Historic Filipinotown in downtown Los Angeles
Here’s a nostalgic place to tour when in Los Angeles, California…
Filipinotown, an actual district of Los Angeles, and located between Westlake and Echo Park. It was created by a resolution proposed by city council member Eric Garcetti on August 2, 2002. It’s historically one of the few places where Filipinos first settled in America and currently has one of the highest concentrations of Filipino Americans in Southern California.
What does Filipinotown offer?
There is this “Gintong Kasaysayan, Gintong Pamana” mural (above) at the Beverly Union Park created by Eliseo Art Silva. A lengthy 145’ x 25’, it depicts both history and culture of Filipinos and Filipino-Americans.
The first Filipino WWII Veterans Memorial in the nation at Lake St. Park, is a reminder for everyone that Filipinos served, and died, alongside their American counterparts in the last world war.
The Filipino American Library in North Park View has over 5,000 titles on books written by and for Filipinos, and other historic memorabilia.
Amee Enriquez of Balita wrote of her recent tour of the district, where she saw firsthand these historic sites and of course, a sampling of Filipino-American life. She writes -
“Did you know that Bernie’s Teriyaki, founded in 1977, one of L.A.’s best hole-in-the-walls, is the oldest existing Fil-Am restaurant in the area? Or that Little Ongpin, along Beverly, is reputed to have the best pancit?”
Nope, didn’t know these tidbits… Next time I’m in LA, I’ll definitely go see this place. I think I’ll feel right at home.
Tags: Filipino, Filipinotown, Los Angeles, mural, Filipino WWII veterans memorial, filipino american library, tour, district, filipino-american
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POSTED IN: General: Philippine Culture, Places to Visit, Travel and Culture
November 30th, 2007 at 11:23 am
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