LA Library Plans to Dedicate Echo Park Branch to Carlos Bulosan
Philippine Heritage Collection
In 2012, the Friends of Echo Park LIbrary (FOEPL) Board president, Joselyn Geaga-Rosenthal, along with community members (Carlene Sobrino-Bonivier, Greg Villanueva, Darid Rockello, Diana Arias and Gerald Gubatan), established the Philippine Heritage Collection (PHC). The PHC’s beginnings were inspired by the Pilipino American Reading Room and Library (PARRAL) established in 1985 founded by the late Helen Agcaoili Summers Brown, a former public school teacher and community social worker. The PHC began and grew from donations of books as well as financial contributions used to purchase books.
Carlos Bulosan Book Club
In 2017, the FOEPL board established the Carlos Bulosan Book Club (CBBC) to promote and expand the readership of Philippine and Filipino American literature in the community. The FOEPL board appointed board member and LA City Commissioner Jaime Geaga as chair of the CBBC. As CBBC chair, Commissioner Geaga hopes to explore, celebrate, and recreate the Filipino American immigrant experience, which is American history.
Wildlife Habitat Los Angeles
James Castillo, current board president, launched FOEPL’s sustainability program in 2022.Through the program, the urban Wildlife Habitat Los Angeles (WiLHaLA) and pollinator garden was started. The garden is located in the premises of the Echo Park Library branch. It provides opportunities to learn about the balance of nature, especially in communities where exposure to natural areas is limited. Finally, the monthly “used book sale” FOEPL program is organized and managed by dedicated board members Velinda Rockello and David Rockello.
We are deeply grateful to LA Mayor Karen Bass and her staff Eduardo Soriano-Hewitt and Jenny Delwood for championing this effort to dedicate EPL in honor of Carlos Bulosan. In the next 90 days ending March 10, 2026, the Board LA Library Commissioners will launch the process for community comment and feedback on their resolution to dedicate the Echo Park Library branch in honor of Carlos Bulosan. Please see the notice below and how to provide public comment.
Notice of Consideration to Dedicate
Echo Park Branch Library
In accordance with Board Policy 1:312, the Board of Library Commissioners of the Los Angeles Public Library has initiated a process to consider dedicating the Echo Park Branch Library in recognition of Filipino American author, poet, and activist Carlos Bulosan, a pivotal literary figure and a powerful voice for marginalized communities in America. Bulosan’s deep ties to Los Angeles—where he lived, worked, organized for labor rights, and spent countless hours at the Los Angeles Public Library developing the voice that shaped his most influential writings—underscore his enduring significance to the city and its Filipino community.
Born in 1913 in Pangasinan, Philippines, Bulosan’s early life was marked by hard work and a strong desire for education despite limited access to formal schooling. He immigrated to the United States at age 17, where he faced racial discrimination and harsh working conditions as a farm laborer, dishwasher, and cannery worker. Despite these hardships, he became a prominent labor organizer and advocate for workers’ rights, equality, and education.
The Echo Park Branch Library, located in the heart of Historic Filipinotown, houses a Philippine Heritage Collection of several hundred books on Filipino American life and culture.
When not working, Bulosan spent long hours at the Los Angeles Public Library, particularly Central Library. Diagnosed with tuberculosis in 1936, he spent two years recovering at Los Angeles County General Hospital, during which time he immersed himself in reading and writing. Library collections supported his self-education and helped shape his literary voice.
By the late 1940s, Bulosan had risen from laborer to internationally recognized writer and activist, using his work to illuminate the struggles of Filipino American immigrants and broader issues of equality and civil rights. In 1946, he published America Is in the Heart, his best-known semi-autobiographical novel, recounting his life in the Philippines and his experiences as an immigrant during the Great Depression. Between 150,000 and 250,000 Filipinos immigrated to the United States during this period, many settling in Los Angeles. Bulosan’s narrative captures the dreams, hardships, and resilience of an entire generation. He died of bronchopneumonia in Seattle, Washington, in 1956.
Bulosan’s enduring legacy continues to inspire efforts to celebrate and preserve Filipino American experiences. In 2017, the Friends of Echo Park Branch Library established the Carlos Bulosan Book Club. The Echo Park Branch Library, located in the heart of Historic Filipinotown, houses a Philippine Heritage Collection of several hundred books on Filipino American life and culture.
Bulosan’s life and work reflect the Los Angeles Public Library’s mission to honor voices that champion knowledge, inclusion, and education. The Echo Park Branch Library proudly serves the Historic Filipinotown community. The Board of Library Commissioners encourages community members to submit written comments on this proposal.
Los Angeles Public Library
Board of Library Commissioners
630 W. Fifth St.
Los Angeles, CA 90071Comments may also be submitted online at
https://ift.tt/elqkcI5 or by email to:
libcommission@lapl.org, no later than March 10, 2026. All feedback will be
included in the public record and considered in finalizing this proposal to
honor Carlos Bulosan.
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