The first Filipino sailors arrived at Morro Bay, California on October 18, 1587 aboard a Spanish trade ship. Today, Filipinos are the second-largest Asian American group in the nation and the third largest ethnic group in California.
To celebrate Filipino American History Month, we are highlighting important Filipino American organizations and people in local San Francisco Bay Area history. Our goal is to learn more about the impact they have had on the local culture of the City we serve.
Victoria Manalo Draves
Victoria Manalo Draves was the first Filipino American to compete in the Olympic Games and the first Asian American Olympic gold medalist. Born in the SoMa neighborhood to a Filipino father and English mother, Draves couldn’t afford to take swimming lessons until she was 10. She faced intense discrimination for her Asian heritage. Draves recalls that they would often drain the pool when she finished swimming, and she was encouraged to hide her Filipino identity by using her mother’s maiden name. In 1948, Draves won two gold medals for springboard and platform diving, making her the first woman in Olympic history to win gold in both events. The City honored Draves’ achievements in October 2006 by naming Victoria Manalo Draves Park in SoMa after her. Today, youth and families enjoy the 2-acre park atop the former site of Bessie Carmichael, Draves’ elementary school.
Rob Bonta
In April 2021, Rob Bonta was sworn in as the 34th Attorney General of the State of California, making him the first person of Filipino descent to occupy the position. Born in Quezon City, Philippines, Attorney General Bonta immigrated to California with his family as an infant. His passion for justice was instilled in him by his parents, who worked on the frontlines of the United Farm Workers movement alongside Cesar Chavez, Dolores Huerta, and Philip Vera Cruz organizing Latino and Filipino farmworkers for racial, economic, and civil rights. Before becoming California’s Attorney General, Bonta served for nine years as a Deputy City Attorney in San Francisco’s City Attorney’s Office, as an Alameda City Councilmember, and as a State Assembly member (District 18).
Al Perez
Al Perez has served on the San Francisco Entertainment Commission since being appointed by Mayor Gavin Newsom in 2009. As the President of the Filipino American Arts Exposition, he leads staff and volunteers to plan and execute San Francisco’s annual Pistahan Parade and Festival—the largest celebration of Filipino culture and cuisine outside of the Philippines. Perez has also spearheaded the Filipino Heritage Game series with the San Francisco Giants, Oakland Raiders, and Oakland Athletics and has served on the steering committees for the Asian Heritage Street Celebration, the San Francisco Hep B Free Campaign, and the Filipina Women’s Network. Perez is the principal and founder of Creative i Studio, which specializes in innovative and impactful design solutions for marketing campaigns and corporate identity programs.
I-Hotel
In the late 1970s, nearly 200 people lived at the International Hotel (I-Hotel) on the corner of Jackson and Kearny Street. Many of them were elderly Filipino immigrants. After a decade of court battles and street protests over the owner’s plans to replace the building with a parking garage, the tenants found themselves at the heart of an eviction controversy that made the site a landmark for the city’s Asian American community. Among the young Filipino leaders fighting against the eviction were Emil DeGuzman, Estella Habal, Bill Sorro, and Al Robles. The struggle against the evictions involved not only Filipinos but other Asian Americans, African Americans, Mexican Americans, student activists, religious groups, and LGBTQ activists. Many activists viewed the fight to save the I-Hotel as a fight to save the last remaining piece of Manilatown from encroaching urban development. On August 4, 1977, over 3,000 people fought unsuccessfully to prevent the eviction of about 50 remaining elderly tenants against hundreds of club-wielding police officers. After decades of organizing efforts by tenants and community organizations, the I-Hotel was rebuilt and opened its doors in 2005 to provide 104 units of low-income housing.
Bayanihan Equity Center
The Bayanihan Equity Center (BEC) provides culturally responsive services to address the needs and advance the rights of marginalized communities, including low-income seniors, people with disabilities, immigrants, LGBTQ individuals, formerly incarcerated individuals, and people experiencing homelessness. Located in the SoMa district, BEC was founded in 1999 as the Veterans Equity Center in response to the influx of Filipino World War II veterans immigrating to San Francisco. Under the Immigration and Naturalization Reform Act of 1990, over 100,000 Filipino WWII veterans who served in the US Armed Forces became eligible to become US citizens. BEC was established as a one-stop-shop system of care delivery and now has served thousands of individuals through case management, counseling, legal services, health services, and affordable housing assistance.
H.E.R.
H.E.R. is a Grammy- and Academy Award-winning singer and songwriter from Vallejo, California. Born Gabriella Sarmiento Wilson to a Filipina American mother and an African American father, she credits her musician parents and diverse upbringing in the Bay Area for exposing her to a range of musical influences and informing her alternative R&B style. Now 23-years-old, H.E.R. has earned five Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year, Best New Artist, and Best R&B Album, and an Academy Award for her song “Fight for You” from the film “Judas and the Black Messiah.” Since 2018, her “Bring the Noise” foundation has provided access to high-quality music programs, top-tier artists, and mentorship in underserved communities and schools.