Remembering the CID’s Filipino landmarks

By Irfan Shariff
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

The rich heritage of Filipinos in Seattle’s Chinatown-International District (CID) took the spotlight in a special webinar on Saturday.

Panelists, many of whom lived and worked in the CID, shared personal stories and reflections, offering firsthand accounts of the vibrant Filipino community’s contributions to the district’s cultural tapestry and economic vitality.

In 2017, the Seattle City Council approved an amending resolution recognizing the contribution of Filipinos and Filipino Americans to the CID, as well as added “Filipino Town” to the list of micro-neighborhoods that comprised the CID. 

A previous resolution mentioned only Chinatown, Little Saigon, and Japantown, but not Filipino Town, Manila Town, or Little Manila as the block surrounded by South Jackson Street, Maynard Avenue South, 6th Avenue South, and South King Street was once called, possibly because there hasn’t been a strong Filipino presence there since the 1990’s.. This initial resolution was met with petitions and advocacy until council members, including now-mayor Bruce Harrell, passed the amendment.

Cynthia Mejia-Giudici, a preservation consultant on a collaboration between the Wing Luke Museum and Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS), has been charting the Filipino presence in Seattle, specifically the CID. She presented a webinar through the Wing Luke Museum that gave a glimpse into her research, with data, photos, quotes, and firsthand accounts of the Filipino experience from community members. 

Mejia-Giudici focused on five representative landmarks in the CID that served as strong community centers for Filipinos. The first of these sites opened in 1924 and the last closed in the 1980’s, proving an old and deep connection to the CID.

In 1924, the Caballeros de Dimas Alang (CDA), a fraternal order from the Philippines, opened its Burgos Lodge No. 10 at 606 South Weller Street. There were additional CDA lodges in Seattle and much like a secret society or masonic lodge, they had special titles and special rituals, noted Mejia-Giudici. The CDA lodges across the United States provided mutual help to the Filipino communities and also helped enlist young Filipino Americans into World War II. The CDA dissolved in 2018.

Members of the Caballeros de Dimas Alang Burgos Lodge No. 10 which was located at 606 South Weller Street. (Photo courtesy of The Wing Luke Museum)

The Filipino Social and Improvement Club at 515 Maynard Avenue South was a staple of the Filipino community in the CID. It was also a reputed gambling house. Adolpho Ventura “Rudy” Santos operated the club from 1942 to 1970. This was not only a gambling club, but where patrons could enjoy a hot meal and time to relax and socialize. 

According to Mejia-Giudici’s research, the CID boasted over 30 barbershops by the 1940s. Twelve of these were Filipino-run. Florencia Della ran the Liberty Barbershop at 506 Maynard Avenue South from 1946 to the 1980s. Many of these barbershops were places to meet their friends who spoke the same Philippine dialect  and exchange stories from “back home.”

Dorothy Cordova, another community member who presented in the webinar, was quoted in the research. “Chinatown was a place where many of the old men in their younger days went for haircuts and to hear the most recent gossip in the community—then play cards in the backrooms.”

Sarah and Freddie Martinez opened the Manila Cafe at 616 South King Street in 1953. The restaurant operated for 58 years in the same family for three generations in five different locations. Two other notable restaurants were the  Philippine Cafe 1933-1937, operated by Bibiana Laigo, the mother of Dorothy Cordova. And the Estigoy Cafe 1939-1957, run by Mary and Victor Estigoy, the parents of former Seattle Council member, Dolores Sibonga.

Manila Cafe (Photo courtesy of The Wing Luke Museum)

Before Little Divisoria opened in 1973, Mejia-Giudici remembers Filipino families buying their Filipino foods and products from as far as Vancouver, B.C. Little Divisoria claimed to be the first Filipino store in Seattle. Wa Sang grocery store on South King Street was a popular alternative for some products but primarily catered to the Chinese population.

Bengie Santos, who presented at the webinar, remembers working at her father’s store and his keen business acumen, like handing out business cards to newly-arrived Filipino immigrants at SeaTac airport and heavily discounting products to retain business.

Other community speakers included Pio de Cano, Jr., whose father was a GrandMaster  of the Burgos Lodge No. 10.. DeCano, Jr.  shared many stories and memories which Mejia-Giudici drew from for her report. Feda Sumulong, another presenter, spoke fondly about her uncle, Rudy Santos and his contributions to the Filipino community.

Mejia-Giudici notes that the first Filipino arrived on what would become the continental U.S. as early as 1587, with the first Filipino settlement in 1763. When Spain ceded the Philippines to the U.S., Filipinos were recognized as nationals with the ability to travel freely to the United States and receive higher education. 

It is uncertain how many Filipinos were in the U.S. until 1930, when the census added them as a distinct category. By then, there were 3,480 Filipinos in Washington state, the overwhelming majority of which were male and most likely transient laborers.

As soon as two years after Filipino Town was re-recognized as a community in the CID, Filipino-run business started returning. Hood Famous opened its doors in 2019 and serves Filipino pastries, all-day breakfast, and rice bowls. Biom, a studio that focuses on sound, plant, and light therapy, A Resting Place, a community space focusing on grief and loss, and the restaurant Kilig opened in 2023.

“These are just four businesses that are repaving the way for future events. I am hopeful and expect more good things to come,” said Mejia-Giudici.

“Preparing this refueled my passion to share Filipino American history,” said Mejia-Giudici, who documented many more sites throughout the CID and Seattle based on previous research done by Dr. Fred Cordova, founding president of FANHS, as early as 1972,1, and Maria Batayola and the Seattle University students’ work in 2020. A preservation grant from 4Culture helped fund the project. 

Mejia-Giudici has served as a FANHS national  trustee and president of the Seattle chapter of FANHS and is the author of the  “I am Filipino” exhibit at the Wing Luke. A recording of the webinar will be available on the Wing Luke Museum’s YouTube channel.