July 1 through August 30, Wednesdays and Saturdays, 12:00PM – 4:00PM, Port Stanley Schoolhouse
We are very excited to share that we will be hosting the pop-up exhibit Filipinos and Washington’s Waterfront from Maritime Washington National Heritage Area and Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS), Wednesdays and Saturdays, 12:00PM – 4:00PM, July 1 through August 30 at Port Stanley Schoolhouse.
“Filipinos and Washington’s Waterfront” uncovers personal stories that have long gone untold—stories of cannery workers, longshoremen, Navy sailors, faith leaders, and families. Lopez Island Historical Society will supplement the exhibit with a brief history of Filipino cannery workers on Lopez Island.
Through historic photographs, oral histories, and firsthand accounts, the exhibit shares the voices of Alaskeros who shipped out each spring from Seattle docks to salmon canneries, seafarers who worked aboard ferries and cruise ships, cooks who fused Filipino cuisine with Pacific Northwest seafood, and families who celebrated weddings and traditions by the water. It also showcases Filipino American leadership in labor organizing, military service, and cultural preservation along the waterfront.
“These stories have always existed, but too often they were kept in personal memory or family archives,” said Dr. Dorothy Cordova, director of FANHS and the exhibit’s lead researcher. “This history is definitely part of American history. Filipino stories are the tales of immigrants to came to America by water for many different reasons. This exhibit brings them to light—not just to honor the past, but to inspire pride and connection in future generations.”
