The establishment of Samahang Pilipino Student Union began in 1978, under the leadership of Barbara Yee, when a group of Pilipino students sought to learn about their culture, and also to find a community of support. Though the organization began with a strong foundation, it struggled for the next two years to retain that initial strength. Barbara Yee and a small group of other Filipino students met to restore the organization and interest others in joining them in the organization. At this time, the name Samahang Pilipino Student Union was changed to only Pilipino Student Union.

As PSU established itseld of campus, support was established with the Filipino Community of Santa Barbara, and from EOP, faculty, and staff on campus. To celebrate the relationships built, Pista Sa Nayon began. This event was a fiesta that showcased dances, performances, games, and of course, good food. The overall theme of family was expressed during this celebration. In the late 1980s, early 1990s, Pilipino Student Union experienced an increase in membership thanks to an increase in the Pilipino, and Asian student population in general. With new members, a new identity was formed. To better describe the club and to make it a distinct organization on campus, the officers and members renamed the club from PSU to Kapatirang Pilipino (KP), meaning “brotherhood and sisterhood.”To accommodate the changeds, the idea of formalizing Pista Sa Nayon came about, and ultimately Pilipino Cultural Night (PCN) was established in 1992. A night of cultural and modern dancing, singing, and acting, this event continues to be embraced by the UCSB, Goleta, and Santa Barbara communities. PCN continues to be strong to this day. Another significant event that was created from the influence of KP in 1994 was the Celebration of Pilipino Graduates, an intimate graduation ceremony where all Pilipino students, and those not affiliated with KP, can participate.

Throughout the years, KP has been involved with various events on campus such as the Cheadle Hunger Strikes (the fight for ethnic studies), the establishment of the Asian American Studies department nationally at UCSB, and the establishment of the Asian American Pacific Islander Resource Center. KP was also involved in the establishment and providing a foundation of support for certain organizations such as Asian Student Coalition, and Nikkei Student Society, and Greek organizations such as Lambda Phi Epsilon, Zeta Phi Rho, Chi Delta Theta, and Sigma Kappa Chi. Moreover, KP has played a role in bringing the GABRIELA network to UCSB. Although much has changed with the organization and UC Santa Barbara over the years, the basic elements that SPSU/PSU/KP were built on still remain strong. Today, KP continues to grow and provide a social venue, a place of education on political issues for Pilipinos and everyone in general, and a setting to immerse oneself in the Pilipino culture. More importantly, KP continues to build lifelong friendships and to be that family away from home.