International Hotel Struggle

Filipino Americans have a long history of fighting for equal rights and justice. One notable event in the Filipino American movement revolved around the International Hotel. "From 1920-35 the Filipino male population was 39,328. Legislation forbid Filipinos from owning land or setting up businesses. They were to be kept moving, remain transient. They stayed in rooming houses, hotels and labor camps. The International Hotel was one of these. 'Manilatown,' the Kearny/Jackson Street area of San Francisco, became a permanent settlement, a convenient culture contact. It was the home field workers returned to, where merchant marines lived while in port, where distant relatives and friends could be contacted, where they could enjoy the security of a common culture."

(Photo by Chris Huie)

- Manilatown Heritage Foundation, San Francisco, California