De Guzman interviewed the day after the I-Hotel eviction (1977)
Born
San Francisco, California, U.S.
Nationality
American
Almamater
University of California, Berkeley Harvard University (MPA, 1992)
Occupation(s)
Activist, Educator
Yearsactive
1969–present
Knownfor
President of the International Hotel Tenants Association; I-Hotel eviction resistance movement
Notable work
Red Sky: Recollections of the International Hotel
Emil de Guzman is a Filipino-American activist known for his involvement in the International Hotel (I-Hotel) eviction protests that took place from 1968 to 1977, as well as his involvement in the Union of Democratic Filipinos (KDP).[1][2]
Emil de Guzman was born and raised in San Francisco, California and would often visit Manilatown with his father.[1] His family resided in the Fillmore District, but later moved to the Richmond District where he attended Catholic school.[3] De Guzman recalls that there was not a lot of Filipino people going to school with him growing up, and he often faced racism from peers. However, he felt like he could not talk to his parents about it and instead channeled his efforts into school.[3] His visits to Manilatown with his father fostered a close connection to the International Hotel and his strong efforts to resist threats made to evict the mainly elderly, Filipino residents. For high school, de Guzman attended George Washington High School in the Richmond District. In pursuit of higher education, he then went to the University of California, Berkeley.[1]
Activism and the International Hotel
Early activism
De Guzman was not involved in activism as a young teenager, but instead only realized the extent to which racism permeates society in college as he learned about Filipino-Americans such as Carlos Bulosan.[3] During his time at UC Berkeley, there were no Ethnic Studies department, and the creation of departments for Asian American Studies, Black Studies, and Chicano Studies were only established towards the end of his college career in 1969.[3]
In the late 1960s and 70s, de Guzman became deeply involved in activism, particularly concerning housing rights of low-income residents. While at Berkeley he was able to participate in community fieldwork where he and other students worked for non-profits and youth programs. This gave him a more hands-on experience where he learned about the issues people were going through in his own neighborhood.[3] De Guzman credits this work for helping him develop his passion and skills for activism with the I-Hotel.[3] He was also an advocate of the Third World Liberation Front and a student leader during the 1969 Third World Strike at Berkeley, the strike that played a pivotal role in establishing Ethnic Studies at Berkeley.[1]
The Union of Democratic Filipinos (KDP)
De Guzman played a crucial role in the Union of Democratic Filipinos (KDP) alongside Bruce Occeña.[4][5] The organization focused on political issues in the Philippines, particularly with the Ferdinand Marcos dictatorship, as well as challenges faced by Filipinos in the United States.[6] Its goal was to mobilize Filipinos based on advocacy for their rights as a minority group and bring attention to injustices happening abroad.[6]
De Guzman emerged as a key figure in the struggle to preserve the International Hotel (I-Hotel) in San Francisco; a low-income residential building in Manilatown that primarily housed elderly Filipino and Chinese residents.
In 1968, Milton Meyer & Co., a real-estate company, issued eviction notices to the I-Hotel tenants, with plans to demolish and replace the I-Hotel with a parking garage.[7] The demolition would result in the destruction of 10 blocks of low-cost housing and a variety of local Filipino businesses such as barber shops and markets.[8]
In the mid-1970s, de Guzman served as vice president of the International Hotel Tenants Association (IHTA) during the critical years leading up to the hotel's eviction in 1977.[9] His rise to leadership was largely a result of his volunteer efforts after a hotel fire in 1969, where an arson resulted in the death of 3 tenants.[10] He had additionally resided in the hotel as an on and off resident for over five years.[11] In 1975, he was the first to alert the KDP regional leadership that the hotel was in the process of being sold to the Thailand-based firm Four Seas Corporation.[6] Along with other KDP members and activists, de Guzman responded to the crisis by working with the Tenants Association.[6] Everyday a small number of tenants led by the president of the Tenants Association, Wahat Tampao, and de Guzman protested at City Hall by blocking the corridors and demanding an audience with the mayor or members of the Board of Supervisors.[6] Afterwards, they would go across the street and demand a meeting with the executive director of the Redevelopment Agency or the Housing Authority.[6]
Personal life
De Guzman grew up visiting Manilatown with his father.[1] He would not rediscover the significance of that event until his years as a student at UC Berkeley, where he and his peers sought to reclaim their cultural history. What began as a personal journey soon became a public crusade. In the 1970s, de Guzman—then a biology and physical education major—moved into the I-Hotel and immersed himself in the lives of the aging Filipino tenants, or manongs, who had built Manilatown from scratch. He became their advocate, their ally, and eventually, their voice.
