San Francisco’s Filipino Cultural District seeks ways to thrive

Demand surges to recognize SF SoMa as a Filipino Cultural District | Photos from SOMA Pilipinas Filipino Cultural Heritage District/Facebook

Advocates for San Francisco’s South of Market (SoMa) neighborhood, which was officially recognized in 2016 as the city’s Filipino Cultural District, are hopeful that Filipino businesses will eventually make it thrive, a dream that was set back by the pandemic.

Filipino businesses in SF SoMa have gone through unprecedented struggles during the COVID-19 period whose major impact on restaurant closures has prompted Filipino business owners to seek ways to revitalize  the community.

SOMA Pilipinas, a driving entity behind the community’s cultural enrichment, has relayed plans to improve SF SoMa, which include the construction of a performing arts center, a SoMa gateway, an administrative hub, and a central park.

The association also seeks a future in which SF SoMa gains traction not only from Filipino residents but also with people from different backgrounds keen on experiencing the vibrant culture of the Philippines.

At 1.5 square miles, SF SoMa has long been a focal point of Filipino culture. It dates back to the Filipinos’ immigration to San Francisco during the Philippine-American War from 1899 to1902.

A glimpse into SF SoMa’s past

Filipinos have been a vital part of the city’s tapestry for over a century, and their presence deeply engraved in the city’s history.

Back in the early 1920s, Filipinos arrived in the city, filling the gap in the local labor force and bringing color to SF’s cultural diversity. Their influence expanded beyond the docks, reaching into the local community where they built businesses, social hubs, and eateries.

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As of 2020, US Census Data reports that San Francisco comprises 34.3 percent Asians with Filipinos making up 4.5 percent of the city. Thus, the Filipino neighborhood’s value as a cultural haven is not an overstatement; this makes the official designation all the more necessary.

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Community support for SF SoMa

Former Daly City Councilmember Mike Guingona, who is actively supporting the Bay Area Filipino community, said in a CBS interview, “We have traditionally called this area home for the longest time.”

As Guingona stated, “The greater idea would be to have the synchronicity of all those businesses here and to have everybody want to come here, just like you don’t have to be Chinese to come to Chinatown, you wouldn’t have to be Filipino to enjoy the culture that is the Philippines.”