In honor of Filipino-American History Month, we are proud to share space with Luna Salaver!  As the first half of the famous Jose Rizal quote goes,“Know History, Know Self,” Luna brings us home through nearly 100 years of Salaver family history in the Bay Area.

From 10 cent Taxi Dance Halls to the introduction of Tinikling in the Bay Area and the Third World Liberation Front, Luna walks us through the decades since the patriarch of the family, Canuto Salaver, first immigrated to San Francisco in the first wave of 20th century migration from the homeland and became one of the first business owners in the original Manilatown.

Her mother, Estrella’s efforts in the arts and culture scene and brother, Pat’s sacrifices for the establishment of ethnic studies at SF State laid the foundation for schools across the United States. Luna’s own advocacy work in the Bay Area Air Quality Management District mirrors her family’s legacy of activism and continues to shape our community today.

Whether it’s launching a podcast or simply sharing Merienda while pouring over old photographs with your Lola, Luna urges us to learn our history through our elders, our peers, and presents a moment of personal reflection:

How do we as a community take our ancestors’ efforts and struggles further? And no matter where you are in the world, how will you be part of the living body of collective, Filipino History?

WHAT IS BALAY KREATIVE? BALAY KREATIVE is a pop-up Filipino-American arts hub in SOMA Pilipinas, San Francisco, California. EXPLORE BALAY KREATIVE Website: www.balaykreative.com

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