THE Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco joined city officials and guests at the official celebration of Filipino American History Month (FAHM) in the City of San Jose, California on October 14.
In her remarks, Deputy Consul General Raquel Solano highlighted the enduring friendship between the Philippines and the United States, which has been strengthened by people-to-people ties made more robust by Filipino communities such as the one in San Jose, California. She also lauded the San Jose City Council’s unanimous approval of the renaming of a public space in the City’s District 5 as the Delano Manongs Park, which is meant to pay homage to Filipino farmworkers who arrived in the 1920s and 30s, and fought against racism, discrimination, and exploitation.
Photos courtesy of San Francisco PCG
San Jose City Mayor Sam Liccardo thanked and honored his Filipino American constituents for enriching the community in San Jose and expressed the city’s pride that they have chosen San Jose as their second home.
Dr. Angelica Cortez of Leadership, Education, Activism & Dialogue (LEAD) Filipino, Dr. Melissa-Ann Nievera-Lozano of the Filipino American National Historical Society-Santa Clara Valley (FANHS-SCV), Corazon Tomalinas, a well-respected community leader in San Jose, and Lauren Malihan of Akbayan SJSU also delivered inspiring speeches to the more than 100 people in attendance. The event also featured performances by Akbayan Cultural Dance Troupe, guitarist Anna Candari, and spoken word poet Chris Locsin.
The San Jose City Hall was lit up in Philippine national colors in recognition of the vital contribution of Filipino Americans to the City. The flag raising of the Philippine and U.S. flags culminated the event.
