Civic and political leaders of Filipino ancestry unveiled a sign declaring a tiny patch of Chinatown "Dr. Jose P. Rizal Square" Sunday to honor the Philippine national hero who was born 150 years ago.

Homeless people paused to watch the ceremony and city buses lumbered past as state Sen. Donovan Dela Cruz told the gathering that Rizal’s writings and actions as a Filipino patriot who inspired revolution through non-violence will help inspire modern-day Filipinos to take a more prominent role in Hawaii society.

In the latest data from the U.S. Census, Filipinos in Hawaii who identified themselves by only one race grew 15.7 percent from 2000 — to 197,497 people. Among people who self-identified by one or more races, Filipinos in Hawaii grew 24.1 percent — to 564,323 people.

As a member of the Honolulu City Council last year, Dela Cruz helped shepherd a Council resolution renaming a sliver of College Walk near Beretania and River streets in Rizal’s honor.