April 2021 made state and national headlines not just for San Jose’s Filipina/x/o American (FilAm) community but our national and transnational diaspora.
Almost a year ago, the City of San Jose – America’s 10th largest city – celebrated the historic naming of a new park in Eastside San Jose as “Delano Manongs Park.” The historic naming came as a result of a several-months-long public input gathering process sponsored by the City of San Jose. Community members responded to three different public surveys, whereby suggested park names were submitted and eventually polled with members of the public. Delano Manongs Park (DMP) amassed the most votes each time, solidifying its name within San Jose’s robust network of 200+ different city parks.
In response to this historic occasion, a multi-generational group of FilAm students, families, and seniors started convening to prepare for the grand opening of the park AND the continued artistic and visual development of the park.
We’re still early in our organizing efforts and welcome everyone that has an interest in working deeply around cultural and artistic development in the San Jose community! In our current discussions with the City of San Jose, we believe that Delano Manongs Park will officially open to the public in May-June 2022. We will share more details as they come.
The Delano Manongs Park (DMP) Committee meets the 2nd Thursday/month from 6-7:15PM (PST). For more information, contact us at info@leadfilipino.org.
