Pinoys in US to gather Jan. 28 for Historic Filipinotown celebration

Filipinos in Los Angeles, California in the United States will gather later this month to celebrate the Historic Filipinotown, which was named one of the Preserve America communities in December.   According to the Asian Journal, the event, “Preserving Historic Filipinotown: A Community Celebration,” will see the presentation of the certificate recognizing the area’s importance through Preserve America, a federal initiative that encourages community efforts to preserve cultural and natural heritage.   The celebration will be held on January 28, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Unidad Park, 1644 Beverly Boulevard in Los Angeles, and will include music, food trucks, and community tables from various Historic Filipinotown organizations, the report said. A fully-restored and operating jeepney will also be available at the event, courtesy of the Pilipino Workers’ Center, it added.   For more information, contact Michelle Magalong of My HiFi (MyHiFi90026@gmail.com); Dr. Ben Marte of the Pilipino American Network and Advocacy (bmarte80@gmail.com); or Dennis Arguelles of the Search to Involve Pilipino Americans (darguelles@esipa.org).   Historic Filipinotown   Historic Filipinotown is a newly created district in the southwest portion of Echo Park, Los Angeles, California. It was created by a resolution proposed by city council member Eric Garcetti on August 2, 2002.   Last December, US First Lady Michelle Obama named the Historic Filipinotown as one of the five new Preserve America communities, together with: * Auburn (New York) * Brookhaven (New York) * Kinderhook (New York), and * Ogdensburg (New York).   In an interview with Asian Journal, Los Angeles City Councilman Eric Garcetti said the area’s designation “is the result of the hard work of many community leaders who have brought the neighborhood’s rich and diverse history into the spotlight.”   For his part, Congressman Xavier Becerra (CA-31) said Historic Filipinotown “is a cultural hub for the Filipino American community and for many of us not of Filipino descent in Los Angeles.” - VVP, GMA News