The Filipino American Center at 100 Larkin: A Sanctuary of Story, Spirit, and Memory (Special Series 4 of 5)
By Emmanuel Rivera, RRT
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 04 Oct 2025
San Francisco has always been a city of interesting stories. At 100 Larkin Street — where the Main Library rises across from City Hall — you step into a place where those stories are not only stored, but stirred back to life. On the third floor, tucked among the stacks and sunlight, the Filipino American Center offers more than shelves of books; it is a gathering place, a keeper of memory… and a stage for the voices of a community that has long made its mark in the city.
I used to visit the old San Francisco Public Library building — the one now transformed into the Asian Art Museum. In those days, I often feared (which really meant respected) the librarians. They were stewards of history, guardians of order — and, in my case, the all-too-frequent collectors of my late fees on overdue books. My restless nature didn’t help; I had a habit of spreading too many personal items across the reading tables, which sometimes drew stern looks and scolding from the librarians who kept watch in the room. I lingered in quiet rooms near closing time… and wandered the aisles as if searching for something I couldn’t quite name. Those days shaped me, and left me with a lasting respect for librarians who never stood in the way of curiosity — a tradition carried forward today at the Filipino American Center and the SFPL History Center, for which I remain grateful.
The Main Library has long been an institution I revere; the Filipino American Center, within its walls, is one I’ve come to treasure. I was fortunate enough to visit some of the great libraries — and San Francisco belongs in their company. In London, the British Library dazzles with manuscripts that span centuries. In Manila, the Philippine National Library faces Rizal Park and Manila Bay — the salt air drifting through open windows, mingling with the pages of history.
And here too, within the Filipino American Center, the chronicles of a people are preserved with equal care and pride — alongside our own small but growing collection, kept with a reverent focus on boxing, a sport Filipinos have long made their own.
At the SFPL History Center at the sixth floor — under the guidance of Christina Moretta and Lisa Palella — rare photographs showed Filipinos of earlier days that spoke to the history of boxing. These finds were more than relics of a sport; they were traces of a journey… whispers of how Filipinos carried their pride into the squared circle and, in doing so, into the broader story of San Francisco.
The Filipino American Center was founded as part of SFPL’s International Center, created to spotlight the Filipino American experience. Its shelves contain books in English, Filipino, and the many dialects of the islands. Fiction, poetry, history, cultural works — all sit side by side. Each odds and ends is more than paper and ink; you know, it is proof that the Filipino story belongs here, woven into San Francisco’s identity. More than a collection, it is also a place of gathering… where memory is brought into the present. In a city where Filipino Americans have marched in labor struggles, carved their names into boxing rings, and built neighborhoods, the Center stands as both witness… and guide.
The heart of the Filipino American Center shines most clearly through the work of two remarkable individuals.
Jaena Rae Cabrera (Photo courtesy of Andre Canta/Mahalaya.
Jaena Rae Cabrera, Program Manager, brings both a journalist’s curiosity and a librarian’s vision. With degrees from San Francisco State University and Syracuse, she has shaped programs that carry history off the shelves — and into the plaza. Beyond San Francisco, she has led on national stages: co-director of the Filipino American International Book Festival; president of the Asian Pacific American Librarians Association. Cabrera has a rare gift: she makes every gathering feel like a homecoming… blending scholarship with celebration, and ensuring that history is not just remembered, but experienced.
Melissa-Ann Reyes, Librarian, is the Center’s guiding light. With a curator’s eye, she safeguards the collection — making sure its odds and ends remain within reach. Her work has been essential in preparing for Bangon Kabayan: Pistahan sa Fulton; shaping archival material into a celebration that feels rooted in history, alive with today’s rhythm. Reyes is the one who makes certain that what belongs to the community… stays with the community. Together, Cabrera and Reyes show why librarians matter. They are not simply keepers and guardians of knowledge and memory; they are guides across generations — bridge-builders between past and present.
Their work comes fully into view in Bangon Kabayan: Pistahan sa Fulton, a Filipino American History Month celebration that turns the Fulton Plaza Steps into a neighborhood fiesta. The name means “Rise up, my countrymen,” and on October 11, the plaza between the Library and the Asian Art Museum will come alive. The afternoon begins with martial arts and boxing demonstrations — led by Master Danovis “Dee” Pooler and the Philippine Boxing Historical Society and Hall of Fame — honoring fighters who once crossed the Pacific to test themselves in San Francisco rings. Then the LIKHA Pilipino Folk Ensemble takes the stage with dances drawn from town fiestas; afterward, musical artist Power Struggle follows, his verses weaving migration and resilience into music for today.
Around the plaza, the SOMA Pilipinas Jeepney will stand as a cultural landmark; Los Kuyas will serve their signature Fil-Mex dishes; artisans will spread out with crafts and goods that reflect the creativity of a people. All of this — carefully organized by Cabrera and Reyes — is both joyful and reverent, a celebration of community at the very heart of the city.
The Filipino American Center reminds us that libraries are not simply places of silence, but of sharing. They hold keepsakes for those who seek them: a manuscript in London… the scent of Manila Bay in the pages of a book… or a long-forgotten photograph tucked into the archives of San Francisco Public Library.
For the upcoming barrio fiesta, the Philippine Boxing Historical Society and Hall of Fame adds its voice with a small contribution. A few paintings and photographs of the greatest boxers made in the Philippines will be brought out for all to see. It is called Boxiana — a humble offering, shared in gratitude and remembrance. On a fine October 11 afternoon, all are invited to stop by… swap stories… and retell each other’s favorite boxing moments. Just a glimpse of what we safeguard — enough, after all, to show why such memories are worth keeping for the generations still to come.
On October 11, when music, dance, and history fill the Fulton Plaza Steps, the feeling will be much like that found in the great libraries of the world: the wonder of discovery, the joy of stumbling upon something precious. Only this time, the treasure will not be hidden in a stack or a file — it will be out in the open… alive, celebrated, and shared with everyone.
In the Filipino American Center, in the History Center, and out on the Fulton Steps, San Francisco continues to do what it has always done best: showcase interesting stories.
Save the date:
&bull: Event: Bangon, Kabayan: Pistahan sa Fulton
&bull: http://m.philboxing.com/news/story-175049.html
&bull: Date & time: Saturday, October 11, 2025 (12:00 - 5:00 p.m.)
&bull: Location: Fulton Plaza, Fulton Street Steps, 100 Larkin Street, San Francisco, California, 94102 (between the Main Library and the Asian Art Museum, near Civic Center BART Station and the U.N. Plaza)
&bull: Contact Information: Telephone, 415-557-4400; email: filam@sfpl.org
Admission: Free
Notes of Appreciation
This is the fourth story in a five-part series highlighting Bangon, Kabayan: Pistahan sa Fulton.
We thank the San Francisco Public Library and the leaders of the Filipino American Center, Jaena Rae Cabrera and Melissa-Ann Reyes; their vision and support brought this celebration to life. May the spirit of Filipino boxing shine once more in the city that lifted our forefathers who once ruled the squared circle.
In that spirit we say again: Rise up, my countrymen.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Emmanuel Rivera, RRT.
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