Manilatown Heritage Foundation

Manilatown Heritage Foundation is a community-based nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the history and culture of Filipino Americans associated with San Francisco's Manilatown and the International Hotel. The organization connects the legacies of the International Hotel eviction, Filipino labor organizing, and Asian American civil rights through archival stewardship, public programming, and neighborhood advocacy. It operates in partnership with civic institutions, cultural centers, and academic programs to document stories related to immigration, urban change, and social movements.

History

The Foundation emerged from the activism surrounding the International Hotel struggle and the 1970s tenants' movement that involved leaders such as Irene Kahn Atkins and groups including the I-Hotel Coalition and the Asian American Political Alliance. Its institutional roots intersect with prominent events like the 1977 eviction and subsequent memorialization efforts tied to the Asian American Movement and the broader history of Filipino Americans in California. The organization's establishment followed collaborations with civic actors such as the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency, cultural projects linked to the San Francisco Arts Commission, and archival initiatives modeled on collections at the California Historical Society and Asian American Studies Center. Over time the Foundation has worked alongside partners including University of California, Berkeley, San Francisco State University, Abaad Foundation, and local neighborhood groups to secure community narratives and physical space near Kearny Street and Jackson Square.

Mission and Programs

The Foundation's mission foregrounds preservation of built heritage, oral history, and material culture connected to Manilatown, reflecting influences from labor organizations like the United Farm Workers and cultural producers such as Doveglion Press. Programmatic work includes archival accession modeled after standards at the National Archives and Records Administration and collaborative curatorial projects in concert with museums like the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, and the Museum of the City of San Francisco. Educational partnerships extend to community colleges such as City College of San Francisco and research centers including the Bancroft Library and the Ethnic Studies Department (San Francisco State University). Preservation efforts engage legal and policy frameworks referenced by practitioners at the National Trust for Historic Preservation and grantmaking organizations like the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Community and Cultural Preservation

Community stewardship emphasizes connections to Filipino cultural forms and institutions such as Filipino American National Historical Society, Kababayan Community Center, and neighborhood businesses along Kearny Street. The Foundation documents ties to labor leaders like Larry Itliong and social activists including Grace Lee Boggs while situating local histories within larger movements such as the Civil Rights Movement, Third World Liberation Front strikes, and transnational ties to the Philippine Independence Movement. Collaborations with artists from networks tied to Manilatown performances and publications have engaged figures associated with the San Francisco Mime Troupe, Guillermo Gomez-Peña, and the Asian American Theater Company. Preservation projects reflect built-environment concerns visible in nearby historic districts like Cable Car corridors and marketplaces similar to Chinatown, San Francisco.

Exhibits and Collections

Collections emphasize oral histories, photographs, ephemera, and artifacts linked to families, tenants, and community organizations, curated in dialogue with institutions such as the Library of Congress, Bancroft Library, and the Oakland Museum of California. Exhibitions have been mounted in partnership with venues including the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, San Francisco Public Library, and the GLBT Historical Society to foreground narratives of migration, labor, and housing justice. The Foundation's holdings document connections to prominent works and events like the I-Hotel eviction, the writings of Carlos Bulosan, and art produced by artists associated with the Kearny Street Workshop and the San Francisco Arts Commission. Curatorial practice draws on comparative models from the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration and community archives such as the Chinese Historical Society of America.

Events and Education

Public programming includes lecture series, film screenings, oral history workshops, and neighborhood walking tours developed with partners such as San Francisco State University, University of California, Berkeley, Filipino American National Historical Society, and Kearny Street Workshop. Events have featured scholars and cultural workers who examine intersections with the Asian American Movement, labor history involving the United Farm Workers and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, and transnational Filipino histories connected to the Philippine–American War and postwar migration patterns. Educational initiatives target K–12 curricula aligned with local institutions like the San Francisco Unified School District and engage volunteers and interns from programs at Stanford University, Columbia University, and other universities with Asian American studies programs.

Category:Filipino-American culture in San Francisco Category:Historic preservation organizations in the United States