History of Historic Filipinotown
In 2002, Historic Filipinotown’s municipal designation was achieved after a 30-year struggle to be recognized a historically and culturally important neighborhood. The City of Los Angeles Councilmember Eric Garcetti's office brought forth a Historic Filipinotown Designation Committee with a diverse coalition of community leaders, planners, professionals, and concerned citizens to develop strategies in fostering positive development. This included a new pocket park next to the country’s largest Filipino American mural (“Gintong Kasaysayan, Gintong Pamana”), Filipino-influenced crosswalk designs, streetlight banners and purple orchid trees, and a memorial in Lake Street Park for Filipino veterans of World War II.
As of 2008, one out of every four Filipino Americans make their home in Southern California, numbering over 1 million. Los Angeles County alone accounts for over 262,000 Filipinos, the most of any single county in the U.S. Historic Filipinotown has served as the historic point of entry for Filipinos since the 1960s, with its concentration of bilingual services, jobs, and family connections. Historic Filipinotown is home to Filipino-owned small businesses, including restaurants, health-related services, and social service agencies.
Key events:
1945: Filipino American Community of Los Angeles was created.
1972: Founding of Search to Involve Pilipino Americans (SIPA).
1982: Filipino American Service Group, Incorporated was established.
1985: Pilipino American Reading Room and Library (PARRAL) (now the Filipino American Library was established.
Pilipino American Network and Advocacy (PANA) was established.
1990: First Annual Festival of Philippine Arts & Culture (FPAC).
1995: Largest Filipino American mural “Gintong Kasaysayan, Gintong Pamana” (A Glorious History, A Golden Legacy) was created.
1996: People’s CORE was formed.
1997: Pilipino Workers’ Center was formed.
1998: Filipino Christian Church is designated as a cultural-historic monument by the City of Los Angeles
Justice for Filipino American Veterans (JFAV) was established.
2002: Historic Filipinotown designation by the City of Los Angeles.
2003: Historic Filipinotown Improvement Association was founded.
2004: First annual Historic Filipinotown Holiday Parol Parade.
2005: Installation of Filipino-themed stamped crosswalks demarcating Historic Filipinotown’s boundaries.
2006: Historic Filipinotown Neighborhood Council, Incorporated was established.
First annual Historic Filipinotown 5K and Festival was held.
First monument dedicated to Filipino soldiers who fought for the United States in World War II unveiled in Historic Filipinotown.
2007: Unidad Park/Beverly Union Park was opened.
2008: Historic Filipinotown Chamber of Commerce was formed.
Historic Filipinotown Rotary Club was created.
2011: My HiFi was established.
Intersection of Temple and Alvarado Streets was designated as "Remedios 'Remy' V. Geaga Square" by the City of Los Angeles.
Historic Filipinotown was designated a Preserve America Community.
As of 2008, one out of every four Filipino Americans make their home in Southern California, numbering over 1 million. Los Angeles County alone accounts for over 262,000 Filipinos, the most of any single county in the U.S. Historic Filipinotown has served as the historic point of entry for Filipinos since the 1960s, with its concentration of bilingual services, jobs, and family connections. Historic Filipinotown is home to Filipino-owned small businesses, including restaurants, health-related services, and social service agencies.
Key events:
1945: Filipino American Community of Los Angeles was created.
1972: Founding of Search to Involve Pilipino Americans (SIPA).
1982: Filipino American Service Group, Incorporated was established.
1985: Pilipino American Reading Room and Library (PARRAL) (now the Filipino American Library was established.
Pilipino American Network and Advocacy (PANA) was established.
1990: First Annual Festival of Philippine Arts & Culture (FPAC).
1995: Largest Filipino American mural “Gintong Kasaysayan, Gintong Pamana” (A Glorious History, A Golden Legacy) was created.
1996: People’s CORE was formed.
1997: Pilipino Workers’ Center was formed.
1998: Filipino Christian Church is designated as a cultural-historic monument by the City of Los Angeles
Justice for Filipino American Veterans (JFAV) was established.
2002: Historic Filipinotown designation by the City of Los Angeles.
2003: Historic Filipinotown Improvement Association was founded.
2004: First annual Historic Filipinotown Holiday Parol Parade.
