PETER’S PINOY PATTER — JANUARY 2020
Bridge Generation News
(Today’s Bridge Generation – now in their 70s, 80s, and 90s – are a rapidly declining population. Over the years, most members of these American born children of the first wave of Filipino immigrants have passed away. To remember their contributions to the history of Filipinos in America, a deceased BG individual will be a recurring feature of this blog. This issue features jazz pianist 
Joseph “Flip” Nunez — August 27, 1931-November 3, 1995). Born in Stockton CA, Flip spent much of his early years in San Pedro. Self-taught and without benefit of formal musical training, he developed his love for jazz as a teenager listening to the radio and hanging around African American jazz clubs on Central Avenue in Los Angeles. There, he marveled at the artistry of such jazz icons as Dexter Gordon, Charlie Parker, Teddy Edwards, Leroy Vinegar, Lucky Thompson, Howard McGhee, and Hampton Hawes. He was particularly inspired by pianist Carl Perkins whose excellent “comping” and soloing was never marred by his polio-affected left arm, which he held parallel to the keyboard. Except for a few years when Flip performed at the “Waikiki Gateway” in Honolulu, his musical career was spent largely in San Francisco. There, he backed such well-known stars as Carmen McRae, Harry Belafonte, Jon Hendricks and Wes Montgomery. He also played in the seminal SF Mission-based jazz/Latin rock band “Azteca” which featured percussionist Pete Escovedo. In his long performing career, which spanned three decades, Flip was a familiar fixture in San Francisco jazz clubs. He served as the house pianist for “Bop City”, the jazz club in the Fillmore that was a late-night hangout for musicians. Flip also possessed a beautiful singing voice which is on display on his only record album as a leader, “My Own Time and Space” (1976). At the 1989 Grand Reunion of BG Filipino Americans in San Ramon CA, he was a big hit along with other pinoy/pinay jazz luminaries Josie (Tenio) Canion, Hamilton Burila, Rudy Tenio, Ted Reyes, Corney Pasquil, Georgie (Ente) Leong, Rosie Tecson, and Primo (Villarruz) Kim. Over the years, I was privileged to listen to Flip at informal gigs at his annual birthday party and during his regular gigs at various bay area clubs and hotels. But most enjoyable were the informal sessions at the homes of Ray and Josie Canion in San Francisco, Daly City, and Stockton. It was there where I savored tunes from Flip, Josie, her brother Rudy, and from Josie’s talented daughters — Georgie, Reggie, Jamie, Stevie, and Jody Ente. (You may remember them as teenagers when they performed and recorded as “The Third Wave” during the late 60s.) Flip passed away from a heart attack in 1995. His memorial in Vallejo, featuring musical tributes from an unending array of Bay Area jazz musicians and singers, will never be forgotten by this aficionado of straight ahead jazz. Thanks, Flip, for the musical joy you brought to so many for so long…………. Postscript: Salvatore Baldomar (BG Personality of the Month for July 2019) and his son Sal Jr. were part of the producing team for the full length film The Debut (2000). Starring Dante Basco, the movie tells the coming of age story of a Filipino American teenager…………. A favorite hangout for the legendary Bob Santos, Seattle’s Bush Garden, which closed in 2016, has set its sights on a new home — the soon to be built “Uncle Bob’s Place.” “The Bush”, reportedly the first in the country to feature a karaoke bar, was where Bob could be found singing on Tuesdays – billed as “Bob Santos Night.” …………. In earlier issues your faithful blogger has talked about the old San Francisco Mangos and their domination of Filipino Youth Club basketball tournaments that flourished during the 1950s in California. Arguably the team’s most ardent rooters were the 
Fernandez sisters – Cho, Nita, Marge, and Virge. I recently received a most welcome update from Marge that oldtime Filipino tournament goers may appreciate. Cho is now in her 90th year and according to Marge is “in all one piece, bright, beautiful, and still the boss.” Nita at 87 “is, was, always will be an exercise freak, fit, fantastic, petite, and pretty. Witty sister Marge, 84, a ten-year stroke survivor, is “attempting to look 16 again” to no avail. Virge is 81 and “the family jock….golf, tennis…she won the gold medal at the 2018 pickle ball national tournament. As much as I dislike to admit it, she looks 16 again…..little, loving brat!!” The Four Fabulous Fernandez Sisters — may they always be fondly remembered…………. Honors for Dorothy Cordova, Filipino American National Historical Society executive director: On November 3, the Seattle Sunday Times featured the historian in a two-page story as Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan proclaimed November 22 “Dorothy Cordova Day” by making a personal visit to Dorothy’s office………….. Happy January Birthdays: Leatrice (Bantillo) Perez, Frank Carido, Beverly (Daquioag) Ventura, Nina (Dublin) Gonzalez, Larry Flores, George Jamero, George Ramirez, Violet (Reyes) Andrade
