The last semblance of San Francisco’s Manilatown fell when more than 50 mostly Filipino American tenants from the International Hotel were evicted to make way for a corporate high rise in 1977.
Today, a plan will be unveiled to establish Soma Pilipinas in the South of Market area of the city, reports KQED.
The heritage district would bring attention to 25 historical buildings in the neighborhood and establish the area as the cultural center of the Filipino American community in San Francisco.
“It brings to the community the validation of its existence,” said Bernadette Sy, executive director of the Filipino-American Development Foundation, told KQED. “It honors our presence here in San Francisco.”
As a young reporter back then, I covered the last year of the International Hotel as a home for Filipino American senior citizens. I watched as the city rallied around the tenants to defend it against corporate takeover.
Sheriff Richard Hongisto at first refused to carry out the court order to evict the tenants. He spent five days in jail.
I remember the late Mayor George Moscone proposing that the city’s redevelopment agency purchase the hotel under eminent domain to save it from the wrecking ball.
I remember thousands of people forming a human barricade around the hotel the night the sheriff came to finally evict the tenants.
Today the hotel is gone, but in the end, Moscone’s dream became reality. The International Hotel is now the site of brand new low income housing, a community center and a grammar school, St. Mary’s Chinese Catholic Center.
Establishing a new cultural district for Filipino Americans would bring it all full circle and is long overdue.
I applaud San Francisco Supervisor Jane Kim for proposing it.
