Historic Filipinotown (alternately known as HiFi ) is a neighborhood in the city of
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
. It is one of the six Asian Pacific Islander neighborhoods (Chinatown, Little Tokyo, Historic Filipinotown, Little Bangladesh, Koreatown, and Thai Town) in the city.
Geography
On July 31, 2002, the City of Los Angeles designated Historic Filipinotown with the following boundaries: on the east by Glendale Boulevard, on the north by the 101 Freeway, on the west by Hoover Street, and on the south by Beverly Boulevard. The area, located in Council District 13, had commonly been referred to as the "Temple-Beverly Corridor". Both the Department of Public Works and the Department of Transportation were instructed in install signage to identify "Historic Filipinotown. Neighborhood signage was installed at the intersection of Temple Street and Hoover Street and Beverly Boulevard and Belmont Avenue. In 2006, Historic Filipinotown signage was installed along the 101 Freeway at the Alvarado Street exit.
History
In a section of downtown Los Angeles now known as
Little Tokyo
Little Tokyo ( ja, リトル・トーキョー) also known as Little Tokyo Historic District, is an ethnically Japanese American district in downtown Los Angeles and the heart of the largest Japanese-American population in North America. It is t ...
, a Filipino community known as
Little Manila existed and flourished for over two decades (1920s-40s). The first significant wave of Filipino migration came in 1923, when over 2,000 arrived in California. Ten years later, over 6,000 resided in Los Angeles, most living in the downtown neighborhood bordered by
San Pedro Street
San Pedro Street is a major north–south thoroughfare in Los Angeles, California, running from Little Tokyo in Downtown Los Angeles to West Rancho Dominguez.
San Pedro Street was one of the earliest roadways, along with Alameda Street, betwee ...
to the east, Sixth Street to the south,
Figueroa Street to the west, and
Sunset Boulevard to the North. Twelve restaurants, seven barbershops, the immigrant newspaper ''The Philippines Review'' and the Manila Portrait Studio all helped to buoy the Los Angeles
Filipino diaspora. Many of the Filipino pioneers came to Los Angeles to study, while others settled as residents for employment. This community of mostly males established numerous restaurants, pool halls, cafés, employment agencies and barbershops which became the hub where Filipinos congregated, lived, socialized, organized and networked among their compatriots to find companionship, fellowship and work. One would merely drive to First and Main Streets to solicit Filipinos, either by Hollywood studios in need of ethnic-type extras for cinematic productions or many others in need of cheap labor.
By the early 1950s, Filipinos were able to buy land in the United States. In Los Angeles, many Filipino families bought their first homes in the Temple-Beverly corridor, with the growth of Filipino families in this corridor, they created Filipino-owned businesses, establishments, churches, and organizations.
Despite the fact that there are other enclaves of Filipinos living outside Historic Filipinotown (
Carson
Carson may refer to:
People
*Carson (surname), people with the surname
*Carson (given name), people with the given name
Places
;In the United States
* Carson, California, a city
* Carson Township, Fayette County, Illinois
*Carson, Iowa, a city
* ...
, Long Beach, Glendale,
Cerritos,
West Covina,
Panorama City, and
Eagle Rock Eagle Rock may refer to:
Entertainment
* "Eagle Rock" (song), a hit single in 1971 by Australian band Daddy Cool
* "Eagle Rock", a song by Motörhead
* Eagle Rock Entertainment, a record label
Places
* Eagle Rock (formation), in California
* Eag ...