2005: Installation of Filipino-themed stamped crosswalks demarcating Historic Filipinotown’s boundaries.
2006: Historic Filipinotown Neighborhood Council, Incorporated was established.
First annual Historic Filipinotown 5K and Festival was held.
First monument dedicated to Filipino soldiers who fought for the United States in World War II unveiled in Historic Filipinotown.
2007: Unidad Park/Beverly Union Park was opened.
2008: Historic Filipinotown Chamber of Commerce was formed.
Historic Filipinotown Rotary Club was created.
2011: My HiFi was established.
Intersection of Temple and Alvarado Streets was designated as "Remedios 'Remy' V. Geaga Square" by the City of Los Angeles.
Historic Filipinotown was designated a Preserve America Community.
Historic and Cultural Preservation Efforts in Historic Filipinotown
Photo by Michelle Magalong.
Since the designation of Historic Filipinotown by the City of Los Angeles in 2002, civic and business groups in the neighborhood have very worked closely with the City to preserve the neighborhood’s ethnic heritage asset and utilize its unique character to promote heritage tourism, economic development and community revitalization.
Streetscaping. Starting in 2005, one such project has been the Historic Filipinotown Streetscape Project, a collaboration of the City’s 13th Council District Office, Bureau of Street Services and the Historic Filipinotown Improvement Association. The Streetscape Project has led to the painting of decorative cross walks printed with designs drawn from traditional ethnic patterns, the planting of dozens of orchid trees and the installation of metallic medallions emblazoned with the neighborhoods identity and placed along the neighborhood’s two major thoroughfares, Temple Street and Beverly Boulevard.
Mural and Unidad (Unity) Park. In 2007, the neighborhood dedicated its newest open space project, Unidad (Unity) Park. A partnership of the City’s 13th Council District, Neighborhood Land Trust, Anna Bing Living Trust and numerous community-based organizations, the park features a playground, landscaping, a BBQ pit and a community garden. The park’s most distinctive feature is the “Gintong Kasaysayan, Gintong Pamana” (“A Glorious History, A Golden Legacy) mural. The mural was painted by Eliseo Silva in 1995 and is considered to be the largest mural in the United States dedicated to the Filipino people. It depicts highlights of 4,000 years of Filipino and 400 years of Filipino American history. Local neighborhood tours often feature the mural and park as a major landmark in Historic Filipinotown. Tour brochures provide details of the history and culture of Filipinos and Filipino Americans featured in the mural.
VALOR Memorial. In 2006, the City commissioned the first Filipino WWII Veterans Memorial in the country to be erected in Historic Filipinotown. The memorial honors the struggles, victories and patriotism of the Filipino World War II veterans. The memorial was made possible by a public-private collaboration of the City’s Community Development and Cultural Affairs Departments, Niemann Properties, Inc and the support of Search To Involve Pilipino Americans and numerous other community-based organizations.
Local community groups and non-profit organizations provide visitors with tours and written resources about the memorial’s importance. The Justice For Filipino Veterans (JFAV), an alliance of local students, youth and veterans groups, holds an annual Veterans Day march-parade. Hundreds of visitors visit the memorial during Veterans Day as the memorial acts as the starting and ending point of the annual march-parade.
Hi Fi 5K & Festival. The festival was started in 2006 by the Historic Filipinotown Neighborhood Council, Incorporated and commemorates the anniversary of the designation of Historic Filipinotown in Los Angeles. The festival features booths from local restaurants, health and social service agencies, and community organizations. Several of these booths offer cultural and historic resources about Historic Filipinotown, including information on local landmarks and the history of the neighborhood.
The festival is the first annual event to be held in Historic Filipinotown after the designation and draws in hundreds of visitors to the neighborhood to visit local historical and cultural landmarks while patronizing local small businesses. The festival is the centerpiece of several marketing strategies aimed at showcasing the neighborhood to the rest of the region, attracting visitors to its various historical and cultural resources (e.g. Filipino American mural, World War II veterans memorial) and encouraging the infusion of new capital and investment.
The festival also draws upon private and public partnerships to help organize and publicize the events. Historic Filipinotown Neighborhood Council, Incorporated works in partnership with local service agencies, community groups, and small businesses as well as with the Office of Los Angeles City Council President Eric Garcetti. The 5K and Festival was underwritten by corporate sponsors and made possible through the cooperation of the City’s Departments of Transportation, Police and Fire. Proceeds of the event benefit youth programs of LAPD and other community partners.
