Ma. Teresa Ojeda will present the geography of early Filipinos in San Francisco (1900-1940), based on data and historical documents that challenge the long-standing narrative that the community was a transient bachelor society confined to a few blocks on the edge of Chinatown. Maps show settlement patterns indicating that the majority of pioneering Filipinos resided in various neighborhoods beyond Kearny Street. Census records document pre-war family households and a second generation of Filipinos born and raised in San Francisco – long before the arrival of Filipina war brides and families following World War II. City directories also document Filipino businesses and institutions established to serve the community outside Manilatown.

Ojeda is a retired urban planner and is now indulging a passion for history and geography. She is a volunteer tour guide with the San Francisco City Guides and has led neighborhood walking and bike tours.