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Filipino American History Month Vol: I - II - III - IV - Filipino/Filipino-American Resources in the Bay Area |
VOL. III of IV
DID YOU KNOW THAT? The International-Hotel (I-Hotel)
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Filipinos have been active in the Bay Area for many years. The International-Hotel (I-Hotel) was a low-cost residential housing unit for many Filipino-American bachelors in the Manilatown district of San Francisco built in 1907. However, the hotel was targeted for demolition in 1968. This eviction would displace many of the Filipinos living on the premises. As a result, Filipino Americans and Chinese Americans banded together to protest the eviction. The tenacity of these protesters would cause the I-Hotel situation to stay at a stand-still until 1981 when the I-Hotel was finally demolished. However, through the efforts of various community organizations a new I-Hotel was built and completed in 2005 where it now houses the Manilatown Heritage Foundation in addition to providing low-cost housing to members of the community. |
HERO SPOTLIGHT: Bill Sorro
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“I knew I wanted to be a revolutionary and change this world – and particularly for the poor.” Bill Sorro (August 13, 1939 – August 27, 2007) was a Filipino-American community leader and advocate for social justice. He was most involved in the campaign to save and later rebuild the International Hotel (I-Hotel) in Manilatown, San Francisco. He was also the Vice President of the Manila Heritage Foundation, an organization that promotes social and economic justice for Filipino-Americans. The I-Hotel, built in 1907, provided low-cost housing to approximately 10,000 to 30,000 Filipino laborers, farm workers, and domestic servants. In the 1960s, plans were made to demolish the I-Hotel; eviction notices were issued to the residents in 1968. Despite litigation and protests led by Sorro, all of the residents of the I-Hotel were dragged onto the street on the night of August 4, 1977. For the next 30 years, Sorro along with other activists of the Filipino-American community, fought for the rights of the former I-Hotel residents. In 2003, their efforts were recognized when construction on a new I-Hotel began. The new hotel opened in October 2005 and served as both a community center and apartment complex for low-income senior citizens. |