Tourism and local economy. The marketing of Historic Filipinotown focuses on street signage, tours, festivals, and promotional campaigns, drawing in thousands of visitors annually. These heritage assets are part of larger community economic development strategies, promoting the neighborhood’s ethno-cultural identity and ethnic enclave economy. They also promote neighborhood stability and sustainability by fostering community solidarity and self-identity.
Streetscaping. Starting in 2005, one such project has been the Historic Filipinotown Streetscape Project, a collaboration of the City’s 13th Council District Office, Bureau of Street Services and the Historic Filipinotown Improvement Association. The Streetscape Project has led to the painting of decorative cross walks printed with designs drawn from traditional ethnic patterns, the planting of dozens of orchid trees and the installation of metallic medallions emblazoned with the neighborhoods identity and placed along the neighborhood’s two major thoroughfares, Temple Street and Beverly Boulevard.
Mural and Unidad (Unity) Park. In 2007, the neighborhood dedicated its newest open space project, Unidad (Unity) Park. A partnership of the City’s 13th Council District, Neighborhood Land Trust, Anna Bing Living Trust and numerous community-based organizations, the park features a playground, landscaping, a BBQ pit and a community garden. The park’s most distinctive feature is the “Gintong Kasaysayan, Gintong Pamana” (“A Glorious History, A Golden Legacy) mural. The mural was painted by Eliseo Silva in 1995 and is considered to be the largest mural in the United States dedicated to the Filipino people. It depicts highlights of 4,000 years of Filipino and 400 years of Filipino American history. Local neighborhood tours often feature the mural and park as a major landmark in Historic Filipinotown. Tour brochures provide details of the history and culture of Filipinos and Filipino Americans featured in the mural.
VALOR Memorial. In 2006, the City commissioned the first Filipino WWII Veterans Memorial in the country to be erected in Historic Filipinotown. The memorial honors the struggles, victories and patriotism of the Filipino World War II veterans. The memorial was made possible by a public-private collaboration of the City’s Community Development and Cultural Affairs Departments, Niemann Properties, Inc and the support of Search To Involve Pilipino Americans and numerous other community-based organizations.
Local community groups and non-profit organizations provide visitors with tours and written resources about the memorial’s importance. The Justice For Filipino Veterans (JFAV), an alliance of local students, youth and veterans groups, holds an annual Veterans Day march-parade. Hundreds of visitors visit the memorial during Veterans Day as the memorial acts as the starting and ending point of the annual march-parade.
Hi Fi 5K & Festival. The festival was started in 2006 by the Historic Filipinotown Neighborhood Council, Incorporated and commemorates the anniversary of the designation of Historic Filipinotown in Los Angeles. The festival features booths from local restaurants, health and social service agencies, and community organizations. Several of these booths offer cultural and historic resources about Historic Filipinotown, including information on local landmarks and the history of the neighborhood.
The festival is the first annual event to be held in Historic Filipinotown after the designation and draws in hundreds of visitors to the neighborhood to visit local historical and cultural landmarks while patronizing local small businesses. The festival is the centerpiece of several marketing strategies aimed at showcasing the neighborhood to the rest of the region, attracting visitors to its various historical and cultural resources (e.g. Filipino American mural, World War II veterans memorial) and encouraging the infusion of new capital and investment.
The festival also draws upon private and public partnerships to help organize and publicize the events. Historic Filipinotown Neighborhood Council, Incorporated works in partnership with local service agencies, community groups, and small businesses as well as with the Office of Los Angeles City Council President Eric Garcetti. The 5K and Festival was underwritten by corporate sponsors and made possible through the cooperation of the City’s Departments of Transportation, Police and Fire. Proceeds of the event benefit youth programs of LAPD and other community partners.
Tourism and local economy. The marketing of Historic Filipinotown focuses on street signage, tours, festivals, and promotional campaigns, drawing in thousands of visitors annually. These heritage assets are part of larger community economic development strategies, promoting the neighborhood’s ethno-cultural identity and ethnic enclave economy. They also promote neighborhood stability and sustainability by fostering community solidarity and self-identity.
