California Is In The Heart was collaboratively curated by the Bulosan Center for Filipinx Studies, the Filipino American National Historical Society (FAHNS), the California Nurses Association (CNA), and the Filipino American Educators of California (FAEC) in the first-ever museum exhibit to showcase Filipinos’ contributions to California history. Through their community-engaged connections, the group collected stories and memorabilia that documented the migration stories and lived experiences of various Filipino families who settled in California on their journey into the diaspora. Each family featured in the exhibit, organized by region, represented a different city along the coast.

The Dominguez family was displayed in a section dedicated to military members from the Philippines who participated on America’s behalf during the Vietnam War from 1955-1975. They represent Vallejo, California, although they spent a short amount of time in several cities in Southern California before making a permanent home there. Ruperto Sayoc Dominguez and Edna Dominguez, Nani’s grandparents, were one of many families traveling abroad due to their American military status as Filipino citizens. Out of dozens submitted, the only photo that made it into the exhibit due to tarnished quality was one of Nani’s grandfather, atop a beautiful mountain terrace with a breathtaking view of Vietnam in the background.

The exhibit opened on October 29, 2022, and remained so until the end of April 2023. Having the chance to visit it in person, post-pandemic, accompanied by her whole family was a surreal experience for Nani. Together they marveled at the public ode to their family legacy and joked about what they thought Ruperto and Edna would say if they were alive to see themselves featured in a museum for their sacrifice and contribution to American society.