), this neighborhood was named "Historic Filipinotown" because it was one of the few areas where Filipinos first settled during the early part of the 20th century and home to key Filipino organizations, Filipino churches (Filipino Christian Church, Iglesia ni Kristo, St. Columban Filipino Catholic Church, United Church of God Ministries, Praise Christian Fellowship and Congregational Christian Church), housing (Manila Terrace, Mindanao Towers, Mountain View Terrace, and Villa Ramos), and social service centers. Many Filipino American families began purchasing homes and establishing businesses in the area beginning from the 1940s, shifting away from the downtown area now known as
Little Tokyo
Little Tokyo ( ja, リトル・トーキョー) also known as Little Tokyo Historic District, is an ethnically Japanese American district in downtown Los Angeles and the heart of the largest Japanese-American population in North America. It is t ...
in the 1920s and later the
Bunker Hill area. The "Historic" label was added to recognize the area as a gateway and the current place where Filipino immigrants establish themselves, create businesses and have community-based activities. This was because the Filipino American community in Historic Filipinotown created a partnership with mayor
Eric Garcetti
Eric Michael Garcetti (born February 4, 1971) is an American politician who served as the 42nd mayor of Los Angeles from 2013 until 2022. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he was first elected in the 2013 Los An ...
, as a result, he maintained a staff position assigned to the Historic Filipinotown neighborhood during his tenure.
On November 2, 2010, the intersection at Temple Street and Alvarado Boulevard was named as "Remedios "Remy" V. Geaga Square," and the Department of Transportation
was directed to erect a permanent ceremonial sign at the location. A resident of Historic Filipinotown, Geaga dedicated her life to end discrimination in employment, education, and housing.
On October 31, 2011, Historic Filipinotown was officially recognized as a
Preserve America community after years of advocacy by the Pilipino American Network and Advocacy (PANA) and other community advocates. Receiving this honor from former First Lady and Honorary Chair of the Preserve America Initiative,
Michelle Obama
Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama (born January 17, 1964) is an American attorney and author who served as first lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017. She was the first African-American woman to serve in this position. She is married t ...
, Historic Filipinotown is provided with strong federal support and incentives for the continued preservation of cultural and natural heritage resources.
Demographics
In 2010, Latinos constituted approximately 66% of the population. Asians comprised about 25% – with Filipinos as the largest Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) subgroup. (Of the 25% of Asian Americans that resided in Historic Filipinotown at the time of the survey, 64% were Filipino.) Non-Hispanics Whites and Blacks each constituted 4% of the neighborhood.
Community organizations
There are several advocacy organizations located within the boundaries of Historic Filipinotown area.
Search to Involve Pilipino Americans (SIPA)
SIPA is located at 3200 W. Temple Street. It was founded in 1972 and helps to provide health and human services as well as helps in the economic development, arts and cultural programs for youth and families in Filipinotown and the greater Los Angeles Fil-Am community.
Filipino American Services Group, Inc. (FASGI)
FASGI is located on 135 North Park View Street. It was incorporated in 1981, is a "community based on non-profit social service agency that focuses on the health and well being of underserved adults, particularly senior citizens…"
Filipino American Community of Los Angeles, Inc. (FACLA)
FALCA is located at 1740 W. Temple Street, It was originally founded as the Filipino Unity Council in 1930, the Filipino American Community of Los Angeles. It housed in the Filipino Cultural Center .
Pilipino Workers Center (PWC)
PWC is located at 153 Glendale Boulevard. The Pilipino Workers Center aims to "secure the dignity and safety of the Pilipinx community in Southern California and build labor leaders in the domestic worker industry". They were established in 1997.
Pilipino American Network and Advocacy (PANA)
PANA, Pilipino American Network and Advocacy was founded to advocate for the economic and political empowermrnt of Filipinos in Los Angeles County. The organization, with the help of the Filipino community, successfully advocated for the designation of Historic Filipinotown as a Preserve America Community with the US Federal government in 2011.
Events
![Parol, Philippines](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8a/Parol%2C_Philippines.jpg)
* Annual Historic Filipinotown Festival - the event includes foods, craft, educational activities and a 5K run.
* Annual Philippine Independence Day Parade and Festival - the parade spans several blocks. At the end of the parade, there is a festival area with a performance stage.
* Annual Larry Itliong Day - Unidad Park hosts an annual Larry Itliong Day event over the weekend of October 25, which falls on Larry Itliong's birth date. This cultural festival, honoring Filipino American labor leader
Larry Itliong
Modesto "Larry" Dulay Itliong (October 25, 1913 – February 1977), also known as "Seven Fingers", was a Filipino-American labor organizer. He organized West Coast agricultural workers starting in the 1930s, and rose to national prominence in 19 ...