At first, de Guzman's parents could not understand his activism. After seeing what was happening in the Philippines with martial law, his parents feared the repercussions of him being involved in activism and revolutionary movements.[12] Manilatown also had a reputation for being rough, and they had immigrated from the Philippines to give their son a future far removed from such struggles. But over time, as de Guzman stood firm in his commitment, even challenging lawmakers on behalf of the tenants, his mother became one of his biggest supporters. His father's death in 1976 preceded the eviction by just a year, but the emotional resonance of that period would stay with de Guzman for life.[13]
Legacy
Keeper of the I-Hotel legacy
The I-Hotel was demolished in 1979, but the movement it sparked never disappeared. For nearly three decades, de Guzman helped lead efforts to preserve the land’s memory. He became the President of the Manilatown Heritage Foundation, launched commemorative events, and fought to ensure that any redevelopment of the I-Hotel site would serve the Filipino community. Thanks in part to his leadership, the new I-Hotel building, which was scheduled to open in 2004, includes 104 units of affordable senior housing and a proposed Manilatown Heritage Center, a space that will preserve artifacts, stories, and artistic works from the original struggle. His activism has inspired younger generations. His daughter, Sarah Maya, participates in annual commemorations through poetry and music. Other youth, many born after the eviction, have come to see the I-Hotel story as foundational to their own political awakenings. De Guzman characterized the long-term preservation of the International Hotel site, even in its vacant state, as a "political victory." Today, that ground is rising again due to the effort of many activists especially Emil de Guzman who is the keeper of the I-Hotel flame.[14]
Continuing efforts in response to Filipino-American human rights
Emil de Guzman played a key role in advocating for the reopening of the Filipino Education Center in San Francisco. As the treasurer of the Filipino American Human Rights Advocates and a member of the San Francisco School Board’s bilingual advisory committee, de Guzman was instrumental in lobbying the school board to reverse its prior decision to relocate the center. He emphasized the importance of preserving culturally and linguistically appropriate education for Filipino American students, particularly at the elementary level, and continued to advocate for expanded bilingual programs at the middle and high school levels. De Guzman identified systemic barriers within school leadership as contributing to ongoing educational disparities and called for increased mentorship and support to address high dropout and teenage pregnancy rates among Filipino youth.[15]
Later career
In the later stages of his career, Emil de Guzman joined the faculty at California State University, Sacramento, where he served as a professor.[16] Drawing on his extensive experience in activism and community leadership, he taught lectures that reflected his deep commitment to social justice. Through his academic work, de Guzman continued to mentor and inspire students, bridging his lifelong advocacy with scholarship and education.
Publication of Red Sky: Recollections of the International Hotel
Originally published in July 8, 2024, Red Sky: Recollections of the International Hotel,[9] is a reflective account of his experiences during the struggle to defend the International Hotel in San Francisco. The book offers personal insights into the historic fight against the eviction of the hotel’s tenants, and highlights the broader movement for housing rights and social justice. Through this publication, de Guzman documented an important chapter of Asian American activism, preserving the legacy of community resistance and resilience for future generations.
1 2 Fujino, Diane (Spring 2024). "Political Asia America: Afro-Asian Solidarity, Third World Internationalism, and the Origins of the Asian American Movement". Ethnic Studies Review. 47 (I): 60–97 – via University of California Press.
↑ Habal, Estella (2008). San Francisco's International Hotel: mobilizing the Filipino American community in the anti-eviction movement. Asian American history and culture. Philadelphia, Pa: Temple University Press. ISBN978-1-59213-446-5.
↑ Habal, Estella (2007). San Francisco's International Hotel: mobilizing the Filipino American community in the anti-eviction movement. Asian American history and culture. Philadelphia: Temple University Press. ISBN978-1-59213-447-2.
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