Attend the opening reception of Little Brown Dolls No More: The Rise of Filipino Boxers in the Squared Circle. The exhibit pays reverence to Filipino boxers and their innovation to American boxing, a colonial import turned powerful expression of identity, resilience and resistance. The "little brown doll of the Philippines" was a patronizing nickname used by sports writers in the 1920s and 1930s to refer to Filipino boxers. The boxing ring or "the squared circle," however, became a platform for these fighters to claim dignity, pride and visibility in the early twentieth century amid racial tensions and American empire expansion.
The reception will feature a cultural dance performance by Barangay Dance Company, followed by a conversation with Dr. Bernard James Remollino, author of Pancho Villa: World Champion 1923, and Emmanuel Rivera of the Philippine Boxing Historical Society and Hall of Fame, moderated by Mel Reyes, Filipino American Center Librarian.
Free
Presented by San Francisco Public Library
