Historic Filipinotown, Los Angeles, California
Encyclopedia
Historic Filipinotown is a newly created district of the city of Los Angeles, California,
that makes up the southwest portion of Echo Park, Los Angeles, California . It was created by a resolution proposed by city council member Eric Garcetti
Eric Garcetti
Eric Michael Garcetti is an American municipal politician. He is a member of the Los Angeles City Council. He serves as its President and represents the 13th District. He is the son of the former Los Angeles County District Attorney Gil Garcetti. He is a member of the Democratic Party.-Early...

 on August 2, 2002. To be specific, the district is bounded by the Hoover Street on the west to Glendale Boulevard on the east, Temple Street on the north, Beverly Boulevard
Beverly Boulevard
Beverly Boulevard is one of the main east-west thoroughfares in Los Angeles, California. It begins off Santa Monica Boulevard in Beverly Hills and ends on the Lucas Avenue overpass near Downtown Los Angeles to become 1st Street...

 on the southern end. This section of Echo Park has always been a puzzle, especially since it was separated from its northern portion by the US 101 Freeway in the 1950s and the southern section of the Park where the tennis courts and baseball field are located.

Historical background

From a political and community planning standpoint, Historic Filipinotown resides within the City of Los Angeles’s Thirteenth District, represented by Council member Eric Garcetti. It overlaps and is even divided by, the two larger communities of Silver Lake
Silver Lake, Los Angeles, California
Silver Lake is a hilly neighborhood in the city of Los Angeles, California east of Hollywood and northwest of Downtown Los Angeles. Silver Lake is inhabited by a wide variety of ethnic and socioeconomic groups, but it is best known as an eclectic gathering of hipsters and the creative class.The...

/Echo Park
Echo Park, Los Angeles, California
Echo Park is a hilly neighborhood in Los Angeles, California, northwest of Downtown Los Angeles and southeast of Hollywood.-History:At the end of the 19th century, when the hills were still covered with native vegetation, a horse-drawn streetcar line served the dirt road that is now Echo Park Avenue...

. It was recently created by a resolution proposed by city council member Eric Garcetti on August 2, 2002 as an effort to help continue the history of this part of the neighborhood and promote economic, civic, commercial, cultural, industrial, and educational interests and common wealth of local residents, business owners, and other stakeholders. Community plans drawn up for Historic Filipinotown also impact the community plans of Silver Lake-Echo Park and a small section of Westlake south of Beverly Blvd. As a result, Historic Filipinotown must compete with these other localities for services and benefits while avoiding any conflict with their larger community parents.

Despite the fact that there are other enclaves of Filipinos living outside this district, it was declared Historic Filipinotown since 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 the Little Tokyo area in the 1920s and the Bunker Hill
Bunker Hill, Los Angeles, California
Bunker Hill, in the downtown area of Los Angeles, California, is a short, developed hill with its peak located roughly around 3rd Street. It is located directly east of the Harbor Freeway...

 area later.

In recent times, Historic Filipinotown reflects the polyglot nature of Los Angeles. While the district still has a sizable Filipino population, they are the minority, overshadowed by a sizable Mexican and Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...

n population. Nevertheless, the area still has one of the highest concentrations of Filipino Americans in Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...

 and still remains the cultural heart of Filipinos throughout Los Angeles. Of the 400,000 Filipinos that reside in Los Angeles, an estimated 10,000 live within Historic Filipinotown.

Historic Filipinotown Neighborhood Council

The Historic Filipinotown Neighborhood Council leads the effort for cultural, political, and economic development in the District. Many Filipino service organizations and institutions, such as the Filipino Christian Church (designated with cultural marker by the City of LA), Rotary Club of Historic Filipinotown (HIFIRC), the Pilipino Workers Center (PWC), Filipino American Community of Los Angeles (FACLA), Filipino American Service Group, Inc. (FASGI), Search to Involve Pilipino Americans (SIPA), Pilipino American Network and Advocacy (PANA), the Filipino American Library (FAL), and the Historic Filipinotown Chamber of Commerce (HIFICC), are located in the Historic Filipinotown. The area is also host to Filipino restaurants, churches, and hospitals and medical clinics.