Pinakbet — News Across America
The estimated number of Americans with Filipino ancestry in the United States has grown to approximately 4,089,570 according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s data for 2018. Released last month, the estimate represents a population increase of more than 52,000 from 2017 data. California with 1,653,167 Filipinos leads — four times larger than the next largest state, Hawaii, with 367,952………….. Congratulations to Juanita (Tamayo) Lott who was inducted into the San Francisco State University Alumni Hall of Fame on November 1. The San Francisco native was cited for her instrumental role in the 1968 student strike against SFSU that led to the creation of the College of Ethnic Studies………… On October 24 Sony Pictures announced it acquired worldwide rights to the film “Yellow Rose” directed by Filipina American Diane Paragas. Fifteen years in the making, “Yellow Rose” is a timely story about a Filipina teen from a small Texas town who fights to pursue her dreams as a country music performer while facing the threat of deportation. The film stars two-time Tony Award nominee Eva Noblezada in her feature film debut and Tony Award winner for “Miss Saigon”, Lea Salonga…………. Thanks to “Positively Filipino” for its November 6 article on retired KTVU-Oakland broadcaster Lloyd Cuesta’s trip to Liverpool, England to tour the hometown of his beloved Beatles. And thanks to Lloyd, accompanied by his spouse, Mona Lisa Yuchengco, we now all know there really is a Strawberry Fields, Penny Lane, and an Eleanor Rigby…………… In Norway’s Henie Onstad Kunstsenter Art Museum, Grand Master Wesley So of Minnetonka, Minnesota became the first World Champion in Fischer Random Chess. He defeated Magnus Carlsen by the dominant score of 13.5 to 2.5 in the event that started on October 27 and ended on November 2………….. Graphic novelist and educator Lynda Barry of Madison, Wisconsin was among 26 artists and scholars earning the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation awards. Each of this year’s grantees gets a $625,000 stipend, distributed in quarterly installments over five years with no strings attached…………. According to muralist Eliseo Art Silva, the founding history of Los Angeles should include a Filipino and his daughter. In 1781 a dozen settlers left Sinaola, Mexico to what was then Alta California to build what would become LA. Among them was Antonio Miranda Rodriguez and his 11-year-old daughter. But they never made it because they were stricken with small pox. Consequently, Rodriguez’ name is not inscibed on the Pobladors (founders) Plaque at El Pueblo, the oldest district of Los Angeles. Upon learning of the omission, however, current LA Mayor Eric Garcetti officially decreed Rodriguez to be a Poblador. Today, a depiction of Rodriguez and his daughter appears on Silva’s giant mural in LA’s Historic Filipinotown…………. Jalen Romande Green of Prolific Prep in Napa CA is nationally considered a five-star recruit and the best basketball shooting guard in the class of 2020. Growing up in Livingston CA before moving to Fresno, he went to San Joaquin Memorial High School and left as its all-time leading scorer. Jalen has impeccable athletic roots. His mother Bree Purganan, was an outstanding shooting guard at Livingston High School and starred on the 1997 Merced College team that played for the state championship. Jalen’s grandfather Jamie Purganon, was a speedy running back and former head football coach at LHS
Musings
Is excluding People of Color in favor of White Nationalism/Supremacy in America’s Future? Part VI: Last month’s episode on this continuing story noted that because of the House of Representatives Impeachment Inquiry, the demise of Donald Trump and thus his White Nationalism/Supremacy followers appears sooner than previously thought. As this blog was being written, the House has just impeached (indicted) Trump — the first president to be impeached during his first term and only the third president in the 227-year history of the U.S. to be impeached. The Senate, sitting as a jury, is currently reviewing the impeachment evidence and will vote to acquit or convict Trump…………. Filipino American Museum in Stockton, Funding Countdown — minus 1 year, 8 months and growing: When will the Board of Trustees, Filipino American National Historical Society — who have program and fiduciary responsibility — provide critically needed financing to assure keeping open the Filipino American Museum in Stockton, the historic center of Filipino immigration?
##########
