The Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation (SBTHP) will host a talk by Theodore S. Gonzalves on the histories of Filipino Americans, 2 p.m. Sunday, March 9 at Alhecama Theatre, 215A E. Canon Perdido St., Santa Barbara.

Titled Drawing from Smithsonian Asian Pacific American History, Art, and Culture in 101 Objects, the lecture explores the deep and multifaceted histories of Filipino Americans through select artifacts that embody their lived experiences.

From the labor camps of the early 20th century to the cultural interventions of the present, the objects serve as historical touchstones, revealing how Filipino Americans have shaped and been shaped by the American narrative, SBTHP said.

In dialogue with SBTHP’s Manongs on the Central Coast exhibit currently on display at Casa de la Guerra, 15 E. De la Guerra St., Gonzalves’s presentation considers the power of material culture in preserving memory, challenging erasure, and reimagining belonging.

Gonzalves is a scholar of comparative cultural studies and a curator at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. A former interim director of the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center, he has taught in the U.S., Spain, and the Philippines.

A former president of the Association for Asian American Studies, Gonzalves currently serves on the board of the American Council of Learned Societies. 

The talk is free to attend for SBTHP members; $5 suggested donation for nonmembers. No RSVP required. Seating is first-come, first-serve. Free event parking in lot behind Panino, 834 Santa Barbara St.

Reception and admission to SBTHP’s Manongs on the Central Coast at Casa de la Guerra will follow the lecture, 3-4 p.m.