, officially began as a state-wide commemoration in 2015. The first three celebrations (2015-2017) were called "The Annual Larry Itliong Day Parade and Festival" and were sponsored by the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA) Arts Activation Fund (AAF). From 2018 onward the commemoration has simply been known as Larry Itliong Day.
* Annual Polemount Parol Lighting - Local business and family-sponsored parols (Christmas lanterns) line Temple Street to coinciding with festivities in the Philippines. Parols are constructed to resemble the star of Bethlehem and its role as a light to guide the three wise men.
![Filipinotown PWC Jeepney](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d7/Filipinotown_PWC_Jeepney.jpg)
* Hidden HiFi - The Pilipino Workers Center (PWC) in partnership with LA-based social enterprise Public Matters, hosts an event called Hidden HiFi which promotes events and Jeepney tours.
* Sunday Jump - a monthly open mic series primarily held at PWC's community halls. It was designated by the
Department of Cultural Affairs as one of the cultural treasures of Historic Filipinotown.
Landmarks
Filipino Christian Church and St. Columban Filipino Catholic Church
![St](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7e/St._Columban_Filipino_Church.jpg)
On May 5, 1998, the
Los Angeles City Council
The Los Angeles City Council is the legislative body of the Los Angeles, City of Los Angeles in California.
The council is composed of 15 members elected from single-member districts for four-year terms. The President of the Los Angeles City Counc ...
designated the Filipino Christian Church as
Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument No. 651.
The Filipino (Disciples) Christian Church is the only historic cultural monument designated by the City of Los Angeles with Filipino origins, distinguished by its German
Gothic Revival
Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...
and
Craftsman architecture. The Disciples of Christ State Board adopted the work with the Filipinos as its mission and called on Rev. and Mrs. Frank Stipp, former missionaries to the
Ilocos provinces, to oversee the work. Through them and the Disciples of Christ State Board, a center was later started when the Disciples secured for the Filipino Christian Fellowship four bungalows complete with apartment facilities and a place of worship located at First Street and Bunker Hill, where the
Los Angeles Music Center
The Music Center (officially named the Performing Arts Center of Los Angeles County) is one of the largest performing arts centers in the United States. Located in downtown Los Angeles, The Music Center is composed of the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion ...
and
Walt Disney Concert Hall
The Walt Disney Concert Hall at 111 South Grand Avenue in downtown Los Angeles, California, is the fourth hall of the Los Angeles Music Center and was designed by Frank Gehry. It was opened on October 24, 2003. Bounded by Hope Street, Grand Ave ...
stand today. It is believed that these quarters sparked the start of what is known now as Historic Filipinotown. Having been the earliest Christian church established to cater to Filipino Americans, many key organizations in the area germinated from this church, including SIPA and the Filipino American Library.
Purchased in part by funds donated by
Philippines First Lady Aurora Quezon
Aurora Antonia Quezon ( Aragón y Molina; February 19, 1888 – April 28, 1949) was the wife of Philippine President Manuel Luis Quezon and the First Lady of the Philippines from 1935 to 1944. Although she is recognized as the second First Lady ...
as a gift to the Filipinos in Los Angeles, the St. Columban Filipino Church on Beverly Blvd and Loma Drive has authentic church bells from the
City of Antipolo, Philippines. The church sits on Crown Hill, one of the five hills that circled early downtown Los Angeles. In the 1890s, Crown Hill was the epicenter of a massive oil boom when
Edward L. Doheny
Edward Laurence Doheny (; August 10, 1856 – September 8, 1935) was an American oil tycoon who, in 1892, drilled the first successful oil well in the Los Angeles City Oil Field. His success set off a petroleum boom in Southern California, a ...
and
Charles A. Canfield
Charles Adelbert Canfield (May 15, 1848 – August 15, 1913) was an American oilman and real estate developer. He pioneered oil drilling in California and Mexico. He also co-founded Beverly Hills and Del Mar, California.
