Little Manila
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Little Manila (also known as Manilatowns or Filipinotowns) is a community with a large Filipino expatriate and descendant population. Although Little Manilas are very rare, and if there is one, is pretty small. This is in part because most Filipino Americans live in diverse suburbs or in another ethnic enclave.
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[edit] California
The Golden State hosts to the largest Filipino constituency of any of the United States. About 2 million residents are of Filipino background and it is the primary destination for both Filipino immigrants and tourists.
[edit] Southern California
[edit] Los Angeles County
There are several Little Manilas in the Los Angeles area, including major ones in Artesia, Carson, Cerritos and West Covina near Los Angeles, where these areas contain middle-class Filipino American populations.
West Covina contains a small smatter of strip malls on Azusa Avenue and Amar Road, filled with tiny Filipino immigrant-owned shops and anchored by two Filipino American supermarket chains — Seafood City and Island Pacific Supemarket. Some Philippine fast food chains operate there such as Chowking (offers Filipinized Chinese food), Jollibee, Goldilock's, Red Ribbon and Pinoy Pinay. There is a short street called Manila Way, which connects two plazas together.
Los Angeles' Historic Filipinotown, Eagle Rock, and Panorama City districts contain a significant enough Filipino presence to be considered a latter-day Little Manila, where many working-class Filipino Americans reside.
Historic Filipinotown, also known as Hi-Fi or P-Town coloquially, is a district of Los Angeles, California, located between Westlake and Echo Park. Specifically, the district is bounded by the 101 Freeway to the north, Beverly Boulevard to the south, Hoover Street to the west, and Glendale Boulevard to the east, northwest of Downtown Los Angeles. It was created by a resolution proposed by city councilmember Eric Garcetti on August 2, 2002. The crosswalks in Filipinotown have been decorated with traditional Filipino basket weaving patterns.
Historic Filipinotown is historically one of the few areas where Filipinos first settled in Los Angeles during the early part of the 20th century. Many Filipino-American families began purchasing homes and establishing businesses in the area beginning from the 1940s, shifting away from the Little Tokyo area in the 1920s and the Bunker Hill area later.
In modern times, Historic Filipinotown reflects the polyglot nature of Los Angeles. While the district still has a sizable Filipino population, they are in the minority, overshadowed by a sizable Mexican and Central American population. Nevertheless, the area still has one of the highest concentrations of Filipino Americans in Southern California and still remains the cultural heart of Filipinos throughout Los Angeles. Of the 100,000 Filipinos that reside in the City of Los Angeles, an estimated 6,900 are within Historic Filipinotown.
The Historic Filipinotown Chamber of Commerce leads the effort for commercial expansion in the area. Many Filipino service organizations and institutions, such as the Remy's on Temple Art Gallery, Tribal Cafe, Pilipino Workers Center (PWC), Filipino American Community of Los Angeles (FACLA), People's CORE, Filipino American Service Group, Inc. (FASGI), and Search to Involve Pilipino Americans (SIPA), are located in Historic Filipinotown. The area is also host to many Filipino restaurants, churches, and medical clinics.
[edit] San Diego
Additionally, National City near San Diego has many Filipino residents, as does the Mira Mesa neighborhood of San Diego, often referred to as "Manila Mesa." Henceforth, Filipino-Americans form the largest Asian-American subgroup, at almost 10% of the entire San Diego population.
[edit] Northern California
Historic Little Manilas exist in San Francisco's South of Market and Excelsior districts and Stockton.
The San Francisco Manilatown slowly disappeared during the 1960s and the 1970s as Filipinos began moving into the suburbs, until all that was left was the International Hotel, which was the focus of a protracted struggle over tenants' rights and ended with a mass eviction by police in 1977. The International Hotel was demolished in 1981, the area today is now partially White and Hispanic.
By 1946, Stockton's Little Manila was home to the largest Filipino community in the US. Attracted to agricultural jobs in California's Central Valley, many young Filipino men made their homes in Stockton.
