PETER’S PINOY PATTER — October 2022
Bridge Generation News
Personality of the Month: Gloria (Balanon) Gates, 79: The Oxford Dictionary defines “perseverance” as “persistence in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success.” “Perseverance” is an apt description of Gloria’s life. She was born on April 23, 1943, in the hot Central Valley town of Merced CA — the fifth of six children of immigrant parents from the Ilocos, Philippines — Santiago “Sam” Balanon and Alipia (Hulana) Baladad. Her early years were spent helping her parents barely eke out a living for the family — growing tomatoes and bell peppers on their fifteen acre farm. At the time Gloria may not have understood they were poor. But by her teens, as the only Filipino at her high school, she definitely knew they were poor. She remembered, “How could you not know it when your friends had nice homes, always seemed to have clothes that were in style, and were always transported in nine-passenger car pools while you had to walk or take the bus?” But Gloria persevered! She was an excellent student. She became the editor of the high school newspaper.
At age seventeen Gloria married Tony Bucol and settled in the East Bay community of Fremont. In a relatively short period of time came three children — Steven, Nicky, and Scott. These were tough years as Tony — a returning Korean War veteran — experienced difficulty finding steady work before becoming employed full-time as a mechanic. To better help her family in the long run, Gloria pursued a college education. She went to school at nights to Ohlone College. It took four long years to earn a two-year AA degree in 1970. But she persevered!
Gloria landed a job as an instructional aide in Adult Education with the Fremont School District. A teacher’s credential and a BA degree from the University of San Francisco soon led to a teaching position. Gloria’s excellent performance as a teacher earned her a promotion to administration. She then accepted the position of Assistant Principal at Eastside School District in San Jose. To enhance her qualifications in administrative management, she enrolled at California State University at Hayward where she earned a Masters Degree in 1990. When the commute to San Jose became arduous, she returned to work in the Fremont School District. Again, she persevered!
Gloria’s exposure to the wider Filipino community occurred in 1982 when she worked as a caseworker with Filipino Immigrant Services, an East Bay non-profit agency. She learned of the harsh realities and challenges of being brown in America. She counseled young pinoys and pinays adapting to White America. She participated in protests against racial, housing, and employment discrimination. Gloria’s retirement years saw increased Filipino American involvement. She joined the East Bay and Central Valley Chapters of the Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS). Most significant: she wrote an article of her hard working mother that was published in a popular anthology; she published a children’s book with a Filipino theme — Ating and the Magic Carabao — also about her mother who she warmly regards as her role model. Her trip to the Philippines with her mother provided yet another opportunity to learn about her people. She learned; she persevered!
Gloria and Tony’s thirty-nine year marriage ended in 2000. Their three children are now with the Lord. Despite these misfortunes, Gloria continued to lead a productive life. After retiring in 2002, she occasionally substitute-taught and worked briefly as an ESL teacher for mostly Hispanic prisoners at a Santa Clara County jail. It was there in 2005 when she met and later married teacher/counselor George Gates. Today, she often goes to blues and jazz concerts with George in addition to her own passions for gardening, doing yoga, and playing Mah Jong. She tends to her spiritual needs at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Niles. A lifetime of perseverance — indeed!
Happy October Birthdays to: Abe Amen, Angie (Castro) Gamido, Helen (Galanida) Agraviador, Luna Jamero, Barbara Posadas, Delia Rapolla, Art Suguitan, Andres “Sonny” Tangalin, Jo (Tenio) Canion, Don Velez, Connie (Viernes) Pasquil.
Pinakbet — News Across America
Filipino American Historical Tidbits:
In 1945 in the Alfafara v. Fross case, Filipino Nationals were allowed to own land in California, ending a 1920 law.
Did You Know:
AKQA, the global design and innovation company of more than 6,000 employees, appointed Tesa Aragones to the position of Marketing President of its North America business. (Thanks to Mary Estonactoc of Mountain View CA)……………… Vanessa (Minnillo) Lache is enjoying her starring role in the CBS spinoff NCIS: Hawaii.………… Kevin Benedicto is serving his first four-year term on the San Francisco Police Commission, the governing body of the San Francisco Police Department…………. Travis d’Arnaud, starting catcher of the reigning World Series Champion Atlanta Braves, was the 2020 National League Silver Slugger award winner for catcher.