Early life
Charles Adelbe ...
bought a lot at Colton Street and Glendale Boulevard and, in November 1892, they struck oil.
Gintong Kasaysayan, Gintong Pamana mural
![Gintong Kasaysayan, Gintong Pamana Mural](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/90/Gintong_Kasaysayan%2C_Gintong_Pamana_Mural.png)
Before the area was designated as Historic Filipinotown, on June 24, 1995,
the nation's largest Filipino American mural, ''Gintong Kasaysayan, Gintong Pamana (Filipino Americans: A Glorious History, A Golden legacy)'', was unveiled. The mural promotes ethnic solidarity and the fight for historical inclusion of the ‘forgotten’ or ‘invisible’ Filipinos in American history. For example, the mural includes Larry Itliong who challenged young Filipino American activists to organize themselves to fight for equality in the 1960s and fought alongside Cesar Chavez to lead the Delano Grape Strike groups (Kim, 1999). The mural also includes
apl.de.ap
Allan Pineda Lindo (born November 28, 1974), known professionally as apl.de.ap (), is a Filipino-American rapper, singer and record producer. He is a founding member of the hip hop group Black Eyed Peas.
Early life
Allan Pineda Lindo was born ...
, who is a hip hop performer, rapper, producer, and composer.
In 1997, the City of Los Angeles Board of Cultural Affairs Commissioners awarded the mural its first ever Award of Design Excellence for public art. The mural was likewise featured in
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) is an art museum located on Wilshire Boulevard in the Miracle Mile, Los Angeles, California, Miracle Mile vicinity of Los Angeles. LACMA is on Museum Row, adjacent to the La Brea Tar Pits (George C. Pa ...
's "Made in California: Art, Image and Identity 1900-200", the Smithsonian Institution's traveling exhibition celebrating 100 years of Filipino migration to the United States called "Singgalot (The Ties That Bind): From Colonial Subjects to Citizens" and the Smithsonian Traveling Exhibition "I Want the Wide American Earth" honoring the history and contributions of Asian and Pacific Islanders in the United States. The mural was painted by then 22-year-old artist Eliseo Art Silva while a junior attending
Otis College of Art and Design. According to the artist, "...the mural encapsulates 5,000 years of Filipino and Filipino American history; the design is divided into two parts: the first is historical (represented by the outline of a fish at sea), leading up to the awakening of Filipino national and political consciousness; the second part is dominated by a huge
bird
Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweigh ...
with significant Filipino-Americans on its wings, the farm workers on the bottom left and the youth and community on the right."
Unidad Park and Community Garden
![Gintong Kasaysayan, Gintong Pamana Mural Plaque](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e3/Gintong_Kasaysayan%2C_Gintong_Pamana_Mural_Plaque.png)
The mural originally faced a large community garden called the Candy Chuateco Community Garden. Sponsored by Search to Involve Pilipino Americans, the land was purchased by the City of Los Angeles and converted into the Unidad Park through the Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust (LANLT). Unidad Park's design was conceptualized by leaders and stakeholders of the Filipino community, which includes the Philippine
Bontoc/Kankana-ey communal gathering place, park features and a community garden referencing the
Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras, a
UNESCO World Heritage Site
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
, as well as an entrance walkway based on a design by Filipino American
Pedro Flores. The park is a destination for the neighborhood with its ''Dap-ay'' used by students and the sandbox inside this space used by toddlers, the interactive play area, community garden as well as onsite barbecue grills with matching tables and benches for family gatherings and parties, enhanced by a covered tent to protect park users from the sun and rain.
Street medallions, banners and crosswalks
The crosswalks in Filipinotown have been decorated with traditional Filipino basket-weaving patterns designed by Edwin Frederizo, who also designed the district's street banners. "My design for the permanent art display conveys a message of peace, unity, and harmony amongst the community of Historic Filipinotown. The uniqueness of having Filipino American residents and businesses embedded within a variety of cultures allows for a very rich and conceptual visual art display. The Filipino American culture is influenced by several other cultures (Latino, Chinese and African American) and is fused into a very unique style all its own."
