01/
FILIPINO
TOWN
DOES
EXIST
We are: Filipinotown, Little Manila, Pinoytown, Manilatown
By Devin Israel Cabanilla
For Seattle, Filipinotown is a new term. I brought this concept forward six years ago to the rainy city. City legislation seeking cultural preservation had the term “Manila Town” struck from inclusion in the International District. That term was long referenced by city leader Uncle Bob Santos to collectively recognize Filipino presence in our shared district. Pinoys and Pinays have shaped the Chinatown International District beyond in more than material ways. Our major cultural and social institutions were founded by us. Movements of solidarity and activism always have Filipinos in their ranks. The political, social, and collective events of Asian American Seattle have had us at the bullhorn. Filipinas and Filipinos have been protectors and advocates of district integrity and preservation as much, if not more, than the city government itself in developing the neighborhood. Because our lives have always been intersectional and collaborative with our neighbors, yet our neighborhood narrative has been overshadowed by oriental stereotypes. Recognizing Chinese and Japanese experiences in America has been easier to digest as the primary Asian Pacific American experience.
This challenging Pan-Asian ethnic dynamic was not unique in America for Filipinos. San Jose’s Pinoytown continues to have grass roots Filipino American history tours led in what is presently known as Japantown. Legislative and community efforts from other Filipino communities across the US have similarly sought civic recognition. In some places it remains a pithy shadow claim to larger Asian ethnic groups. San Francisco spent years until their gigantic Filipinx population finally created SOMA Pilipinas, a cultural district encompassing a 1.5 mile area. Los Angeles pinoys and pinays sought official recognition of their memory-laden streets and arduously created a landmark arch and outdoor mural proclaiming “Historic Filipinotown”. Similar work goes on in New York, and Watsonville to assert FilAm presence. We are forgotten, but often hidden in another place name. While watching the documentary Delano Manongs I scoffed when a Mexican American recalled in an interview that the busy Filipino part of Delano was popularly known as “Chinatown”. Our presence is constantly in the shadow of larger Orientalist stereotypes. When differentiation of ethnicities may occur, Filipinos are subsumed amongst others.
I salute you fellow Filipinx activists, historians, and cultural workers seeking to assert change in your towns and cities for promotion of your stories and inclusion.
History research is something that overwhelms my attention on a recurring basis. In the same way that maybe writing or singing fills others with passion, for myself it is discovering and linking the past. The American story of Filipinos has been a continuous melody in my life. Still, Filipinos often remain the “Forgotten Asian Americans”, as a known history book denotes us. Our accumulated historical information has yet to prevent this forgottenness. Questions arise that are cliché for those who are forgotten, almost like a song: What must we do to have others love us? What must we do to have them care? What do we need to do to be heard? At present I feel we need to do nothing more than recognize each other. Filipinos exist whether we are forgotten, ignored, or celebrated. We love ourselves, we care for everyone, we hear each other. Filipinotown exists. It is us wherever we may be a collective, or living a melody among others.
In 2017 I was working next to Seattle’s Hing Hay Park and my Vietnamese coworker ran in after lunch shouting, “Did you hear what they did to the Filipinos?” Something rang inside me like a siren to uncover what was done. Our Seattle City Council was falsely advised to remove what was written as “historic Manilatown” in a resolution related to our Chinatown-International District. This indignity was ironically in a city resolution seeking to enhance the cultural identity of our Pan-Asian Pacific community. The small textual misadvice came from an isolated pair working in the district who overrepresented themselves, but had an unintentionally big impact. Those couple of people have always wanted to claim Chinatown, as only Chinatown with no diverse or international aspects to it. This has historically been patently false for Seattle which has always been proud to claim the International District as a historically Pan-Asian haven. Yet, our district is shaped by pervasive stereotypes, orientalist bias, physical destruction, and intentional forgetting. Needless to say, I was stirred to renew our historic Filipino American presence. So I created the Seattle Filipinotown Coalition to assert that in the International District through a civic campaign, and to reverse being written off in city law.
In Seattle’s 2017 Filipinotown Coalition a petition signed by hundreds was generated, I gathered my elders, and pulled evidence from archives. We brought forth testaments both personal and factual from Filipino American luminaries who have always called the International District home. Dr. Dawn Mabalon challenged our city council by asserting the importance of Seattle as a place for Filipinos because of her grandfather’s time here. Dolores Sibonga testified that Filipinotown was real to the Seattle City Council because she lived there. Pio Decano Jr. recognized the roots of the Manong generation came from his father’s business which seeded the district with Philippine labor. And, David Della recalled memories of his family barber shop which catered to that working class clientele for decades. (If you are new to these names, these are all very important pinoys and pinoys, google them.) Eventually I decided in discussion with our group since our ongoing immigration was not just from Manila, Filipinotown would be our moniker in Seattle from then onward.
Our coalition pushed the Seattle City Council to pass Resolution 317469:
“In support of the historical contributions and consistent presence of Filipinos…relating to the Chinatown/International District… incorporating Filipino Town, and recognizing the important history and contributions of Filipino-Americans to the City of Seattle.”
What will your resolution be for your community?For other American cities they’ve claimed it was Little Manila, Manilatown, Pinoytown, or whatever handle was relevant for that community. We are from multiple towns, provinces, and islands. Our song of connectedness and comfort has echoed in similar melodies across states and counties whenever we are unsettled by indifference, injustice, and ignorance. Forgotten Filipino American communities remain unsung, and we hope you carry and improvise this melody of struggle and recognition. We will sing along with you wherever you are in our Filipinotown, because you are heard and loved by your kababyan.
DEVIN
CABANILLA
Photography by Jeriel Calamayan
he/him
Make Us Visible, Washington
Filipino American National Historical Society Asian Pacific Directors Coalition
Seattle Filipinotown Coalition
Ilocano, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Cebu, Visayas
MBA
Devin Israel Cabanilla is an advocate for inclusive history and equity in local institutions. His family is in it's 5th generation in Seattle. Devin holds an MBA from Northwest University with concentrations in International Community Development and International Business. Additionally, he is a contributing columnist with media outlets like the Seattle Globalist and the International Examiner. Devin conducts research as a public historian and is former board Secretary for Greater Seattle FANHS. He utilizes public records for research projects, genealogy, and community preservation & development efforts. He has also been on the advisory committee for projects at the Wing Luke Museum such as the Redline Heritage Trail. Devin is a frequent speaker on Asian Pacific American issues, and organizes public events around American Ethnic history and social justice topics. Some of his recent community initiatives involve passing Filipinx American US History in the Seattle Public School district, and working with King County Public Health for kicking off the Anti-Asian discrimination campaign related to Coronavirus Stigma. Pre-pandemic he hosted multiple mahjong lesson parties in the community. His spare time is consumed teaching his 5th Generation Seattle Filipino American kids how to use a Yo-Yos and Balisong butterfly knives.