Gunitaan ng Pagtutuwid sa Kasaysayan
Site of Reclaiming and Rectifying Herstory
April 23, 6-8PM
Dewey Monument at Union Square
Procession will begin at East Entrance of Union Square Plaza,
on corner of Geary and Stockton at 6:30PM.
About
The Dewey Monument, the large Corinthian column in the middle of Union Square, commemorates Admiral Dewey’s victory in Manila Bay, glorifying the US’ invasion and occupation of the Philippines. Built in ____ the Dewey Monument is still the preeminent monument in San Francisco, towering over visitors in Union Square, in the center of the City.
The Dewey Monument is the most visible emblem of a much larger narrative of injustice in the city’s built environment, where a telling of a people’s betrayal and occupation has been filtered through American military ‘triumph’ and paternalism while completely omitting the genocidal violence of the emerging U.S. empire and and valiant resistance of the Filipino people, including women and children.
Through dance, music and spoken word, we will interrogate these ossified symbols to reclaim space and give voice to the real history of our ancestors' resistance and the bloody birth of our nation.
On April 23, join SOMA Pilipinas - the Filipino Cultural Heritage District for an evening of remembrance, retelling, and reclamation. Artist Kim Requesto will lead a procession and performance, and artist Oscar Peñaranda will lead a performance of Balagtasan , highlighting why the US coveted the Philippines and the Filipino people’s fight against U.S. imperialism.
Gunitaan ng Pagtutuwid ng Kasaysayan will also feature excerpts from “Buffalo Soldiers in the Philippines: A Crisis of Conscience” performed by The Afro Filipino Project and Kulintang Dialect.
These artist performances are a part of the San Francisco Art’s Commission, Shaping Legacy Project to re-imagine the monuments and memorials in the Civic Art Collection, and have been preceded by community feedback gatherings with the guidance of community historian, MC Canlas, and the participation of the following organizations: Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS-SF Chapter), League of Filipino Students at San Francisco State University, Anakbayan at City College, and Malaya Movement.
This event kicks off our 10 Year Anniversary Commemoration of the formal recognition of SOMA Pilipinas Filipino Cultural Heritage District entitled MAKIBAKA: Decade of Cultural Resistance.
About the Artists
SOMA Pilipinas - Filipino Cultural Heritage District - SOMA Pilipinas Filipino Cultural Heritage District 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.
Kim Requesto (she/they) is a Philippine-born, Mission District-raised cultural worker and interdisciplinary artist specializing in photography, film, and dance. Her practice is deeply informed by 20 years of Philippine folkloric and traditional dance training, alongside nine years of field research with over 14 Indigenous communities in the Philippines.
Oscar Peñaranda is a Filipino educator, poet, short story writer, activist and former Cannery worker in South Naknek, Alaska. He is a founding member of the Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS) and has taught ethnic studies at San Francisco State University.
MC Canlas, Community Historian
The Afro Filipino Project, directed by John Calloway, is an ongoing collaboration among Afro Filipinx, African American and Filipino American artists. Formed in 2022, we collectively seek to highlight and honor the artists and art practices emanating from our respective peoples and communities, whose work, identities and commonalities have so deeply shaped our nation's artistic and cultural narrative.
Kulintang Dialect is a traditional five instrument kulintang band that performs kulintang classics mostly from the Kalanduyan line as well as Conrad Benedicto’s original compositions. Kulintang Dialect’s first album, Roots/Offshoots, is available on all platforms via Gongs Away Music. Our sophomore album, Kulintang Dialogue will debut spring 2026.