70th Anniversary of the Leyte Gulf Landing at JTS Northside Community Center
/“I Shall Return!”
70th Anniversary of the Leyte Gulf Landing at JTS Northside Community Center
San Jose, CA – October 12, 2014 --- The 70th Anniversary of the Leyte Gulf Landing will be commemorated in Santa Clara County on Sunday, October 19, 2014 at JTS Northside Community Center, 488 North 6th Street, San Jose, California from 12:00 noon to 4:30 pm. Lunch starts at 12:00 noon with meal donations at $2.50 per senior and $4.50 for a non-senior guest. The ceremony will be held from 12:45 noon to 1:30 pm, with dancing up to4:30 pm. Social Dance donation is $3.00 per person. This milestone event is also a special celebration of Filipino American History Month, sponsored by the Community Child Care Council of Santa Clara County and hosted by The Alvarado Project.
To RSVP for the October 19 event, email Janet Alvarado at thealvaradoproject@yahoo.com.
ABOUT LEYTE COMMEMORATION DAY, a.k.a. SCR No. 20
On the morning of October 20, 1944, American forces landed on Red Beach in the municipality of Palo, near Leyte’s capital, Tacloban. Landing on the beachhead that day were Filipino and American leaders, notably General Douglas MacArthur, President Sergio Osmeña, and Brigadier General Carlos P. Romulo.
The invasion of the island of Leyte began the campaign for the liberation of the Philippines from the Imperial Japanese forces, fulfilling MacArthur’s promise to return to the islands more than two years earlier. The landing also marked the re-establishment of the Commonwealth Government on Philippine soil after years of government-in-exile in the United States. The Battle of Leyte lasted from October 20 to December 31, 1944, resulting in a victory for the Allied forces. The Battle of Leyte was a watershed moment in the Pacific war theatre, culminating in the end of almost three years of Japanese occupation of the Philippines.
Since the post-1965 family reunification act, many more Filipinos came to America --- and continue to immigrate. Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 20, a.k.a. Leyte Landing Commemoration Day, was filed with the California Secretary of State on August 29, 2013. Janet Alvarado, Curator of The Alvarado Project, said: “This bill officially recognizes how our freedom was gained so bravely. We will always remember the role of the U.S. Filipino 1st and 2nd Infantry Regiments in fighting to liberate the Philippines.”
ABOUT THE COLLABORATING ORGANIZATIONS
The Community Child Care Council (4Cs) of Santa Clara County is proud to serve the community of the greater Silicon Valley and has been doing so for more than 40 years. 4Cs is a 501(c) non-profit, community-based agency that provides a variety of comprehensive services and serves as the community child care link for families and child care professionals who live and work in Santa Clara County, California. 4Cs is also a provider of the Senior Wellness Program at JTS Northside Community Center, promoting healthy aging, wellness, and physical activity for older adults in the community. A Senior Nutrition Program is served Sundays through Thursdays with onsite cooking staff provided by 4Cs.http://www.4c.org/
The Alvarado Project is a non-profit founded in 1998 and is headed by Executive Director Janet Alvarado. It is a community-based volunteer organization of artists, students, educators, and an advisory board. The project seeks to foster multicultural understanding, strengthen the community through art, cultural programs, and collect historically significant artifacts and material about the Filipino American community. www.thealvaradoproject.com
FILIPINO AMERICAN HISTORY MONTH EVENTS AT THE SAN FRANCISCO MAIN LIBRARY
On Tuesday, October 28, 2014 at 6:00 pm, the San Francisco Main Library’s Koret Auditorium will be filled with the “Sounds of the City: Jazz with Melecio Magdaluyo”, a free musical performance with jazz musician Melecio Magdaluyo, John Santos, and other special guests. In Sounds of the City, original musical compositions that intimately highlights old San Francisco, will be performed by jazz musician Melecio Magdaluyo. The music, while contemporary, compliments the themes in the exhibition, “Compositions: A Filipino American Experience”, curated by Janet Alvarado, composed of historical photographs by Ricardo Ocreto Alvarado, dramatically capturing the Filipino community in and around San Francisco during the 1940s and 50s. The exhibit can be viewed in the San Francisco Main Library’s Skylight Gallery at the 6th floor until December 7.
On Saturday, November 8, 2014, at 1:00 pm, Leyte, one of the disaster areas affected by Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) on November 8, 2013, will be highlighted in a free event, “Defending Our Stories: Commemorating Our Veterans” at the San Francisco Main Library’s Latino/Hispanic Community Meeting Room, 100 Larkin Street (at Grove), 1:00 pm. “Defending Our Stories” honors courageous Filipinos who fought for the survival of families and communities on both sides of the Pacific. Meet members of the Walter Scott Price family of Tacloban, Leyte, and Mrs. Norberta Alvarado, founding member of the Leyte Association of Northern California (est. 1965).
These two events are supported by the San Francisco Arts Commission, the Alvarado Project, Friends of the San Francisco Public Library, and the Consulate General of the Philippines, San Francisco.
