Filipino-American Heritage Symposium, May 2nd - May 4th

In honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage month, this free, three-day symposium celebrates the Filipino American experience, in conjunction with the exhibit, Through My Father’s Eyes: The Filipino American Photographs of Ricardo Ocreto Alvarado, on view at the Global Museum at SF State. Join community members, scholars and performers who explore themes such as legacy, diaspora and community through a series of activities presented live at the Global Museum.

Space is limited and RSVP is recommended.

Schedule:

Thursday, May 2, 5:30pm-7:30pm

Preserving Legacy and Community History, A Panel Discussion

Inspired by the photographs of Ricardo Ocreto Alvarado, this community panel discussion explores themes of legacy, diaspora and community history, and the importance of organizations like The Alvarado Project upon museums, libraries and archives in creating meaningful ties with underrepresented communities. 

Facilitated by Mark Dean Johnson, Professor Emeritus of Art at SF State, and scholar of Asian American art history. Participants include Janet Alvarado, Executive Director, The Alvarado Project, and daughter of the artist, Ricardo Ocreto Alvarado; Dr. John Calloway, nationally recognized multi-instrumentalist, lecturer in Music and director of the Afro-Cuban Ensemble at SF State; and from the Stanford University Libraries, Benjamin Lee Stone, Curator for American and British History and Associate Director of Special Collections and Anna C. Lee, Photography Curator.

Friday, May 3, 1pm-3pm

Curator Walkthrough and Anthology Reading, with Janet Alvarado, Dr. Estella Habal, and Laarni San Juan

Join us for an afternoon exploring the exhibit, Through My Father’s Eyes, anthology readings and discussion with Janet Alvarado, curator and designer, Dr. Estella Habal, activist and professor emerita of Asian American Studies and Women Studies at San Jose State, and Laarni San Juan, registered nurse, community champion, and thought leader.

Saturday, May 4, 1pm-3pm

Filipino Jam featuring Dr. John Calloway and Manny Dragon 

Help us close Through My Father’s Eyes with a celebration of music and dance in the Global Museum, featuring Dr. John Calloway and Manny Dragon.

More information about the exhibit below;

Global Museum Exhibits Rare Post-WWII Era Photographs of Filipino Americans in “Through My Father’s Eyes”

Through My Father's Eyes: The Filipino American Photographs of Ricardo Ocreto Alvarado, an exhibit offering rare insight into the emergence of the Filipino American community in postwar America, will be on view at the Global Museum at SF State, from February 24, 2024 through May 4, 2024. The collection of 50 images reflects Filipino American life in California in the 1940s and 1950s and were selected from over 3,000 negatives found by the photographer’s daughter following his death.

Ricardo Ocreto Alvarado emigrated to the United States from the Philippines in 1928. This first generation of Filipino immigrants, known as the “Manong Generation,” (“older brother” in the Ilocano language), came by the thousands to the West Coast and are considered pioneers who played a significant role in establishing the Filipino communities in America. Alvarado served in the Pacific Theater with the U.S. Army’s First Filipino regiment during World War II. When the war ended, Alvarado supported his passion for photography by working as a civilian cook at San Francisco’s Letterman Hospital in the Presidio. His poignant photographs captured day-to-day rituals and special celebrations of the Filipino American (Pinoy) community after the war, including weddings, funerals, baptisms, parties, and dances—as well as intimate family gatherings. He recorded street scenes, beauty pageants, cock fights, agricultural workers tending crops, and entrepreneurs on the job. The collection documents Filipino life and history in the U.S. and trace that community's transformation from a generation of bachelors to a society defined by family life.

When Alvardo died in 1976, he left behind a rich trove of historically significant and visually arresting images. “My father’s collection tells a million stories,” said Janet Alvarado, the Executive Director of The Alvarado Project, a nationally recognized nonprofit devoted to her father’s photos demonstrating the Filipino American cultural history. “They were colorful stories filled with vivid images of a vibrant community and a multicultural past.” In addition to the images, exhibit visitors can also view some of Alvarado’s personal effects and photography equipment.

An opening reception took place on February 24, 2024 at 1-3pm. Additional related programming includes symposium activities May 2 through May 4 in honor of Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, in collaboration with The Alvarado Project, and with support from SOMA Pilipinas.

Exhibition Support

Through My Father’s Eyes features the works of Ricardo Ocreto Alvarado and is toured by Exhibit Envoy in partnership with History San Jose and the Alvarado Project. The exhibit originally toured through the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service.

About Exhibit Envoy

Exhibit Envoy provides traveling exhibitions and professional services to museums throughout California. For more information, visit www.exhibitenvoy.org.

About The Global Museum

The Global Museum at SF State is a student-operated gallery in the Fine Arts Building featuring cultural heritage collections and programs. Hours are 11am-4pm Tuesday through Thursday during the academic year, October-May. For more information, visit www.museum.sfsu.edu.

About The Alvarado Project

The Alvarado Project, a non-profit founded in 1998, is headed by Executive Director Janet Alvarado. The Alvarado Project has an advisory board. It is a community-based volunteer organization of artists, students, and educators. The project seeks to foster multicultural understanding, strengthen the community through art, cultural programs, and collect historically significant artifacts and material about the Filipino American community. Find out more at wwww.thealvaradoproject.com

Event Venue

The Global Museum, San Francisco State University, Holloway Avenue, San Francisco, CA, USA, United States