San Francisco Supes Approve Filipino Heritage District In SoMa
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) – The San Francisco Board of Supervisors adopted a resolution Tuesday to establish a Filipino Cultural Heritage District in the city's South of Market neighborhood.
SoMa Pilipinas will be the name for an area bound by Second Street to the east, 11th Street to the west, Market Street to the north and Brannan Street to the south.
Plans for developing a district recognizing the contributions of the Filipino community have been in the works for more than a decade by organizations in the area such as the Filipino-American Development Foundation.
The resolution was authored and introduced by Supervisor Jane Kim and co-sponsored by Supervisors John Avalos, David Campos, Malia Cohen, Eric Mar, Aaron Peskin, Scott Weiner and Norman Yee.
"The creation of a cultural district means that anytime someone is thinking of doing something in this community, they have to think about how what they are proposing impacts the Filipino community," Supervisor David Campos said. "The Filipino community should be a part of every single issue that comes before this neighborhood."
Filipino immigrants first settled in what is now known as the city's Financial District during the 1920s and 30s, but faced displacement due to development in the area. Many relocated to SoMa and the Fillmore District, according to the FADF.
By the 1970s Filipinos were the largest ethnic group in the SoMa, which remains to be the case to this day, the FADF said.
The SoMa is home to The Bayanihan Community Center as well as Bindlestiff Studio, the first and only community-based performing venue dedicated to emerging Filipino and Filipino American artists, according to the FADF.
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