Documentary Film: Rise of the I-Hotel

By Erin Pangilinan
August 2005

The film, Rise of the I-Hotel , was premiered at the San Francisco Public Library, which has the only Filipino American Center containing an exhibit commemorating the I-Hotel and volumes of Filipino and Filipino American literature since 1996.

The short documentary chronicled the struggle to rebuild the New International Senior Housing complex. It documented several series of new footage since the eviction of 1970s, filling in the gap where Curtis Choy's Fall of the I-Hotel ended.

Rise focused on profiles of individual tenants interwoven with interviews with some of the directors of Manilatown Heritage Foundation, such as Emil DeGuzman, Estella Habal, Rex DeGuia, Bill Sorro, and Desu Sorro. The narratives of outspoken Wahat Tampao, beloved Felix Ayson, and motherly Luisa de la Cruz, who cooked meals for FilAm tenants, were particularly poignant. Catering to college audiences, Rise added significant information that is missing from history textbooks. It puts into context the period of the Great Depression when the manongs arrived in America in droves. In addition, it gave an excellent overview of the history and context of colonial mentality in the Philippines and the implementation of the English language in Philippine schools in contrast to the rise of the Filipino Diaspora in America.

The story is still not over, since there will be additional footage shot at the grand opening to complete the film.

"There is a community before the eviction that people don't realize kept fighting," said Caroline Cabiding, Executive Producer of Rise and advisory board member of MHF said.

Executive Producer Chester Canlas said that he learned about the I-Hotel in college, and wanted to make sure that the I-Hotel struggle was not ignored in San Francisco and American history as it was overlooked in other Asian American events around the Bay Area.

There were fundraising tables that hoped to support the cause of Manilatown's survival. Runbutans, a Manilatown Running Collective, sold red and black apparel and bags. Runbutans trains runners from Bay Area in Emeryville Marina, Crissy Field, Ocean Beach, and Golden Gate Park on a 30-week program. They have traveled to Hawaii for the Honolulu and Maui marathons annually since 2003. Each runner pledges money for Manilatown. Rex de Guia, a director of MHF, said he came up with idea because he saw that fundraisers like the Aids Walk proved to be effective. Runbutans continues to promote health, wellness, community building, and commemoration of the I-Hotel Struggle among its runners.

MHF also received a grant of $15 million from the U.S. Housing and Urban Development. The project is set to cost around $30 million. Other major donors will have their name inscribed on a space on the Legacy Wall. Watch history in the making with the Grand Opening of the new building set at Jackson and Kearny Streets on Friday August 26, 1-4PM. Donations can be sent to MHF. For more information: www.manilatown.org