the only Filipino in the room, or even how few Filipino developers there are in Seattle.”

Michelle was the first of her family to be born in America. Her parents immigrated to the U.S. from the Philippines in the early 1980s, landing in San Francisco. Like many Filipino men of the time, her paternal grandfather served the U.S. during World War II as part of the U.S. Armed Forces in the Far East. He paved the way for the rest of her family to eventually come to the U.S. In the Philippines, Michelle’s parents were both highly educated, with her father graduating in architecture, and her mother completing her law degree and working for the Ministry of Justice. However, Michelle notes, after immigrating to the U.S., her parents sacrificed much of their professional careers to focus on survival and building a life in America. 

Ian Aguirre

Ian Aguirre, administrative assistant at Plymouth, said: “I grew up feeling like I needed to assimilate to the American way of life, completely ignoring my Filipino side. I didn’t realize this until I became an adult, and it wasn’t until my 20s that I realized that I should be embracing that side of me and be proud of it. I immigrated to the U.S. when I was 10. My mom and three brothers are here, and we’ve been in Seattle ever since.

“One thing I love about Filipino culture is the hospitality you receive when you visit a Filipino household. No matter how much you decline, you will leave with multiple to-go boxes of leftovers and a standing invitation to come by whenever they have a gathering. In celebration of Filipino American Heritage Month, I wanted to share some of the many small businesses in the Seattle area that are run by Filipinos. Take your time to support one!”

• Ludi’s Restaurant (Located in the retail space of our building Plymouth on Stewart. This Filipino diner is open for breakfast and lunch.)
• Oriental Mart (Pike Place Market. Get the sinigang!)
• Musang (Beacon Hill. A modern take on Filipino food.)
• Kilig (Run by the same chef as Musang. Focused on noodles and soups.)
• Hood Famous Cafe + Bar (International District. Amazing coffee and desserts.)
• Despi Delite Bakery (Beacon Hill & Everett. Get your Pan de Sal here!)
• CheBogz (Next to Beacon Hill Station. Classic Filipino comfort food.)

Plymouth Housing is grateful for Michelle and Ian’s contributions to our mission and to all our Filipino American staff, residents, and community members. 

Maraming Salamat! (Thank you very much!)