The racism and discriminatory laws that persisted until the mid sixties kept these mostly young men from pursuing the American dream of a US education, a family and higher economic status, even barring them from crossing Main Street into what was then the exclusively white northern section of the city.
In response, these Filipino American pioneers built their own community south of Main Street. They set up businesses and organizations of all kinds to meet their own needs---restaurants, hotels, grocery stores, barber shops, the Rizal Social Club, the Daguhoy Lodge, a rescue mission and many others, creating what became Stockton's Little Manila.
The Manongs (respected elder brothers), as they are affectionately called, fought for better working conditions in the fields, fair wages and equal rights, paving the way and making life easier for the generations of Filipino Americans that followed. These men organized labor unions and successfully held strikes against exploitive growers.
Filipino labor leaders like Larry Itliong, Andy Imutan, Chris Mensalvas, Ernesto Mangaoang, Carlos Bulosan and Philip Vera Cruz all worked out of Stockton at one time or another. Historic labor union meetings were held at the Mariposa Hotel on Lafayette Street. Mensalvas and Mangaoang were at the forefront of the ground-breaking asparagus strike that successfully concluded in 1939. These courageous Filipino farm workers and labor leaders are the unsung heroes behind the success of the UFW and its iconic leader Cesar Chavez.
Because of the hardships of life in America in those days, particularly during the Depression when racially motivated violence was at its peak, few women came to the US from the Philippines. This and racist anti-miscegenation laws prohibiting marriage between men of color and white women forced most of the Manongs to remain single for most if not all of their lives. A small number were able to marry white or Mexican women by eloping to neighboring states. But they did so at their peril.
During World War II, the tide of American public opinion about the Filipinos in their midst changed when Filipinos both in the Philippines and the US fought fiercely and bravely alongside Americans. Two all-Filipino regiments of the US Army were among the most highly decorated of the war. Afterwards, laws were changed and many Manongs were able to marry and bring their brides to the US, starting families late in life and producing a generation of Filipino-Americans who knew little of their fathers' courageous struggle to survive in the US until they took college classes in Filipino-American history.
In the 1950s and 60s, large sections of Little Manila were bulldozed by the city to "improve" Stockton's downtown area. A freeway and some fast food establishments displaced many Filipino homes and establishments and disrupted community life. An unprecedented Filipino-American community effort succeeded in raising money to build the Filipino Plaza, completed in 1972 and now home to once-displaced neighborhood families, some businesses and the Barrio Fiesta, an annual Filipino cultural event held in mid-August.
Today, the Little Manila Foundation [1], a Stockton-based non-profit organization, is working to reclaim and restore the last remaining buildings of the once vibrant Little Manila district. Through the efforts of the Stockton FANHS and a new generation of Filipino-American leaders such as Dr. Dawn B. Mabalon, history professor at San Francisco State University and Little Manila Executive Director and filmmaker Dillon Delvo (both the offspring of Manongs), the Mariposa Hotel, the Rizal Social Club, the Filipino Recreation Center and the entire Little Manila District was named one of the nation's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places of 2003 by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Daly City, a neighboring city of San Francisco, boasts a large Filipino constituency, 33% of the city's population.
Vallejo a city north of San Francisco also boasts having a large Filipino population, roughly 25% of the population.
Hercules a city in the Eastern part of the San Francisco Bay Area also has a large percentage of Filipinos, 25% of the total population of the city
San Jose has one of the largest Filipino communities in Northern California. According to the 2000 census, the total Filipino population of the city was at 49,825.
Union City a city east of San Francisco also has a large Filipino community and boasts many Filipino-owned businesses on all corners of the intersection of Dyer St. and Alvarado Blvd. Filipino chains such as Island Pacific, Seafood City, Golidilocks, and Chowking can all be found there
Milpitas, a city northeast of San Jose, has a sizable Filipino population.