![Street Medallions](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/41/Street_Medallions.png)
Along the streets of Historic FilipinoTown are lamp posts adorned with Filipino cultural medallions. These medallions decorate the tops of lamp posts with different symbols. Roel Punzalan is the artist who designed the streetlight art. His vision for the project was to tie the Filipino values of "kapwa," "lakbay," and "kapayapaan" to the unique interaction of Filipino culture and Historic FilipinoTown. The streetlight art served both as an educational opportunity to share Filipino culture and history and as a way to improve pedestrian safety. Streetlights were placed at 17 different intersections, and about 54 lamp posts were adorned with Punzalan's art.
The Filipino cultural values can be defined as: "
kapwa" is "shared humanity or togetherness," "lakbay" is "journey," and "kapayapaan" is "peace". These are the descriptions for each streetlight art:
* "Kapwa: Shared Humanity - ALL HANDS IN. The Filipino Sun, a symbol of unity, is created by stacking hands in a team huddle, a gesture of unity."
* "Lakbay: Journey - BUILD BRIDGES. Two figures holding hands to form a bridge symbolizes both the journey to America and the relationships that are created among the various people after they arrive."
* "Kapayapaan: Peace - EMBRACE PEACE. The parol, a star-shaped lantern symbolizing the Filipino Christmas, is created by interlocking figures in a group hug as a reminder of peace throughout the year."
Punzalan explained that the streetlights highlight the importance of humanity in the Filipino culture and that the people are essential for the culture to last through the challenges and passage of time.
Filipino American WWII Veterans Memorial
![Filipino American WWII Veterans Memorial (Front)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6d/Filipino_American_WWII_Veterans_Memorial_%28Front%29.png)
In November 2006, Eric Garcetti, then-president of the Los Angeles City Council, joined Filipino veterans from around the country in unveiling the first monument dedicated to the 250,000 Filipino and 7,000 Filipino American soldiers who fought for the United States in World War II. The monument, located in Lake Street Park in the heart of Historic Filipinotown, consists of five slabs of polished black granite and commemorates the history of the Filipino veterans, from WWII to immigration to their subsequent fight for equality. It was designed by artist
Cheri Gaulke
Cheri Gaulke (born 1954) is a visual artist most known for her role in the Feminist Art Movement in southern California in the 1970s and her work on gay and lesbian families.
Biography
Gaulke holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Minneapolis ...
and the project was led by Joe Bernardo, a former staffer of Eric Garcetti. Inscribed in the front of the memorial is the quote, "Bataan was not our last battlefield. We are still fighting for equity," by Faustino "Peping" Baclig. Baclig, a survivor of the Bataan death march and longtime leader of the movement to gain financial and medical benefits for the veterans comments on the longstanding battle that the Filipino community would face to gain recognition and equality in the country.
Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) Los Angeles Locale Congregation
Located at 141 North Union Avenue, the
Iglesia ni Cristo is a Filipino Non-Trinitarian Sect founded in Manila, Philippines in 1914. The group started their overseas mission in 1968. The Los Angeles congregation was one of the earliest locales to be established in the United States after Ewa Beach in Hawaii and San Francisco. It is also one of a few sites in the neighborhood with Filipino vernacular architecture. The facade and spires of this chapel were inspired by the Filipino headgear known as ''
salakot''.
Talang Gabay - Our Guiding Star: HIFI Eastern Gateway Monument
![HIFI GATEWAY](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e9/HIFI_GATEWAY.jpg)
Standing 30' tall and 82' wide, this welcome arch to the eastern boundary of the neighborhood is the largest gateway edifice of its kind and the largest monument built to honor Filipino Americans in the United States. The gateway features numerous design elements including the
Parol
A parol (, , also written as paról or parul, from Spanish ''farol'', meaning ''lantern'') is a Filipino ornamental lantern displayed during the Christmas season. Parols are traditionally constructed using bamboo and Japanese paper, and are i ...
