Day 338: Historic Filipinotown, Los Angeles, California
📌APIA Every Day (338) - Historic Filipinotown (HiFi) in Los Angeles emerged in the post–World War II era of the 1950s, following the destruction of the city’s original Little Manila neighborhood. Filipino migration to Southern California began as early as the 1920s, spurred by the 1924 Immigration Act, which exempted Filipino workers from immigration quotas. Since then, the Filipino community has continued to grow in L.A. with HiFi serving as an important cultural district filled with Filipino restaurants, churches, and social organizations.
The initial Filipino enclave of Little Manila, centered around modern-day 1st Street and Weller Court, thrived in the city’s downtown between the 1920s and 1940s. The district presented a safe haven for local Filipino laborers who struggled with racial segregation and hostile working conditions. Eventually, urban renewal policies led to the destruction of Little Manila to make way for new freeways and a modernized city center. The displaced residents moved westward and established a new community surrounding Temple Street, the present site of Historic Filipinotown. The new district grew steadily during the 1970s and 1980s as more Filipino immigrants settled in the area, fleeing a dictatorial government in the Philippines.
During the early 21st century, various cultural monuments and street art displays were installed in Historic Filipinotown. This included the 1995 creation of the "Gintong Kasaysayan, Gintong Pamana" mural and the 2006 dedication of the nation’s only Filipino American World War II Veterans Memorial. Around the same time, however, the district also began to face issues of diminishing cultural visibility and gentrification. Despite these pressures, landmark businesses like the Tribal Cafe, organizations like the Filipino American Community of Los Angeles, and religious centers like the Filipino Christian Church (APIA Every Day 84) continued to endure.
Historic Filipinotown was officially designated a Los Angeles historic-cultural neighborhood in 2002, an occasion marked by the unveiling of a new community monument. In 2022, a decorative gateway arch was dedicated at the district's eastern entrance, reflecting renewed efforts to increase visibility of Filipino culture and identity in the area. Today, HiFi continues to celebrate the city’s Filipino heritage through annual events like the Historic Filipinotown Festival and Parade.
Written by Avneet Dhaliwal
LEARN MORE:
PBS SoCal: L.A.'s Little Manila Is Now in | Lost LA | Food & Discovery
EScholarship: A Brief History of Filipinos in Los Angeles
ACHP: Los Angeles-Historic Filipinotown, California
Cronkite News: Reviving Filipinotown to reignite the vibrant history of Filipinos in Los Angeles
LAist: Exploring The More Than 400 Years Of Filipino History In Southern California
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