A New NYC Landmark for Filipinos: Dr. José P. Rizal Way

Robert
5 days ago
3 min read

On December 12, 2025, our community in Woodside marked a milestone we will remember for a long time. At the corner of 58th Street and Roosevelt Avenue, right in front of San Sebastian Church, we gathered for the historic installation of a new street co-naming sign: Dr. José P. Rizal Way.

It may look like “just a street sign” to some people, but for many Filipino families in New York City, it represents something bigger. It is recognition. It is pride. It is history.

Why this co-naming matters

Huge thank you to Assemblyman Steven Raga and Councilwoman Julie Won, whose offices sponsored the official street co-naming through the city and the Dr. José P. Rizal Street Sign Installation Ceremony in Woodside, Queens.

This event commemorates Dr. José P. Rizal’s profound influence on Filipino identity and his historic visit to New York City in 1888. For “Little Manila” in Woodside, now one of the most vibrant Filipino American enclaves in the United States, this street co-naming stands as a meaningful acknowledgment of our community’s cultural presence, history, and contributions to the city.

Location: Sohncke Square (58th Street and Woodside Avenue, Woodside, NY 11377)

Who Dr. José Rizal is to us

Dr. José Rizal is the Philippines’ national hero, a writer, doctor, and patriot whose life and work helped awaken a nation. His courage and intellect became a symbol of Filipino identity, dignity, and the belief that our people deserve respect, opportunity, and freedom.

Now, his name will be seen every day in Queens, in a neighborhood where thousands of Filipinos live, work, raise families, build businesses, and serve New York City in countless ways.

A proud day for Little Manila

Woodside has long been known as Little Manila, a place where Filipino culture is alive and visible. You can hear Tagalog as you walk down Roosevelt Avenue. You can find Filipino restaurants, bakeries, small businesses, churches, and community spaces that feel like home.

That is why the co-naming of Dr. José P. Rizal Way feels especially fitting. It reflects the reality of who we are and how deeply Filipinos are woven into the life of this neighborhood.

Community, unity, and bayanihan spirit

The ceremony was not only about honoring Rizal. It was also about honoring the people who keep Filipino community life strong in New York.

Moments like this bring everyone together: longtime residents, new immigrants, young people, elders, families, and leaders. It reminds us that when we show up for one another, we can create something lasting for the next generation.

A landmark we can all point to

From now on, when people ask where our community gathers, where our roots are, where Little Manila continues to grow, we can point to this corner and say: That’s Dr. José P. Rizal Way.

It stands as a reminder that Filipino history is not only back home in the Philippines. It is also here, in New York City, written into the streets we walk every day.

Visit the sign

If you are in the area, take a moment to pass by Sohncke Square near 58th Street and Woodside Avenue, and also by the corner of 58th Street and Roosevelt Avenue by San Sebastian Church, and see the sign for yourself. Take a photo. Bring your family. Tell your kids who Rizal was and why his name matters.

Because this is not just history. This is our story, too.

Mabuhay ang Filipinos of NY! Mabuhay ang Little Manila Woodside NY!