; the
Gumamela
''Hibiscus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae. The genus is quite large, comprising several hundred species that are native to warm temperate, subtropical and tropical regions throughout the world. Member species ...
flower also known as hibiscus, which pays tribute to frontline workers of the COVID-19 Pandemic; and the
Sarimanok – all symbols with deep roots in Filipino culture. Designed by Eliseo Art Silva with Celestino Geronimo Jr, the name of the new landmark was culled from the Philippine's own iconic symbol: the
Jose Rizal Monument which was called "Motto Stella" (Latin: Guiding Star). The peak of the arch is reminiscent of precolonial Filipino palaces such as the
Torogan which also replicates the masts of boats used in the Philippines, which typically have bird motifs perched on top. Additionally, the two ends of the boat are representative of Naga, a mythological sea creature that provides safe passage to sailors. Silva wanted to use imagery that represented homecoming to showcase how Historic Filipinotown provided community and refuge to so many Filipinos in Los Angeles. “When our ancient seafarers see birds in flight, it’s like a signal that home is near,” he explains. “It’s the guiding star. That’s what the gateway is symbolizing.”
Filipino Designs and Vernacular Architecture in HIFI
Clustered within the vicinity of Beverly-Union are the oldest Filipino Churches of Los Angeles: The Filipino Christian Church (FCC), St. Columban Filipino Catholic Church and the Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC) Kapilya (chapel). These sites are legacies of Filipino Americans who arrived prior to the passage of the
Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965
The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, also known as the Hart–Celler Act and more recently as the 1965 Immigration Act, is a federal law passed by the 89th United States Congress and signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson. The l ...
which triggered a population boom, attracting skilled labor to the United States. FCC and St. Columban both have entrances that include stylized "Naga/
Bakunawa
The Bakunawa is a serpent-like dragon in Philippine mythology. It is believed to be the cause of eclipses, earthquakes, rains, and wind. The movements of the Bakunawa served as a geomantic calendar system for ancient Filipinos and were part of t ...
" rooftop end-beam motifs typical of "Bahay ng
Maginoo" precolonial wooden longhouses platformed on stilts built for the "Maginoo" (Nobility) class of pre-Hispanic Philippines. The INC "Kapilya" (Chapel/Cathedral) on Union Avenue has a facade and spires inspired by the Filipino headgear known as
salakot.
Also within this enclave is Unidad Park which combines the Cordillera Dap-ay (learning circle/gathering place), the entrance walkway shaped like a
Yo-yo, the terraced community garden honoring the
Rice Terraces of the Philippines and with the building-sized Filipino mural serving as a backdrop to these Filipino design elements.
Further east on Glendale Blvd is Larry Itliong Village Apartments, which is also the main headquarters of the Pilipino Worker's Center. This site combines three Filipino design elements: the "
piloti
Pilotis, or piers, are supports such as columns, pillars, or stilts that lift a building above ground or water. They are traditionally found in stilt and pole dwellings such as fishermen's huts in Asia and Scandinavia using wood, and in elev ...
" which was first introduced to this country during the 18th Century by Filipino settlers of
St. Malo
Saint-Malo (, , ; Gallo: ; ) is a historic French port in Ille-et-Vilaine, Brittany, on the English Channel coast.
The walled city had a long history of piracy, earning much wealth from local extortion and overseas adventures. In 1944, the Alli ...
and
Manila Village who built houses made of wood and platformed on stilts; the four inter-woven red bars above the main entrance which pays homage to Filipino baskets, ethnic weaving, the commoner's house (
bahay kubo
The ''bahay kubo'', also known as ''payag'' (Nipon) in the Visayan languages and, is a type of stilt house indigenous to the Philippines. It often serves as an icon of Philippine culture. The house is exclusive to the lowland population of ...
which was essentially built like a basket), and the bamboo dance known as "
Tinikling"; with the sun with eight rays of the
Philippine flag
The national flag of the Philippines ( tgl, Pambansang watawat ng Pilipinas; ilo, Nailian a bandera ti Filipinas; ceb, Nasudnong bandila ng Pilipinas; es, Bandera Nacional de Filipinas) is a horizontal List of flags by design#Bicolour, bicol ...
completing the Filipino branding of the site. The piloti can also be detected at Luzon Plaza Mall along Temple Street, which was named after the largest island of the Philippines. The Spanish-Era
Bahay na Bato (House of Stone), which evolved from the precolonial wooden palacial long houses of Filipino Nobility known as "Bahay ng Maginoo", is showcased at the Manila Terrace Apartments along Temple St. The commoner's house called "Bahay Kubo" (nipa hut) can be seen at the Kubo Restaurant at the Corner of Temple St. and Parkview Street. Its teal-green bamboo-tiled roof design elements inspired the proposed design of the projected Eastern Gateway of Historic Filipinotown.