[edit] Hawaii
Hawaii's known for its unique demographic structure, in which it does not have a specific majority group. The Filipino-American community make up about 23% of the state's entire population and is only second their Japanese-American counterparts. Its geographic confines contain as many as 275,000 Filipinos (2000 Census)[2] and receives an annual amount of 4,000 new Filipino immigrants. The Filipino Americans are also responsible for making Hawaii the most dense Roman Catholic state in the Union.
The Filipino Community Center is the largest Filipino establishment of any kind in the United States. It is currently celebrating the Filipino Centennial, which commemorates 100 years of Filipino immigration and contributions to the state [3].
[edit] Guam
Guam's Filipino community also has a large percentage in the population, which is said to compromise about 26 percent. Besides the indigenous Chamorro population, they are the 2nd largest ethnic group on the island. Large populations of the Filipino communities are concentrated mostly in the Dededo, Yigo and Agat villages.
Although Guam has no official Little Manila, the Dededo and Harmon location is outlined with Filipino restaurants, barbecue stands, swap meets, karaoke bars, lounges and other filipino owned business establishments.
Guam has its share of Filipino lawmakers, whether they come of full blooded to half blooded, from the Espaldons to the Lamorenas, You will find a politician who has family ties to a Filipino. When election time comes around, politicians always try to get the Filipino vote in order to gain the upper hand as they are one of the largest voters on island.
Filipinos have been a major influence to Guam's history and culture. They have mixed with the indigenous population from the time of the Spanish occupation, Manila trade galleons, and up to this present day. Today, it is known through historical facts and studies that the majority of the native population(Chamorro) have Filipino ancestry somewhere along the line.
[edit] New York
New York City's population is 1.8% Filipino. A few Filipino enclaves exist in New York City. New York State's cumulative Filipino population is said to be at 220,000.
[edit] Queens
In the borough of Queens, many Filipino businesses have sprung up in the past decade. Queens is home to 98,000 Filipinos and Filipino-Americans and has the largest Filipino population among the five boroughs. The Filipino-American community is also the fourth largest Asian-American subgroup in the borough and makes up about 4.2% of the entire population of Queens. Tagalog is also one of the ten most spoken languages in the borough.
Woodside is known for its concentration of Filipinos. Of the 85,000 residents of Woodside, about 13,000 are of Filipino background. Along the 7 line, known colloquially as the "International Express," the 69th Street station serves as the gateway to Queens' Little Manila. As usual, Filipino restaurants dominate the area, as well as several freight and remittance centers scattered throughout the neighborhood. Other Filipino-owned businesses including professional services (medical, dental, optical), driving schools, beauty salons, immigration services, and video rental places providing the latest movies from the Philippines dot the community. Restaurants such as Ihawan, Perlas ng Silangan, Renee's Kitchenette, and Krystal's, are the most popular ones, while Philippine remittance and shipping centers such as Johnny Air Cargo, FRS, Philippine National Bank, and Metrobank are also there to serve the thriving Filipino-American community.
The Benigno Aquino Triangle is located at 184th Place south of Hillside Avenue, is in Hollis. It is in commemoration of the assassinated Philippine oppositionist senator. The Philippine-American Center that is hosted by the Filipino American Human Services, Inc. is located in Hillside Avenue. This area is now known to have a growing Filipino community and many Filipino businesses have started to open such as medical centers, Filipino stores and video rental places, remittance centers, beauty salons, restaurants, etc.
Other neighborhoods with concentrations of Filipinos in New York City include Canarsie in Brooklyn; Astoria, Jamaica, Elmhurst, Hollis, and Queens Village in Queens.
[edit] Manhattan
There is a small Little Manila district on First Avenue between 11th and 15th Streets in Manhattan. It contains a number of Filipino-owned restaurants, groceries, and freight services (balikbayan). This area came about due to a large number of Filipinos in medical professions, mostly nurses and doctors, work on the whereabouts of the area. Aside from this location, Filipino restaurants, stores and services have been sprawling throughout Manhattan. A high-end famous Filipino restaurant in Manhattan would probably be Cendrillon, located at Mercer Street, while Elvie's Turo-Turo is the most popular when it comes to affordability and taste.
