Public Art Performance Reclaims Filipino History and Resistance Defying US Imperial Legacy at Dewey Monument in Union Square
City’s Shaping Legacy Project engages community with Free event featuring dance, music, and spoken word
Human rights group Malaya Movement in front of Dewey Monument in Union Square.
APRIL 2, 2026, SAN FRANCISCO, CA - On Thursday, April 23, from 6-8 PM, SOMA Pilipinas, the City and State recognized Filipino Cultural Heritage District, will present “Gunitaan ng Pagtutuwid ng Kasaysayan - Site of Reclaiming and Rectifying History”, a free, outdoor performance at the Dewey Monument in Union Square. The procession begins at 6:30 PM at the East Entrance of Union Square Plaza, on the corner of Geary and Stockton. This performance is part of the San Francisco Arts Commission's Shaping Legacy Project, an initiative to critically examine and re-imagine the monuments and memorials in the city's Civic Art Collection. It has been developed with guidance from community historian MC Canlas and in partnership with the Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS-SF Chapter), the League of Filipino Students at San Francisco State University, Anakbayan at City College, and the San Francisco Chapter of Malaya Movement.
“Public art is not static, nor set in stone, it reflects the values of a moment in time, and it must also evolve as our understanding deepens,” said Ralph Remington, Director of Cultural Affairs. “This public art performance invites us to engage more honesty with the legacy of the Dewey Monument, centering the voices and histories that have too often been excluded. The Arts Commission is proud to partner with SOMA Pilipinas through Shaping Legacy, to support artists and communities in re-examining our civic and public spaces and sharing more than just one side of a story of the monuments and memorials in the Civic Art Collection.”
A History of Cultural Resistance
The Dewey Monument (dedicated on May 14, 1903, by President Theodore Roosevelt), is a large Corinthian column at the center of Union Square, that commemorates Admiral Dewey's 1898 victory in Manila Bay. An event that marked the beginning of the U.S. invasion and occupation of the Philippines.
Through dance, music, and spoken word, artists and community members will reclaim the space and give voice to the history of Filipino resistance that the monument omits. Bringing together local artists and community historians to confront and interrogate one of San Francisco's most visible monuments.
Artist Kim Requesto (she/they), a Philippine-born, Mission District-raised interdisciplinary artist, will lead the opening procession and performance. Her practice draws on 20 years of Philippine folkloric and traditional dance training and nine years of field research with over 14 Indigenous communities in the Philippines.
Poet and educator Oscar Peñaranda will lead a performance of Balagtasan — a traditional Filipino spoken word debate — exploring why the U.S. coveted the Philippines and the Filipino people's fight against imperialism. Peñaranda is a founding member of the Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS) and has taught ethnic studies at San Francisco State University.
Also featured is Kulintang Dialect, a traditional five-instrument kulintang ensemble; and The Afro Filipino Project, directed by John Calloway, an ongoing collaboration among Afro Filipinx, African American, and Filipino American artists formed in 2022 to honor shared artistic and cultural histories.
“The Dewey Monument stands as a reminder of how San Francisco’s built environment has long celebrated American conquest while overlooking the Filipino lives shaped — and harmed — by that history.” shares MC Canlas, community historian. “What is missing are the stories of colonial violence, economic upheaval, and the generations of Filipinos who resisted, rebuilt, and carried their nation forward. Through community dialogue and performance, we return to this monument not to erase the past but to correct its imbalance, opening space for Filipino memory, creativity, and collective resistance to be seen and heard.”
This event also kicks off of SOMA Pilipinas' 10th Anniversary Commemoration, MAKIBAKA: Decade of Cultural Resistance, marking ten years since the Filipino Cultural Heritage District was formally recognized by the City of San Francisco in 2016.
Event Details
What: Gunitaan ng Pagtutuwid ng Kasaysayan — public art performance and procession
When: Wednesday, April 23 | 6:00–8:00 PM (Procession begins 6:30 PM)
Where: Dewey Monument, Union Square; Procession starts at East Entrance (corner of Geary & Stockton), San Francisco, CA
Admission: Free and open to the public
RSVP: somapilipinas.typeform.com/shapinglegacy
About SOMA Pilipinas – Filipino Cultural Heritage District
SOMA Pilipinas was officially recognized by the City of San Francisco in 2016. It is dedicated to preserving and promoting Filipino culture and history, supporting community artists and cultural workers, and fostering economic development through cultural arts and community partnerships.
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