The "Bahay Kubo" vernacular architecture is also evident in the design of the Filipino Cultural Center owned by the Filipino American Community of Los Angeles (FACLA) which proudly extols the Philippine Flag 24/7 in front of its building along Temple Street. Also along Temple Street are 54 bus stops with Filipino lanterns known as
Parol
A parol (, , also written as paról or parul, from Spanish ''farol'', meaning ''lantern'') is a Filipino ornamental lantern displayed during the Christmas season. Parols are traditionally constructed using bamboo and Japanese paper, and are i ...
and the Philippine Sun of the national flag integrated into the lamp posts. The Western Gateway Marker on the western boundary of the neighborhood integrates the "calado" embroidery with floral and vine motif of the "
Barong Tagalog" and "
Maria Clara
Maria may refer to:
People
* Mary, mother of Jesus
* Maria (given name), a popular given name in many languages
Place names Extraterrestrial
*170 Maria, a Main belt S-type asteroid discovered in 1877
*Lunar maria (plural of ''mare''), large, da ...
" national attire of Filipinos on the facade; as well as the "
Bakunawa
The Bakunawa is a serpent-like dragon in Philippine mythology. It is believed to be the cause of eclipses, earthquakes, rains, and wind. The movements of the Bakunawa served as a geomantic calendar system for ancient Filipinos and were part of t ...
" (Filipino Dragon) (which are carved into both sides of the marker) serving as guardians of
the ancient kingdoms of the Philippines in the past, and the HIFI neighborhood of Los Angeles in the present.
In conjunction with the four-month Christmas Season in the Philippines, some of the 10,000 Filipino residents of HIFI display the
Parol
A parol (, , also written as paról or parul, from Spanish ''farol'', meaning ''lantern'') is a Filipino ornamental lantern displayed during the Christmas season. Parols are traditionally constructed using bamboo and Japanese paper, and are i ...
(Filipino lanterns) in front of their windows or homes as early as September (though most do so after Thanksgiving Day) all the way until the first Sunday of January the following year.
Education
Schools
The following LAUSD schools lie within the established boundaries of Historic Filipinotown:
* Rosemont Elementary School, 421 Rosemont Avenue
* Alliance Ted K. Tajima High School, 1552 Rockwood Street
Samahang Pilipino Advancing Community Empowerment (SPACE)
Samahang Pilipino Advancing Community Empowerment (SPACE) is an access project created in 2000 by Samahang Pilipino at UCLA, the official student organization for the Pilipino and Pilipino American communities at UCLA. SPACE addresses and alleviate the barriers to higher education for at-risk, historically underrepresented, underserved high school and community college students in the Los Angeles area. Through peer tutoring, peer advising. student workshops, parent workshops, and field trips, SPACE promotes "academic success, personal well-being, community engagement, and the formulation of solid post-secondary plans".
In 2015, SPACE hosted Philippine Youth Empowerment Day, an event that featured workshops focused on Filipino-American history, identity and representation in the media.
References
Further reading
*
*
External links
History of Historic FilipinotownHistory of Filipinos in Los AngelesSt. Columban Filipino Catholic Church
{{Ethnic groups in Los Angeles
Neighborhoods in Los Angeles
Asian-American culture in Los Angeles
Ethnic enclaves in California
Ethnic groups in Los Angeles
Filipino-American culture in California
Filipino-American history
2002 establishments in California
Echo Park, Los Angeles
Central Los Angeles
Northwest Los Angeles