The Philippine Consulate of New York has a multipurpose, aside from its governmental duties and functions, it also caters to many events of the Filipino-American community and even has a school called Paaralan sa Konsulado, which teaches new-generation Filipino-Americans about their culture and language. It is known just as the Philippine Center instead of the consulate. The Philippine Center's newly-renovated large edifice is situated in Fifth Avenue in Manhattan and is open to the public on business days and closed on Philippine and American holidays. The building itself is considered as the largest foreign consulate on the strip of the avenue.
New York City also hosts the annual Philippine Independence Day Parade along Madison Avenue on the first Sunday of June. It is also said to be one of the largest parades of any kind in the city and the largest Philippine celebration in the United States. This celebration is a combination of a parade and a street fair. Madison Avenue bursts on this day with Filipino culture, colors and people and is attended by many important political figures, entertainers, civic groups, etc. Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Senator Charles Schumer are devout attendees of this annual parade.
The Archdiocese of New York designated a chapel named after the first Filipino Saint Lorenzo Ruiz de Manila for the Filipino Apostolate. Officially designated as the "Church of Filipinos," or the San Lorenzo Ruiz Chapel [4] is the first in the United States and only the second in the world dedicated as such.
[edit] Brooklyn
A Little Manila could be seen in Canarsie that has Filipino stores, rental places, and restaurants. This is located around Avenue L and its surrounding areas.
[edit] Staten Island
Staten Island is home to 12,000 Filipinos and they are the third largest immigrant group to this borough. Despite the distinguishable population, there is no definite place for a Little Manila. Rather, these Filipino establishments are scattered all over the island, with concentration in the northern part of Staten Island.
[edit] New Jersey
New Jersey is home to a significant Filipino population, numbering at more than 100,000 statewide, according to the 2000 U.S. Census. This number may be closing in to the 200,000 level, in 2006, due to a high birth rate among Filipino-Americans and a significant amount of 8,000 Filipino immigrants annually. While Filipinos can be found across the state, the commercial districts catering to the Filipino community are found mostly in the state's urban areas. State and local governments in the Garden State have significant number of employees of Filipino background and they play a vital role in the state's affairs, issues, and commerce.
Filipino enclaves exist in Bergenfield, Passaic, Union City and Elizabeth.
The Meadowlands Exposition Center in Secaucus hosts the annual Philippine Fiesta, a cultural event that draws Filipinos and non-Filipinos alike from across the New York metropolitan area. The event takes place at the end of August.
In 2006, a Red Ribbon pastry shop, one of the Philippines' most famous food chains, opened its first branch on the East Coast in the Garden State [5]
[edit] Jersey City
Jersey City has a thriving Filipino community, which is the largest Asian-American subgroup in the city. 7% of Jersey City's population is Filipino. Newark Avenue's strip of Filipino culture and commerce dwarfs that of New York. A variety of Filipino restaurants, shippers and freighters, doctors' officers, bakeries, stores, and even an office of The Filipino Channel made Newark Avenue their home. A park and statue dedicated to Jose P. Rizal, the national hero of the Philippines, exists in downtown Jersey City.
Manila Avenue in downtown Jersey City was named for the Philippine city because of the many Filipinos who built their homes on this street during the 1970s. A memorial, dedicated to the Filipino-American veterans of the Vietnam War, was built in a small square on Manila Avenue. In Jersey City, Filipinos are also concentrated around West Side Avenue.
Jersey City is the host of the annual Philippine-American Friendship Day Parade, an event that occurs yearly in June, on its last Sunday. The City Hall of Jersey City raises the Philippine flag in correlation to this event and as a tribute to the contributions of the Filipino community.
