The International Hotel struggle and the Filipino community
August 4, 1977 will go down in infamy as the date the City and County of San Francisco executed the most ruthless persecution and violent destruction of human life unparalleled ever except for the 1934 General Strike. The main blow was directed at Manilatown and the Filipinos who lived on Kearny Street since the early 1900's.
Final evictions were carried out in 1977. For those elderly Filipinos and Chinese who fought and stood in defense of their home that night, it was a sad commentary of how inhumane their treatment and the disgrace of a city uncaring to handle the housing crisis and the homeless victims of this and other evictions. However, continued community organizing prevented the owner from building his planned development, even after the building was demolished in 1981. The hole in the ground served for years as a glaring reminder of the human costs and sacrifices to defend affordable housing for minorities and the poor.
In 1994 the owner agreed to sell the property to the Catholic diocese, leading to the construction of a new I-Hotel of low-cost senior housing with a Filipino community center which opened in 2005.
Documents
Life of a Manilatown Manong: Mr. Pacifico, 1976.
Call Number: IH 052Producers: Al RoblesCollection: The International Hotel struggle and the Filipino community
Mr. Pacifico begins explaining his experiences with America. Pacifico explains fraternal organizations that brought pinoys together. Helio Mucado a five star WWII general started one of the most popular groups. Being treated as a martyr, he started an organization that combined men from all islands and was similar to the free masons. Pacifico also describes how Spanish influence changed the Philippines by conflicted ideals and the raping of resources. As the locals got smart to the Spanish and fought back, US were there to claim the land unlawfully. Pacifico then explains America's presence as being a blessing and a curse. Pacifico then goes into describing the social hierarchy in Philippines vs. America. Differences of mestizos to peasants are not as present in the US. Pacifico speaks of the manong voice not being heard because of the money promised after WWII not being given. He then delves into his first encounters with the US. Pacifico ends with him explaining the old days back in the islands and how he is Marcos's 3rd cousin.
The Sugar Cain Manong: Rapping with 20,00 Carabaos in the Dark, Maurice Passion.
Date: 5/10/1985Call Number: IH 053Producers: Al RoblesCollection: The International Hotel struggle and the Filipino community
Maurice Passion talks of many subjects that a usual Manilatown manong has gone through in his life. Maurice begins with telling Al Robles about how when he was young there were no Filipina women in San Francisco. Maurice explained his experience dating white women and how white men were suspicious of him and often threaten to beat him up. He further discusses the dynamics and dangers of inter-racial dating during that time. He also contrasts relationships in America with relationships in the Philippines. Maurice explains arranged marriages and trends of infidelity with Filipino men. Towards the end of the interview, Maurice describes vanishing Filipino businesses in Manilatown and the hardship after the eviction. Seven years after the eviction it is still a hole in the ground.
Life of a Manilatown Manong: Mr. Cortes, born 1886.
Date: 8/20/1980Call Number: IH 054Producers: Al RoblesCollection: The International Hotel struggle and the Filipino community
Manong Cortes tells Al Robles how life in the Philippines was in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Manong Cortes grew up in an agricultural town in the Muncada area of Luzan. In a family of him and his parents, their income mainly came from selling water buffalo and small farming. Next Cortes explains different techniques in growing rice such as: planting time, seasons, cutting, and harvest times. While living in a nepa hut, they slept on floor mats (Banigs) with no electricity. Their kitchen had no metal just homemade clay stoves and pots. Cortes ends the interview with his memories of the Spanish-Philippine War and the Philippine-American war. Cortes explains that his family went into hiding during both wars. Looking for revolutionaries, Spanish and Americans alike killed many innocent people. The men of his family fought for independence by using knives, out of date rifles, and homemade bamboo muskets.
Manong Joaquin Legaspi, 1973.
Call Number: IH 055Format: CDProducers: Al RoblesCollection: The International Hotel struggle and the Filipino community
Joaquin Legaspi and Al Robles philosophize about life and its different aspects. Joaquin Legaspi an artist, poet, and an intellectual was a popular monong among the I-Hotel's activists crowd. Legaspi begins his viewpoint on explaining that night and day is not that much different from each other. The earth revolves constantly; light is constant and on another side of the world. By comparing this to people's thoughts, the mind is taught this through a learning process that uses labels, fractions, divisions, and sanity is only taught through separation. With this premise, he compares race to being left or right handed. Primitive people have a more natural connection with the world versus the one sided thinking of most people. The five senses around the world are the same all around yet can create ignorance, such as racism. With senses being abused, clashes cultures help to separate (western world vs. Filipino and Asian world, ie I-hotel struggle)
Lucky 'M' Pool Hall, 1973.
Call Number: IH 056Format: CDProducers: Al RoblesCollection: The International Hotel struggle and the Filipino community
Al Robles recites a spoken word comparing music, poetry, art, and life. Next Al Robles interviews a group of manongs in the famed Lucky M pool hall. The interview begins with a group of manongs complaining that ignorant people think that the I-Hotel should be demolished. If this historical landmark is gone, many have no place to go. During the interview Al mainly talks to manong Duvera. Coming to America in 1917, Duvera got a Job as an apprentice barber in the famed Tino's barbershop. He explains the vibrant culture and music that was in the barbershop. Currently working at the Lucky M, Duvera reminisced of the good old days leading to lucky M's closing on March 1st, 1973. Along with other vanishing businesses, Lucky M was the last Filipino pool hall in Manilatown.
Simeon Amon Interview
Date: 7/6/1977Call Number: IH 057Format: CDProducers: Al RoblesCollection: The International Hotel struggle and the Filipino community
Simeon Amon talks about women and his life as a child in the islands. He explains social gatherings called "Taxi Dances". This was for lonely manongs who could dance with women for a small fee. Due to miscegenation laws, suitable Pinays of there age and generation didn't exist in the states. It also gave women an opportunity for extra income. Simeon said he attended many dances in the Stockton area and San Francisco. With many of these girls being white, some disapproved the events. A Filipino man dating a white woman resulted in him being shot and her being beat up. Simeon then goes into explaining the virtues of city pinays versus country pinays. The interview ends with him explaining his childhood life on a Luzon farm.
Manong Benny Interview, 1974.
Date: 8/1/1974Call Number: IH 058Format: CDProducers: Al RoblesCollection: The International Hotel struggle and the Filipino community
Manong Benny speaks of his past and all the areas of the world he has been to migrate and work, such as China and the US. The interview is half in Tagolog and English.
Manong Velasco Interview
Date: 6/3/1975Call Number: IH 059Format: CDProducers: Al RoblesCollection: The International Hotel struggle and the Filipino community
Velasco talks of his health, diet, food, love life, and his past jobs. Velasco describes the conditions in the I-Hotel, for example that many manongs have no refrigerators, so they leave food out to eat and get sick. Velasco also explains his past jobs in places such as Fresno, San Jose, and Santa Clara.
I-Hotel Celebration
Date: 8/6/2000Call Number: IH 038Format: VHSCollection: The International Hotel struggle and the Filipino community
Demonstration, talks, music, dance and poetry at Cloud House in San Francisco.
I-Hotel March - Chinese for Affirmative action
Call Number: IH 040Format: VHSCollection: The International Hotel struggle and the Filipino community
March in support of I-Hotel struggle.
Evening at "Chinese for Affirmative Action." - Part 1
