How Can You Forget Me

How Can You Forget Me

From Sidedoor by Smithsonian Institution

June 10, 2026 · 28 min · Season 12 · Episode 15

About this episode

This episode explores the stories of Filipino immigrants through the discovery of their unopened steamer trunks.

Everyone thought ghosts lived in the basement of Stockton, California's old Daguhoy Lodge. So, nobody went down there. But when one man refused to be spooked, he made a discovery that would bring the ghosts back to life. In this episode, we explore how an accidental discovery resurrected the stories of a nearly forgotten generation of Filipino immigrants who came to work in the fields. Why did these men leave behind steamer trunks that remained unopened for decades? And what could we learn from the belongings found inside? We'll unpack the steamer trunks and dust off a fading piece of American history as we dive into the stories of these farmworkers and their surprising sense of fashion. Guests: Sam Vong, Curator of Asian Pacific American History at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History Dillon Delvo, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Little Manila Rising in South Stockton, California Phillip Merlo, a historian and educator who serves as the Executive Director of the San Joaquin County Historical Society & Museum

People in this episode

Guests: Sam Vong, Dillon Delvo, Phillip Merlo

Topics covered

  • Filipino immigrants
  • American history
  • ghost stories
  • cultural heritage
  • farmworkers
  • fashion

Keywords

  • ghosts
  • Daguhoy Lodge
  • Filipino immigrants
  • steamer trunks
  • American history
  • farmworkers
  • cultural heritage

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Smithsonian's National Museum of American History, Little Manila Rising, San Joaquin County Historical Society & Museum

Places: Stockton, California, Daguhoy Lodge, American

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