[edit] Washington
Washington's population is 4% Filipino, or 252,000, making the Filipino-American community the largest Asian-American subgroup and the sixth largest reported single ancestry in the state.
Seattle has many Filipino enclaves, especially in the southern part of the city. The community even established its own Filipino Community Center that serves to a number of Filipino-American events and as well as creating its own civic organization. The city is also rich with Filipino-American culture, history, and commerce.
Filipino-Americans are active in the state's issues and affairs. Historically, Filipino-Americans have opposed unfairness and racial discrimination within the work force in the 1930s. When anti-miscegenation bills were introduced during this period, Filipino-Americans, along with African-American and labor communities mobilized to fight the measure. Velma Viloria, was the first Filipino-American to become a part of the state legislature. Alex Tizon and Byron Acohido of The Seattle Times won Pulitzer Prizes in 1996 for their reporting on fraud in Indian housing programs (Tizon) and on airplane safety (Acohido). Until today, Filipino-Americans in the state are well-respected due to their contributions that are remarked and renowned greatly by most of its residents.
Many of Washington's Filipino-American residents also travel to Vancouver in the neighboring country of Canada to visit their friends and relatives, while many Filipino-Canadians reciprocate this as well.
[edit] Nevada
The surge of Filipino immigration to Nevada began later than any other states. It is home to some 90,000 Filipinos, mostly living in the Clark County area. It has a Little Manila that is centered to serve the growing Filipino population and has even accommodated a Goldilock's, one of the Philippines' most popular bakeshops that also has many locations in the neighboring state of California.
It is now a focal point of Filipino tourists and immigrants and is served by Philippine Airlines, which provides easy access when travelling between the Philippines and Nevada.
[edit] Illinois
Chicago's population is 2% Filipino. Illinois is also home to more than 120,000 Filipinos. Filipinos are the largest Asian-American group in the city and the second largest in the state, short of only 1,000 people from its Asian Indian counterparts. Chicago also has its own version of Little Manilas. Many of these businesses and civic organizations are there to serve the large Filipino community.
Many Filipinos in Illinois date back when Filipino-Americans have begun moving up north from California in hopes of filling in professional occupations. Also, Chicago used to be a focus city of Philippine Airlines, that propelled Filipino immigration to Illinois. It halted its services to the Windy City during the early 90's. Nonetheless, Illinois still receives a large contingency of Filipino immigrants.
[edit] Florida
The Miami-Dade area has recently become a center of Filipino concentration. As the new base of the Philippine consulate in the State of Florida, the Filipino community flourished within the surrounding areas.
Since Florida is a primary destination for cruise ships, those who work in them are predominantly Filipino, thus making the Sunshine State as a primary destination for both Filipino tourists and migrants.
Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, Jacksonville and Tampa also contain decent Filipino enclaves.
[edit] Virginia
Virginia, home to as many as 60,000 Filipino-Americans, has Little Manilas in places such as Norfolk and Virginia Beach. These are concentrated with many Filipino stores, rental places, professional and immigration services, Filipino martial arts schools, etc. One exists on Lila Lane off of Indian River Road in Virginia Beach. Here, there is an ABS-CBN office (The Filipino Channel), Maymar Filipino Restaurant and mini-grocery store, Fil-Am Video, and a Filipino-owned seafood store, barber shop, and salon. Across the street in the Kemps River Shopping Center are Laguna Bakery, known for its fresh pandesal, and Taste of Olongapo, a Filipino restaurant which opened earlier this year.
[edit] Other States
Other Little Manilas begin to pop up in other states. Many of these states and cities that have Little Manilas are:
- Georgia (Greater Atlanta Area)
- Indiana (Fort Wayne)
- Louisiana (New Orleans; Shreveport; Baton Rouge)
- Maryland (Aspen Hill; Bethesda)
- Michigan (Metropolitan Detroit Area; Sterling Heights)
- Oregon (Portland)
- Texas (Houston; Dallas; San Antonio; Austin; Waco)
- Washington, DC