Passings:
Catherine Marie “Cathy” (Monares) Bryant of Seattle WA passed away at her home on July 20 at the age of 74 after a three-year struggle with an anti-immune disease. Born in Seattle in 1947 to Catalino and Norene Monares, she was the eldest of seventeen children. She served as the immediate past president of the Greater Seattle Chapter of FANHS.
40th Biennial FANHS National Conference, Seattle WA, August 11-13:
In addition to the estimated 300 Seattle attendees at the Seattle University campus, it was the first national conference conducted virtually (through Whova and Zoom), thus providing an opportunity for Filipino American history buffs to watch the proceedings at home. From the pre-conference Adobo Cook-Off to the conference ending banquet, attendees were treated to more than 120 presentations, workshops, and films — plus being entertained by the always awe-inspiring and award-winning Filipino Youth Activities Drill Team.
New Concept and FANHS’ Mission:
Philippine national Mina Roces, Professor of History at the University of New South Wales, in Sydney, Australia announced the publication by Cornell University Press of her new book The Filipino Migration Experience: Global Agents of Change. The following concept — “Community Historians” — was introduced:
It is not only academic historians who have been writing about the history of Filipina/o/x migration to the United States. Migrants and their descendants have trained themselves to become community historians (….they do not enroll in postgraduate or undergraduate history or oral history courses)….. The community historians comprise several generations of Filipina/o/x Americans….their mission was to pay homage to the contributions of these men and women who made it possible for them to have a better life in the United States.
The concept of “Community Historians” can be regarded as a critical aspect of FANHS’ mission:
To promote understanding, education, enlightenment, appreciation, and enrichment through the gathering, preservation, and dissemination of the history and culture of Filipino Americans in the United States.
Musings
White Supremacy in America, (to) It Has Always Been About People of Color, (to) Equitable Justice for People of Color, (to) Multi-ethnic Democracy Weakened, Part XXIII:
Last month’s column began with my despair over: (1) White Supremacy’s threat to America’s multi-ethnic democracy, and (2) The lack of Congressional action on critically needed legislation to correct the country’s most serious problems. However, last month’s column ended optimistically as it heralded a number of President Joe Biden‘s recent policy victories.
September continued the President’s optimism. Delivering a fiery primetime speech to the nation the President said, “America is still the beacon to the world, an ideal to be realized, a promise to be kept.” He denounced MAGA Republicans as semi-fascists who.….. “do not respect the Constitution. They do not believe in the rule of law. They do not recognize the will of the people. They refuse to accept the results of a free election.” According to President Biden, Trump and his far-right followers “represent an extremism that threatens the very foundation of our republic.”
The President concluded his speech to the nation by imploring Americans — already energized by the Supreme Court’s recent decision to end the nearly 50-year old right to an abortion — to VOTE! President Biden is correct — only American citizens can end domestic terrorist threats to our democracy. To Biden’s call to VOTE, this blogger adds: SUPPORT candidates who will work to end the domestic threat to American democracy. Voters are also urged to be STRATEGIC and prioritize Democratic candidates for the U.S. Senate — hampered by its 50:50 Democratic/Republican split and its archaic filibuster rule. Following are my Senate choices on Election Day. VOTE FOR AND/OR SUPPORT:
U.S. Senate: Mark Kelley (incumbent) — Arizona; Catherine Cortez Masto (incumbent) — Nevada; Rafael Warnock (incumbent) — Georgia; Maggie Hassan (incumbent) — New Hampshire; Michael Bennet (incumbent) Colorado; Val Demings (candidate — Florida; Tim Ryan (candidate) — Ohio; John Fetterman (candidate) — Pennsylvania; Cheri Beasley (candidate — North Carolina; and Mandella Barnes (candidate) — Wisconsin.
Inappropriate Political Meme/Sloganeering
Recently, I was a guest at a wedding when suddenly I heard, “Let’s go Brandon” (F*** Joe Biden) — the viral meme used by MAGA Republicans. At the reception, I watched in disbelief at a dozen White guests who had discarded their wedding wear, replaced them with American flags, and flaunted their new look on the dance floor. I was deeply offended by the implications, especially to People of Color. The meme and sloganeering not only insulted the President, they disrespected POC guests, and had no place at a wedding!
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