415 Years of Filipino Footsteps in America

The InterCultural Center (ICC) will host an exhibit entitled “415 Years of Filipino Footsteps in America” in the ICC Gallery in the Sonoma Student Union at Sonoma State University from Oct. 4-Nov. 1. The opening reception will be held on Monday, Oct. 14 in the ICC Gallery from 4:30-6 p.m.
The exhibition of paintings collected and cataloged by Mel Orpilla of Vallejo, includes original works from well-known Filipino artists. Whatever their reasons for coming to America, Filipinos have played an important yet unknown role in the history and culture of the United States. This exhibit will highlight some of those contributions. Through text, photographs and art, 415 years of Filipino presence in America will be told.
On October 18, 1587, the first Filipinos set foot in America in Morro Bay, CA. These Luzones Indios were members of a Spanish exploration team. Since that time, Filipinos have been arriving at our shores as laborers, seamen, sailors, students, professionals, and families and as WWII veterans.
Orpilla was born and raised in Vallejo. He is currently the Director of Youth Strategies for the City of Vallejo’s Fighting Back Partnership. He is also the Executive Director of Filipino American Social Services. Orpilla is a regular columnist for the Times-Herald writing about the Filipino and multicultural experiences in Vallejo and America. He has been on the various boards and city commissions. Orpilla has been involved with mentoring, youth development, and youth prevention programs since 1989. He has earned degrees in Journalism and Ethnic Studies. Orpilla has been a collector of Filipino Americana for over ten years and lectures at various colleges and universities on the Filipino Experience.
The other featured artist includes Ro. Ro is an emerging artist with a background in scientific research and a degree in veterinary medicine. She is one of the members of that rare breed whose left-brain and right brain functions interdigitate effortlessly. “I love the sciences but art is my passion!” A prolific and versatile artist, this year she has exhibited in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond. Her paintings are owned by patrons in America, Canada, Europe and Asia. She is an active board member of the Vallejo Artists’ Guild and Arts Benicia. A self-confessed “computer geek”, Ro also does computer graphic arts, designs web pages, slide presentations, large format posters, corporate logos and corporate identity packages.
The InterCultural Center is located in the Sonoma Student Union and is open Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. and on Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.