The two (2) major annual events in the Historic Filipinotwn are the Annual Historic Filipinotown Festival held every first Saturday and Sunday of August, commemorating the designation of the District as the Historic Filipinotown. The Festival showcases the people and cultures of the residents of district with music, dances, food, entertainment, and health fair. A 5K run is a major attraction for participation from all the fun-loving runners everywhere.

Following Thanksgiving, the lamp-posts along Temple Street are decorated with Philippine Christmas lanterns ( Parol
Parol
Parols are ornamental star-like Christmas lanterns from the Philippines. They are traditionally made out of bamboo and paper and come in various sizes, shapes and designs; however, their star-shape façade and basic design remain dominant....

 ) as the launching of the Christmas festivities, which last until the Epiphany Celebration the following year. The Christmas Parol
Parol
Parols are ornamental star-like Christmas lanterns from the Philippines. They are traditionally made out of bamboo and paper and come in various sizes, shapes and designs; however, their star-shape façade and basic design remain dominant....

 Project was several years in the making due to City Code requirements and fundraising challenges. In 2008, Historic Filipinotown Neighborhood Council was able to raise enough funds to launch the annual event with Christmas Lantern Parade on Temple Street. The Neighborhood Council will be inviting more participants for the 2010 Christmas Parol Parade with some participants mounted on pick up trucks with their Parol from all over Southern California. Giant versions of the traditional Parol created by an entire community are called 'Ligligan Parul
Giant Lantern Festival
The Giant Lantern Festival is an annual festival held in December in the City of San Fernando in the Philippines. The festival features a competition of giant lanterns. Because of the popularity of the festival, the city has been nicknamed the "Christmas Capital of the Philippines".The first...

' with thousands of colorful lights synchronized to flicker and create various images-choreographed to bring the accompanying music to life. These wonderful lanterns originated from Pampanga
Pampanga
Pampanga is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. Its capital is the City of San Fernando, Pampanga. Pampanga is bordered by the provinces of Bataan and Zambales to the west, Tarlac and Nueva Ecija to the north, and Bulacan to the southeast...

, Philippines.

Filipino Christian Church

On May 5, 1998 the Los Angeles City Council
Los Angeles City Council
The Los Angeles City Council is the governing body of the City of Los Angeles.The Council is composed of fifteen members elected from single-member districts for four-year terms. The president of the council and the president pro tempore are chosen by the Council at the first regular meeting after...

 designated the Filipino Christian Church as 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 and Craftsman architecture. Although not yet designated as Historic-Cultural landmarks, Historic Filipinotown also has the oldest established Iglesia ni Kristo Church and the earliest Filipino Catholic Church built in the USA,purchased by First Lady Aurora Quezon
Aurora Quezon
Aurora Antonia Aragón de Molina Vd.ª De Quezón , usually known simply as Aurora Quezón, and sometimes as Aurora Aragón-Quezón, was the wife of Philippine President Manuel Luis Quezón and the First Lady of the Philippines from 1935 to 1944...

 as a gift to the Filipinos in Los Angeles, the St. Columban Filipino Church on Beverly Blvd and Loma St. which also has authentic Church bells from Antipolo City, Philippines.

Gintong Kasaysayan, Gintong Pamana mural

Prior to the area being designated as Historic Filipinotown in August 2,2002, in June 24,1995 the nation's largest Filipino American mural: "Gintong Kasaysayan, Gintong Pamana (Filipino Americans: A Glorious History, A Golden legacy)", was unveiled to the public and attended by over 600 people during the dedication. The mural was featured in the Black Eyed Peas' 2003 MTV video for 'Where is the Love?
Where Is the Love?
"Where Is the Love?" is a song recorded by the American hip hop group The Black Eyed Peas for their third album, Elephunk. It is the band's first record to feature Fergie. The song features vocals from Justin Timberlake, although he is not officially credited on the single release.The single was...

'. 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 held at the Los Angeles Times headquarters in downtown LA. The mural was likewise featured in Los Angeles County Museum
Los Angeles County Museum
The Los Angeles County Museum may refer to:* Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County* Los Angeles County Museum of Art...

