Migrante SoMa/Tenderloin: Celebrating the Community with Karaoke
The 2018 debut of Undiscovered SF features the return of one of the most popular night market activities: karaoke, hosted by longtime community activists Migrante SOMA/TL. Combining their passion for music and creative expression with a desire to bring people together and raise awareness about issues affecting the Filipinx community and beyond, Migrante perfectly encapsulates the spirit of bayanihan - the spirit of communal unity in achieving a common goal.
The SoMa/Tenderloin chapter of Migrante is part of a larger organization that includes alliances across all of Northern California. They collaborate with Migrante International based in Quezon City in the Philippines to advocate for the rights of migrants and Filipinos.
They also educate the public on immigration rights, tenants’ rights, and workers’ rights, amongst other legal issues. But Migrante’s work goes beyond advocacy and education – their karaoke fundraisers are part of a larger effort to organize around issues that affect the community in order to bring about lasting change.
“We started hosting karaoke in September of last year with Undiscovered. That first time around we wanted to use karaoke as a way to spread awareness about what was happening in Marawi with the airstrikes conducted by the Philippine Government, Mindanao under Martial Law, and the people of Marawi enduring displacement, torture, and trauma. We raised funds to send back to communities in Marawi for relief efforts to rebuild and rehabilitate their city. A month later, we did a music event to benefit the fire victims and survivors in Napa. After that, we did karaoke to benefit the tenants in the Tenderloin fighting an unfair rent increase. We organized some of the tenants to sell their kakanin and with the help of Jeepney Guys, we were able to sell them!” recalls Rupert Estanislao and Glen Jermyn Andag of Migrante SoMa/Tenderloin.
What sets Migrante’s South of Market and Tenderloin chapter apart from others is that they are working in neighborhoods whose history is deeply influenced by the Filipinx community. Home to cultural landmarks such as Bindlestiff Studio, Arkipelago Bookstore, and the Bayanihan Center, the South of Market has long been home to generations of Filipinx families who have contributed to the district’s colorful, cultural tapestry.
“I think what makes Migrante SoMa/Tenderloin unique is that we work in an area that has been a Filipino neighborhood for decades and has been fighting to stay in the neighborhood, despite the ever encroaching grip of the Financial District. Our role in this struggle as a grassroots volunteer organization is to advocate for the best interests of the community without having an agenda to fulfill, or be bound or swayed by any financial trappings that may come with redevelopment companies that want to enhance the neighborhood but may negatively impact the already existing Filipino community,” says Rupert.
Within Migrante as well as the Filipinx community at large, there is a deep understanding that change comes about when alliances are made and the community is unified. With this in mind, Migrante is already planning and looking forward to a summit of all the United States-based Migrante chapters in New York this September. This summit will mark the launch of Migrante-USA, a unified coalition of all Migrante chapters that will organize national and international campaigns advocating for the rights of Filipinos, migrants, and all underrepresented communities.
“We hope to continue to utilize this partnership and platform to bring attention to issues impacting Filipinos in the diaspora here and beyond, our kababayans back in the motherland, as well as workers and allies” says Glen.
Migrante is pushing back against the rising threat of displacement and gentrification by combining art and activism in their karaoke shows. Come prepared with your favorite karaoke song and visit Migrante at Undiscovered on July 21!
“Undiscovered and the crew behind it has highlighted the best of Filipino culture - not just in the SoMa or San Francisco but in the whole Bay Area. The night market has unified the community and has drawn the attention of politicians, up-and-coming Filipino entrepreneurs and Filipinos everywhere. Undiscovered is an event that has spawned a culture of ‘bayanihan’ in the digital age.”
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Written by Cat Jimenez
