Ethnic Studies professor curates Filipino Centennial exhibit

SENTENARYO: 100 Years of Filipinos in Hawai‘i and Beyond opens Sept. 30 at Bishop Museum

HONOLULU - In 1906, the first group of fifteen sakadas, or contract laborers, arrived in Hawai‘i from the Philippines to work in Olaa sugar plantation on the island of Hawai‘i. A century later, Filipinos have grown to become the third largest ethnic group in the islands. In partnership with the Filipino Centennial Celebration Commission, the Filipino American Historical Society of Hawai‘i and the Ethnic Studies Department at the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa, the Bishop Museum presents SENTENARYO: 100 Years of Filipinos in Hawai‘i and Beyond. The exhibit opens on Saturday, September 30 and will be on display through November 26 in the Castle Memorial Building.

SENTENARYO, curated by Dr. Dean Alegado, professor and chair of the Ethnic Studies Department at UH Manoa, will feature the three waves of Filipino immigration: 1906 to 1934, workers recruited for the sugar and pineapple plantation; 1946 to the late 1950s, family members and workers brought in to help break the 1946 sugar strike; and 1965 to the present, those who followed after the 1965 U.S. immigration act allowing family reunification and entry of much needed professionals and technically-skilled workers.

Family and cultural traditions that exemplify Filipino values will be highlighted with photographs and artifacts from the community and the Bishop Museum collection and archives. The achievements and contributions by contemporary Filipino figures in creative and performing arts, politics, labor, health, military, sports and entrepreneurs are also included in the exhibit.

In conjunction with SENTENARYO, the Bishop Museum also features SINGGALOT (Ties That Bind) — Filipinos in America: From Colonial Subjects to Citizens. Also curated by Dr. Alegado, SINGGALOT explores the challenges and issued that confronted Filipinos in America and highlights some of their achievements. SINGGALOT was displayed at the D. Ripley Gallery at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C. in May to August 2006.

ABOUT THE BISHOP MUSEUM
With nearly 400,000 visitors each year, Bishop Museum serves as one of Hawai‘i‘s top destinations, providing hands-on educational experiences to help residents and visitors appreciated and embrace Hawai‘i‘s rich culture. By combining education, history, and culture, the Museum strives to fulfill its mission set with its founding in 1889, "to study, preserve and tell the stories of the cultures and natural history of Hawai‘i and the Pacific." Located at 1525 Bernice Street, the Museum is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $14.95 for adults; $11.95 for youth 4-12 years, plus special rates for kama‘aina, seniors and military; children under 4 years and Bishop Museum members are free. For information, call 847-3511 or visit www.bishopmuseum.org.

For more information, visit: http://www.bishopmuseum.org