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International Hotel (I-Hotel) Reborn
By Erin Pangilinan
August 2005
This article is excerpted from a piece originally published in the Philippine News.
A sea of people filled the intersection of Jackson and Kearny Streets to toast the rebirth of International Hotel, the last piece of Manilatown to crumble as a result of unjust removal.
Manilatown was a Filipino American enclave, home to the manongs, or the seasonal agricultural laborers who worked in the Central Valley and canneries, and retired war veterans, during the 1910s to the 1970s. It covered a stretch of 10 blocks of Kearny Street from California Street to Columbus Avenue, specifically what are now the blocks of Chinatown, North Beach, and the San Francisco Financial District.
Many small Filipino-owned businesses, such as pool halls, barbershops, nightclubs, small groceries, and restaurants had flourished in Manilatown before high-rise condos, parking lots and swank coffee shops barreled their way into the area and elbowed out the small FilAm enterprises. I-Hotel, fought – and eventually lost – the steadfast struggle to stay open. Many Filipinos lost their jobs, and elders the roof over their heads. As the last standing building of Manilatown, the I-Hotel became a symbol of Asian immigrants' struggle for a place in the American landscape.
The International Senior Housing Complex will be a 15 story building covering 2,400 square feet of the original site of the I-Hotel in South of Market (SoMa), indicating the area south of Market Street and current financial district. It is set to open at 848 Kearny Street on August 26th. Like its predecessor, it will provide senior housing – all of 104 units — to low-income tenants 65 and older. The facilities are larger and offer more convenience than the old building.
The future Manilatown International Hotel Center would honor the Filipino American community and formally recognize Manilatown. It will serve as an educational and performing arts venue for Filipino culture and expression. There are also plans for the Catholic Church to develop a Chinese language school and chapel to be built on the site.
Last week, in honor of the spirit of the manongs and former tenants who were forcibly removed from the I-Hotel, artists and activists from across the Bay Area gave stirring performances for the annual eviction commemoration and candlelight vigil.
Historical Context of the I-Hotel Struggle: A Timeline
Documentary Film: The Rise of I-Hotel
Previous articles on the I-Hotel:
Performances commemorate the eviction
