Day 67: Filipino Community Hall, Juneau, Alaska
📌APIA Every Day 67 - The Filipino Community Hall on South Franklin Street in downtown Juneau, Alaska has served as the organizational base for Filipino Community, Inc. (FILCOM) for over 50 years. Filipino presence in Juneau dates to the early twentieth century, when workers arrived as ore sorters at the Alaska-Juneau Gold Mine and as salmon cannery workers known as Alaskeros. Intermarriage between Filipino men and Tlingit women was common during this period, and those families formed the core of what became the organized Filipino community. Their original gathering space was a pool hall, which burned down in the 1960s. Filipino and Alaska Native community members raised funds together to acquire a replacement building on South Franklin Street. Filipino Community, Inc. was formally incorporated as a nonprofit in 1956; Tlingit wives of Filipino men were central to the fundraising effort, holding box socials and bake sales to purchase the new hall. The building was renovated in 1983 and is owned by FILCOM Inc., which also holds the community's historical assets.
The hall has functioned primarily as a space for social gatherings, cultural programming, and new-arrival support. Weekly bingo nights and holiday celebrations have been consistent programming throughout its history. During the early 2000s, Filipino Community, Inc. president Morris Carrillo oversaw the dedication of Manila Square, a nearby public space featuring a bust of Philippine national hero José Rizal. He and co-founder Ellery Lumbab also established Alitaptap, a folkloric dance troupe that reached nearly 100 performers at its peak and traveled throughout Alaska to perform, before becoming inactive in 2004. Current programming includes bingo nights, holiday gatherings, and recently resumed language and dance classes. Membership has declined in recent years, and the building requires ongoing maintenance.
In October 2023, FILCOM participated in Mga Kuwento ("the stories" in Tagalog), a history documentation project produced by KTOO public radio in partnership with the Juneau-Douglas City Museum and Filipino Community, Inc. The project included a podcast series, a museum exhibit, and a community celebration timed to Alaska's first official Filipino American History Month. Funding from the project supported new installations in the hall, including an interactive map of the Philippines and a curated display of historical objects. The hall is located on South Franklin Street in downtown Juneau.
LEARN MORE:
Filipino Community, Inc. Website
KTOO: Mga Kuwento, Ep. 3: The story behind Juneau’s Filipino Community Hall
MANA: Robert ‘Bob’ P. Paulo
Juneau Empire: Filipino Community Hall hosts hundreds at celebration
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