's 'Made in California: Art, Image and Identity 1900-200' as well as the Smithsonian Institute's travelling exhibition celebrating 100 years of Filipino migration to the USA called 'Singgalot (The Ties That Bind): From Colonial Subjects to Citizens'. The mural was painted by then 22-year old artist Eliseo Art Silva while a junior attending nearby Otis College of Art and Design
Otis College of Art and Design
Otis College of Art and Design is an art and design college in Los Angeles, California.The school's programs, accredited by WASC and National Association of Schools of Art and Design, include four-year BFA degrees in illustration, fine arts, graphic design, architecture, landscape design, interior...

. According to the artist: "...the mural encapsulates 5,000 years of Filipino and Filipino American
Filipino American
Filipino Americans are Americans of Filipino ancestry. Filipino Americans, often shortened to "Fil-Ams", or "Pinoy",Filipinos in what is now the United States were first documented in the 16th century, with small settlements beginning in the 18th century...

 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
Sarimanok
The Sarimanok is a legendary bird of the Maranao people who originate from Mindanao, a major island in the Philippines. It comes from the words "sari" and "manok." "Sari" means cloth or garment, which is generally of assorted colors...

 with significant Filipino-Americans on its wings, the farm workers on the bottom left and the youth and community on the right."

Unidad Filipinotown Park

The 150' x 35' Filipinotown mural originally faced a large community garden called the 'Candy Chuateco Community Garden,' with over 50 plots cared for by residents in the neighborhood including Filipino American WWII Veterans. Sponsored by Search to Involve Pilipino Americans (SIPA) for over 12 years, until the land was purchased from Filipina proprietor Dr. Carmencita Chuateco by the City of Los Angeles and converted into the Unidad Park through the Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust (LANLT). Dr. Carmencita Chuateco, who owns a medical clinic across the street, donated the lot for the garden after she suspended plans to develop the land. The garden is named in honor of her youngest daughter, Candy. The garden aimed to produce not only fruits and vegetables, but also cooperative relationships between youths and older residents of the community. Unidad Park's design was conceptualized by leaders and stakeholders of the Filipino community and based largely from submitted renderings by the mural artist Eliseo Silva, which includes the Philippine Bontoc/Kankana-ey  Dap-Ay communal gathering place, park features and a community garden referencing the Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras
Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras
The Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1995. This inscription has five sites: the Batad Rice Terraces, Bangaan Rice Terraces , Mayoyao Rice Terraces , Hungduan Rice Terraces and Nagacadan Rice Terraces , all in the Ifugao Province, the...

 which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as well as an entrance walkway based on the design of Filipino American Pedro Flores' Yo-yo
Yo-yo
The yo-yo in its simplest form is an object consisting of an axle connected to two disks, and a length of twine looped around the axle, similar to a slender spool...

. The park is a popular 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. It is a popular destination for visitors and residents alike for its unique inherent ability as a show-and-tell site that 'teaches'; as well as, a unique outdoor showcase of the largely invisible Filipino American
Filipino American
Filipino Americans are Americans of Filipino ancestry. Filipino Americans, often shortened to "Fil-Ams", or "Pinoy",Filipinos in what is now the United States were first documented in the 16th century, with small settlements beginning in the 18th century...

 heritage which succeeds in building bridges among the diverse communities of multicultural Los Angeles.

Hi-Fi Signage, Street Medallions (Banners) and Crosswalks

In 2007, CALTRANS with the collaboration of the Historic Filipinotown Neighborhood Council installed the Historic Filipinotwn signage along the US 101 Freeway directing traffic to the area with the Alvarado and Glendale Blvd. exits. The Historic Filipinotown signage serves as landmark for motorists driving along the US 101 freeway. The crosswalks in Filipinotown have been decorated with traditional Filipino basket-weaving patterns designed by Edwin Frederizo who also designed Hi-Fi's street banners. According to the artist: "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 (i.e.- Latino, Chinese and African American) and is fused into a very unique style all its own."

Filipino American WWII Veterans Memorial

In November, 2006 Eric Garcetti, president of the L.A. 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 Los Angeles’ 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
Cheri Gaulke is a visual artist most known for her role in the Feminist Art Movement in southern California in the 1970s and her current work on gay and lesbian families...

.

