As part of Filipino-American History Month, the Associated Students of Skyline College (ASSC) conducted a walking tour of the South of Market (SOMA) district. Students started off with a jeepney tour hosted by SOMA Pilipinas! While riding the historically Filipino vehicle, students learned about the culturally rich history of Filipinos in the SOMA district, and how Filipino-American history is seen today through street signs, breathtaking murals, and buildings steeped in history.
Next, students had the opportunity to walk through Makibaka, an art exhibition in the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. Makibaka showcases different contemporary artworks and mixed media that honor the stories of resistance, identity, and resilience in the Filipinx diaspora.
Makibaka remembers the history of the Filipinx community and tells us to move their legacy forward.
Next, students went to the International Hotel Manilatown Center. They watched a documentary called “The Fall of the I-Hotel”, where they learned about the resistance against urban renewal
for the I-Hotel and its eventual demolition and rebuilding into the I-Hotel Manilatown Center.
Standing in the culturally rich building, students were also able to walk through an art installation
that represents the I-Hotel, and had the opportunity to speak with a former tenant of the I-Hotel.
Overall, this immersion trip offered students a meaningful way to celebrate Filipinx-American History Month and its connection to local history and activism.
Article by Jarred Ramos
Photos by Jarred Ramos
