One of Carson's most distinct features is its diversity. The city is roughly one-quarter each Hispanic, African American, white, and Asian/ Pacific Islander. This last group's vast majority are Filipinos who settled as early as the 1920s as farmworkers, U.S. military recruits, entrepreneurs, medical professionals, and other laborers, filling the economic needs of the Los Angeles region. This vibrant community hosts fiestas like the Festival of Philippine Arts and Culture and has produced local community heroes, including "Uncle Roy" Morales and "Auntie Helen" Summers Brown. Filipino students of the 1970s organized to gain college admissions, establish ethnic studies, and foster civic leadership, while Filipino businesses have flourished in Carson, San Pedro, Wilmington, Long Beach, and the surrounding communities. Carson is recognized nationally as a Filipino American destination for families and businesses, very much connected to the island homeland.
Coauthors and couple Florante and Roselyn Ibanez, Carson residents, have sought out family albums, organizational records, and personal stories to present this evocative history of their community. Florante is a library manager at Loyola Law School and adjunct professor at Loyola Marymount University. Rose serves as the board chair for the Filipino American Library and works for the City of Los Angeles.