Shopping and dining

There are numerous Filipino restaurants within Historic Filipinotown. Among the establishments catering Filipino cuisine are: Salakot Sizzle and Grill Fine Dining Restaurant (Beverly Blvd near Lake St.), Bahay Kubo Natin (Temple & Park View), Kapistahan Grill (Temple & Bonnie Brae), My Mom's Bakeshop and Restaurant (Temple Street and Rampart Avenue),Nanay Gloria (Temple & Carondelet), Little Ongpin (Beverly & Union), Kuya Eddie's Greenhills (Beverly & Occidental) and Kabayan Pinoy (Beverly & Hoover). Other eateries that are Filipino-owned but serve non-Filipino fare are Tribal Cafe (Temple St. near Union Ave.) and the oldest Filipino-owned establishment in the area Bernie's Teriyaki (Glendale Blvd. near court St.)

Temple Plaza on Temple street on N. Carondolet Street includes Temple Seafood Market, Nanay Gloria's, Macapagal Optical, Gemini Video and Chez Therese. Luzon Plaza on Temple and N. Bonnie Brae Street includes SM Beauty and Cut and Kapistahan Grill. Beverly Store: Pilipino & Mexican Mini-Mart is on Beverly Blvd. near Robinson Street. Other businesses in the area includes: Pioneer (Filipino) Driving School on Beverly Blvd. near N. Reno St.,Metrobank on Beverly Blvd. near Rosemont Ave., Central Dental Care on Beverly Blvd. and N. Mountain View Ave., and Burlington School on Burlington Avenue near Court St.

Future plans for Historic Filipinotown include a permanent structure for the Filipino American Library in honor of its founder Helen Summers Brown, naming a Filipino community and cultural arts center in honor of the catalyst for the 1965 Delano Grape Strike Larry Dulay Itliong, naming a community garden after community leader/educator Uncle Roy Morales and Filipino labor leader Philip Vera Cruz
Philip Vera Cruz
Philip Vera Cruz was a Filipino American labor leader, farmworker, and leader in the Asian American civil rights movement. He was a co-founder of the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee, which later merged with the National Farm Workers Association to become the United Farm Workers...

, a section of the neighborhood to be named in honor of Mrs. Remedios Geaga and placing a larger than life size monument of Philippine national hero Jose Rizal
José Rizal
José Protacio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda , was a Filipino polymath, patriot and the most prominent advocate for reform in the Philippines during the Spanish colonial era. He is regarded as the foremost Filipino patriot and is listed as one of the national heroes of the Philippines by...

 and LA writer and novelist Carlos Bulosan
Carlos Bulosan
Also known as Julius Zafra , a Filipino, an English-language novelist and poet who spent most of his life in the United States, and is best known for the semi-autobiographical America Is in the Heart.-Life and career:Carlos Bulosan was born to Ilocano parents in...

 in front of the Filipinotown Unidad park. A gateway marker to the Historic Filipinotown along Temple Street is in the planning and design stage for presentation to the Council members and approval by Los Angeles City authorities.

Emergency services

Police service

Los Angeles Police Department
Los Angeles Police Department
The Los Angeles Police Department is the police department of the city of Los Angeles, California. With just under 10,000 officers and more than 3,000 civilian staff, covering an area of with a population of more than 4.1 million people, it is the third largest local law enforcement agency in...

 operates the Rampart Community Police Station at 1401 West 6th St., 90017, serving the neighborhood.

Education

Like the rest of the city of Los Angeles, the area is within the Los Angeles Unified School District
Los Angeles Unified School District
Los Angeles Unified School District is the largest public school system in California. It is the 2nd largest public school district in the United States. Only the New York City Department of Education has a larger student population...

.

See also

  • Los Angeles, California
    Los Angeles, California
    Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...

  • Filipino American
    Filipino American
    Filipino Americans are Americans of Filipino ancestry. Filipino Americans, often shortened to "Fil-Ams", or "Pinoy",Filipinos in what is now the United States were first documented in the 16th century, with small settlements beginning in the 18th century...

  • Little Manila
    Little Manila
    Little Manila is term that refers to a community with a large Filipino immigrant and descendant population.- California :...

  • History of Filipino Americans
    History of Filipino Americans
    Filipinos in what is now the United States were first documented in the 16th century, with small settlements beginning in the 18th century. Mass migration did not begin until the early 20th century, and for a period the History of the Philippines merged with that of the United States...


External links

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