Board of Supervisors Establishes SoMa as a Filipino Cultural Heritage District

img_0942.jpg

Filipino community leaders and supporters sit outside of San Francisco's City Hall before the Board of Supervisors voted to establish a Filipino cultural heritage district in San Francisco's South of Market. Photo by Ericka Cruz Guevarra/KQED

By Ericka Cruz Guevarra, KQED News Fix

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a plan Tuesday to designate a Filipino cultural heritage district in the South of Market neighborhood that community leaders hope will not only recognize the Filipino presence there but also preserve it.

SoMa Pilipinas will encompass the historic I-Hotel, Gran Oriente, Rizal Apartments, the Iloilo Circle Building, the Bayanihan Community Cultural Center and other “cultural assets” identified by the Filipino-American Development Foundation, which spearheaded the effort. SoMa is home to 5,106 Filipinos, according to the 2010 Census data. 

Read the complete story at KQED News Fix.

Don't miss out on our newest articles, episodes and events!
Sign up for our newsletter