BYUN/I-HOTEL
MAGAZINE - THE BEAT 2001

(Sneak in ambience of streets, buses)

ON THE CORNER OF KEARNY AND JACKSON STREETS, A CHAINLINK FENCE GUARDS AN EMPTY LOT WHERE I-HOTEL USED TO BE. CHINESE RESTAURANTS FACE THE FRONT OF THE LOT - AND THE TRANSAMERICA BUILDING STANDS DAUNTINGLY BEHIND IT. SHRUBBERY CLUTTERS THE HOLE.

FILIPINO AMERICAN ACTIVIST EMIL DE GUZMAN LIVED IN THE I-HOTEL.

(Act 1, Tape#1 @ 3:38)
It was called the "red block" because of the red bricks, a red brick bldg. But it was an icon for the rest of the country, in terms of what was this whole thing of going back to the community.)

THE I-HOTEL HOUSED MANY MAW-NONGS - ELDERLY FILIPINO BACHELORS WHO CAME TO AMERICA IN THE EARLY 1900S. FOR YEARS, THEY WORKED IN THE FIELDS OF CENTRAL CALIFORNIA, HAWAII AND SEATTLE. SEGREGATION FORCED IMMIGRANTS TO CREATE THEIR OWN NEIGHBORHOODS, AND THE MANONGS FOUND A HAVEN IN MANILATOWN'S I-HOTEL.

CARMEN CHOY GREW UP A COUPLE BLOCKS FROM EYE-HOTEL. AS A CHILD OF MANILATOWN, SHE GREW UP CALLING THE TENANTS HER UNCLES.

(Act: tp1, 55:20
My fondest memory was watching them get well when I brought them food. Since my father was a cook, whenever someone was ill, he would say, here bring this food to the international hotel. Bring it to room so-and-so. Bring them pots of hot soup - which would be the vegetable soup - which we call in talagog - synagong. And then, they'd eat it - they would be so happy to receive the soup. (Once they eat it,) they would instantly feel better. That's all they needed, some tender loving care)

IN 1968, THE REAL ESTATE COMPANY WALTER SHORENSTINE BOUGHT THE I-HOTEL. THE TENANTS WERE SERVED EVICTION NOTICES. THAT'S WHEN BILL SORRO GOT INVOLVED.

(Act: tp 2:11:16
In 1969, I read in the newspaper, were some old-timers - Filipino and Chinese tenants - that were being evicted from a site called "manilatown" - where we are now standing - and I was really upset about it. It made me very mad that someone would throw them out on the street. )

SORRO, THEN A YOUNG AND FIERY ACTIVIST, MOVED INTO THE I-HOTEL TO FIGHT FOR THE MANONGS. HE AND OTHER YOUNG ASIAN AMERICANS LIKE DEGUZMAN JOINED WHAT HE CALLS "THE STRUGGLE." WORKING SIDE BY SIDE THE MANONGS, THEY FORMED THE I-HOTEL TENANTS ASSOCIATION.

SHORENSTEIN SAID IF THE TENANTS BROUGHT THE CRUMBLING HOTEL TO CODE, IT WOULD AGREE TO A LEASE. THE TENANTS STAYED FOR SEVERAL YEARS.

BUT, IN 1973, A NEW OWNER TOOK OVER THE I-HOTEL. AGAIN, THE MANONGS WERE TOLD TO MOVE OUT. THIS TIME, THE TENANTS AND THEIR SUPPORTERS RALLIED HARDER, TAKING THEIR CASE TO COURT. IN 1976, THE JUDGE'S RULING AGAINST THE TENANTS ORDERED THEIR EVICTION. BUT WITH GROWING COMMUNITY SUPPORT, THE EVICTION DATE KEPT GETTING DELAYED.

ON AUGUST 4, 1977, THE FIGHT TO KEEP I-HOTEL HIT ITS CLIMAX. (FILM CUT…WE WON'T MOVE)

CURTIS CHOY'S DOCUMENTARY, THE FALL OF THE I-HOTEL, CAPTURED THE HEATED STAND OFF BETWEEN THE SAN FRANCISCO POLICE AND MORE THAN THREE THOUSAND PROTESTERS.

CARMEN CHOY - WHO JUST GAVE BIRTH TO A SON -- WATCHED IN HORROR FROM HER TELEVISION.

(Act, tape 2,1:00:05
Oh, I was crushed. I was totally crushed. I was telling my husband, I gotta be down there! I gotta be down there! He says, you cant go down there, Carmen, because the baby. Well, I said, I'll bring him with me. )

A HUMAN BARRICADE SHIELDED THE HOTEL FROM SWAT TEAMS. THE NEXT MORNING, THE CITY HAD WON. THE TENANTS WERE LEFT HOMELESS, AND THE BUILDING, A MESS. SORRO WAS DEVASTATED.

(Act, tape 2, 22:24
It was like somebody had killed somebody in my family. It was like somebody murdered them. I saw all the tenants out here with their little belongings; the bldg was just smashed from the outside and bordered up by the security ppl. There were cops all over the place)

(STREET AMBI)
TODAY, 24 YEARS LATER, SORRO HOLDS BACK TEARS AS HE STANDS IN FRONT OF THE HOLE. BUT HE SAYS HE'S ELATED THAT A NEW GENERATION OF ACTIVISTS, HIS SONS INCLUDED, HAS RE-IGNITED HIS OWN PASSION TO KEEP THE I-HOTEL LEGACY ALIVE.

(Act, Tape 2,
38:12 - you can kill a revolutionary, but u can't kill the revolution. You can tear down the blg, but you can't take away the spirit.)

THE NEW OWNER OF THE I-HOTEL LOT -- THE KEARNY STREET HOUSING CORPORATION -- PLANS TO BUILD AFFORDABLE SENIOR HOUSING THERE NEXT YEAR.

FOR THE BEAT, I'M CHRISTINE BYUN.

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