PAGDIRIWANG PHILIPPINE FESTIVAL 2026
Literary Reading
Pinoy Word Expressed Kultura Arts
presents
FILIPINO AMERICAN STORIES & WORKS
from the Central Area and Rainier Valley
The 2026 Pagdiriwang Festival Literary Reading
Seattle Center
Saturday, June 6, 2026
1:00 to 2:30 PM
The 2026, Kultura Arts will host a biographical and literary exploration of Filipino Americans from Seattle’s Central District and Rainier Valley. Presenters will read their original works on stage.
DR. DOROTHY CORDOVA
Dr Dorothy Cordova grew up in the Central District of Seattle and has been involved in Filipino American activism since the 1950s. She and her husband, Fred started Filipino Youth Activities in the late ‘50s. Dorothy also served as Director for the Demonstration Project for Asian Americans (DPAA), which conducted a wide variety of studies on the problems Asian Americans. In 1982, the Cordovas helped organize the Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS). She authored the work Filipinos in Puget Sound which shares the history of Filipino Americans through over 230 archival photographs and decades of research.
ROBERT FRANCIS FLOR
Dr. Robert Francis Flor worked at King County Metro as a senior transportation planner where he was project manager for the Jobs Access Transportation Program. He previously was the Legislative Analyst for Seattle City Councilmember Dolores Sibonga. A member of Seattle Playwrights Circle, his plays include Mabuhay Majesty and Salamanga Returns. His works include his chapbook Alaskero Memories and poems appear in the anthologies Field of Mirrors and Where are You From. His focus largely revolves around Seattle’s Filipino community and its interplay with American society.
PETER BACHO
Peter Bacho is a writer and teacher best known for his book Cebu which won the American Book Award. His book is defined as Filipino American literature because of its explorations in themes such as neocolonialism and Filipino-American identity.[1]Bacho also won the Washington Governor's Writers Award for Dark Blue Suit a collection of stories. His latest work Uncle Rico’s Encore with the Filipino experience in Seattle’s Central District Bacho teaches in the Liberal Studies Program at The Evergreen State College lecturers at the University of Washington Tacoma.
DR. ANDRES TANGALIN
Dr. Andres B. Tangalin is a retired K–12 educator whose five-decade career in Washington State progressed from classroom teacher to Director of Instructional Services. From an educator to as- first-author wannabe, “I stepped toward the cliff’s edge — cautious, unsure, but aware that I was crossing into unfamiliar territory. What I didn’t know then was that the story I was writing would push me far beyond my comfort zone, forcing me to reconsider who I believed myself to be. Inner Voice Conversations, forthcoming.
EMILY LAWSIN
Emily P. Lawsin served on the Board of Trustees of the Filipino American National Historical Society from 1992-2022, including as FANHS National President. For 30 years, she also taught Asian American Studies and Filipino American History in Michigan and California. Emily now works as Historic Preservation Program Manager for 4Culture in “SHE-attle”, Washington. She is co-author of Filipino Women in Detroit and her poetry and essays have been published in over 30 anthologies and journals. An oral historian and spoken word performance poet, she has appeared on radio and stage throughout the United States. www.emilylawsin.com
EFREN EDWARDS
Born in Seattle’s Central Area and raised in South Seattle, he is also a former Alaskero with deep personal ties to the region’s Filipino American community. As a board member of the Filipinos at Microsoft (FAM) Employee Network, Efren leads storytelling initiatives such as Sharing Our Stories — community-centered sessions that create space for individuals to share personal narratives about identity, heritage, immigration, and belonging. Also passionate about raising awareness of the historical significance of Seattle’s Chinatown-International District, helping younger generations better understand the challenges faced by those who paved the way before them.
