Filipino American Community of the Pajaro Valley

A Counter-Map of Refuge

Despite racist acts and exclusionary laws, Filipinos created a home in the Pajaro Valley. They fostered a sense of belonging in the fields and labor camps, at Filipino-owned places of business and public sites of gathering, and through social organizations. Many manong started families with their white and Mexican partners, and others married Filipina women who immigrated in increasing numbers to the United States after World War II. Their children’s experiences and Filipino American identities were shaped by the places where they grew up and by their interactions with their community.

This counter-map draws on oral history interviews, archival photographs, and field research with local community members to mark some of the places that are remembered as significant within the Pajaro Valley Filipino American community. The map’s points are categorized into five themes: sites of gathering, businesses, social organizations, interracial relations, and labor. In many instances, these locations overlap with sites of racial violence enacted during the 1930 Watsonville anti-Filipino race riots. By showing the proximity of these places, this counter-map emphasizes the ways the Filipino American community reclaimed space and asserted their belonging in the Pajaro Valley.

Some points include multiple images in a gallery. Keep your eyes out for arrows on the left and right of photos to click through. You may also refer to the photo captions, which will indicate if the image is a part of a set. Explore at your leisure!