How Can You Forget Me: Filipino American Stories

How Can You Forget Me: Filipino American Stories, presented by the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center, examines the overlooked history of a pioneering Filipino community in California from the 1910s through the 1970s. The exhibition centers on 26 steamer trunks discovered in 2005, with three displayed in the gallery. Preserved by the Legionarios del Trabajo, a fraternal organization that safeguarded deceased members’ belongings for their families, the trunks provide a rare glimpse into the lives of Filipino migrants who formed one of the largest Filipino populations outside the Philippines.

The exhibition features more than 50 artifacts from the trunks, along with items loaned by Filipino Americans in Stockton. These objects tell the story of the mostly male migrants who settled in south Stockton and built “Little Manila,” a vital center for Filipinos arriving in the United States. The community established families, labor unions, and mutual aid societies, while its members’ work helped expand California’s agricultural industry and created opportunities for later generations of Filipino immigrants.

When: December 23, 2025–November 28, 2027

Venue: Smithsonian National Museum of American History, 2nd Floor, West, Nicholas F. and Eugenia Taubman Gallery

Tickets: Free; no passes needed

Hours: Open daily from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; closed December 25

Location: 1300 Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC

Tour Information: Tours for students, community groups, or professional organizations may be requested by emailing APAC-Education@si.edu

Featured Materials: Twenty-six recovered steamer trunks, three of which are on display, and more than 50 artifacts from the trunks and from the Filipino American community in Stockton

Featured Image: A 1930s photograph of a Filipino man with a car, courtesy of the Filipino Agricultural Workers Collection at the National Museum of American History.