IN MEMORIAM: STEVE AREVALO
Steve Arevalo wears a knit cap inthe picture.
Steve Arevalo was a third generation of freemasons with the Gran Oriente Rizal Lodge. Steve grew up understanding the importance of fraternity, community, and fight for rights from his involvement with Gran Oriente Filipino.
Steve participated in the Third Word Strike at San Francisco State University and in I-Hotel struggle in San Francisco. He became the executive director of the Filipino Youth Coalition, Inc. in San Jose. Together with Carl Lindstrom Jr., he co-founded the Filipino American Democratic Caucus of the California Democratic Party.
Steve joined the Filipino Community Development Corporation (FCDC) in 2016 and immediately organized a forum on Gentrification held at the iconic I-Hotel in November 2017. He also joined the Tenderloin People’s Congress and worked on the 2016 Summit that united different organizations in the Tenderloin to work on community issues. He worked tirelessly, even as his diabetes affected his health.
From his hospital bed, he wanted assurance that the Gran Oriente Hotel would be owned by a non-profit and will remain as affordable housing for the community. He also said that many are affected by diabetes and that there should be more prevention education. “It is one of the worst diseases anyone can have” he said. “I wouldn’t wish this on anyone.”
Steve passed away on April 20, 2018. We lost a fearless activist for affordable housing, but his mission continues.
