"WE LIVE HERE" Utility Box Art

The public realm project titled, We Live Here, was launched on Wednesday, October 7, 2020 for Filipino American History Month with an online ribbon cutting event.

We Live Here can be experienced all over Folsom and Howard in SOMA Pilipinas as public art. Ten utility boxes are wrapped with illustrations and the Filipino alphabet designed by Bay Area artist, Mel Vera Cruz. The project aims to uplift the work of FEC Galing Bata at Bessie Carmichael Elementary School and the Filipino Education Center (est. 1969) in the South of Market (SoMa).

FEC Galing Bata teachers Shari Sarinas and Mark Belocura explains the project’s significance, “Aside from it being a learning tool, we believe that these flashcards showcase the long-lasting history and continuous presence of the Filipinos in San Francisco. The sentiment behind this project was to expose everyone, enrich the youth, engage families, and empower the community. We are excited for everyone to enjoy this art in the streets of SoMa!"

Artist Mel Vera Cruz expresses that the process to make these boxes is very collaborative. “It’s so satisfying when you make artwork that empowers a community. The intention of my work as an artist is not only to satisfy my personal artistic capacities, but to actually collaborate with communities to communicate a collective spirit. That to me is what makes this project successful.”

Lian Ladia of SOMCAN confirms the longstanding history of immigrant organizations in the SoMa. “For over a century, Filipino American organizations have been serving the BIPOC community of the SoMa. This project serves as an example of community empowerment through education. Historically, the different Filipino American organizations have been providing services that instill vital linguistically and culturally responsive services and resources in the SoMa to address the needs of immigrant and multi-racial families, and FEC Galing Bata (est. 2001) and the Filipino Education Center (est. 1969) are some examples.”

Angelica Cabande, Director of SOMCAN, shares an important fact. “In 2014, San Francisco certified Filipino as the city’s official third language. However, when we conducted an evaluation and assessment report in 2018, what we saw was Filipino language access has been unevenly delivered across city departments and agencies and not fully supported in institutions like SFUSD.”

Last September, a San Francisco Unified School District staff recommended against the Filipino Language Immersion program at Bessie Carmichael Filipino Education Center mentioning differing visions and lack of resources to continue it.

Jason Ortega, a parent, says, “I’m upset about the recommendation of SFUSD not to go through with the Filipino Dual Language Immersion at Bessie Carmichael Elementary School/FEC because I don’t understand why we have to fight for this when in high school, we have the requirement for language like Spanish. It’s not exclusion or segregation, but it’s more of inclusion. Ethnicity is identity, but not without language. Language is inclusion and access regardless of your identity. You are part of the Filipino dialogue. There should be funding, more support from administration and other people who work there to be on board with what the community needs.”

SOMCAN supports all efforts to strengthen the language component at Bessie Carmichael Elelmentary School and as we celebrate and are exposed to Filipino language, we hope to see the SFUSD to fully implement the Filipino Dual Immersion program that parents have been hoping for.