Author: Theo Gonzalves in conversation with Emil Guillermo

Smithsonian Asian Pacific American History, Art, and Culture in 101 Objects
Friday, 8/8/2025
4:30 - 5:30
James C. Hormel LGBTQIA Center - 3rd Fl
Main Library
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100 Larkin Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
United States

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Scholar and curator Theodore S. Gonzalves will discuss his latest award-winning book, Smithsonian Asian Pacific American History, Art, and Culture in 101 Objects, with journalist and performer Emil Guillermo, paying special attention to Philippine and Filipino American artifacts. 

An audience Q&A will follow the discussion.

Dr. Theodore S. Gonzalves is a scholar of comparative cultural studies and a curator at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. A Fulbright scholar and former interim director of the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center, Theo has taught in the U.S., Spain, and the Philippines since 1991. His latest book, Smithsonian Asian Pacific American History, Art, and Culture in 101 Objects, won the Smithsonian Secretary’s Research Prize. An accomplished musician and former president of the Association for Asian American Studies, Theo currently serves on the board of the American Council of Learned Societies. He lives in Washington, D.C.

Emil Guillermo is an award-winning journalist and commentator, notable for being the first Filipino American to host a national news show, NPR's "All Things Considered." For nearly 30 years, he has written a weekly column on race, culture, and politics from a Filipino Asian American perspective, featured in ethnic media and on the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund website. His collection, Amok: Essays from an Asian American Perspective, won an American Book Award. Emil hosts “Emil Amok’s Takeout” on YouTube and “The PETA Podcast.” He also performs his “Amok Monologues” at theater festivals across North America.


Connect to engaging discussions and performances related to the Filipino American community.

Programs and workshops, book recommendations and more relating to the Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) heritage.

Weaving Stories is the Library's celebration of the many diverse histories and cultures from AANHPI communities.


This program is sponsored by Friends of the San Francisco Public Library.


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This program will be conducted in English unless otherwise noted.

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