Bridge Generation News

Personality of the Month, Richard Tenaza, PhD, Professor Emeritus of Biological Science at University of the Pacific, 82:  As can be gathered from his impressive academic title, Richard is a preeminent biological scientist.  Deservedly so.  He is the author of  more than two dozen articles in scientific journals; Tenaza Peak in remote ice-bound Antarctica is named in his honor.  His research of birds, primates, mammals, and marine life brought him to all regions of the world: to frozen outposts as far south as Antarctica and the northern reaches of the Arctic’s Point Barrow; to the rainforests of Thailand and Indonesia; to the jungles of the African continent, to the uninhabited Farallon Islands; to his ancestral land of the Philippines; and to various sites in the Western Hemisphere.  He has lived among primitive peoples of Sumatra, Borneo, New Guinea, East Africa, and the Philippines.  Once he was asked, “Isn’t living in such primitive conditions difficult?”  Richard’s reply, “No, not if you’ve ever lived in Filipino farm labor camps.”

Richard’s interest in biology began at two years of age when he accompanied his father and other Manong Generation farm workers in gathering plants and catching animals during the food scarcity of the Great Depression.  As he subsequently worked side by side with his Filipino elders, he learned about the habits and habitats of the species they gathered or caught.  He didn’t know it at the time, but these early experiences would lead to his life’s work.

A biologist’s life was not on his conscious mind when Richard was growing up.  The eldest of four children, he was born on March 22, 1939 in San Mateo CA to Filipino immigrant Nicholas Concepcion Tenaza and Fanny Marie Cutler of English, Scotch, Welsh, German, and Swedish ancestry who came to California to escape the Oklahoma dustbowl of the Great Depression.  For the first seven years of his life, Richard led a migratory existence living in Filipino farm labor camps that often lacked the basic necessities of life.  By the time he finished the second grade he had attended five different schools — never at one school long enough to make friends.  He experienced racial discrimination, was bullied, shunned, and once was asked to “show his tail!”  He was shy, awkward among classmates, and a less than average student.  In the third grade, however, his teacher took an interest in Richard.  He studied hard to please her and was rewarded with praise and improved grades.

While improved grades were enough for Rich to graduate from grade school, high school, and city college, his grades dramatically improved at San Francisco State University.  He attributed his improvement to memorization exercises that he learned from a psychology professor.  Helped by his  newly acquired memorization skills he went on to receive a PhD in 1974 from the University of California at Davis. While a student at SFSU, Richard married the former Kathryn McQuaid.  They became the proud parents of two girls who blessed them with six grandchildren.  In 1975 Richard joined the faculty at the College (now University) of Pacific in Stockton.

Fast forward to July 1998.  I was at the Sacramento International Airport with other Filipino American history buffs awaiting our flight to Portland to attend the Seventh Biennial National Conference of the Filipino American National Historical Society.  As we chatted about the conference, I spotted a person I did not recognize.  Rich introduced himself, quietly commenting on how delighted he was to recently discover FANHS.

In succeeding years Richard immersed himself in the activities of FANHS and the community.  He was elected president of the Stockton FANHS Chapter.  He attended FANHS’ biennial national conferences.  He served as faculty advisor to Kilusan, the Filipino student organization at the University of Pacific where he shared his experiences as a Filipino American.  Today, he volunteers as board president of the fledgling Filipino American National Museum in Stockton — perhaps his most challenging position yet.

In looking back at his career, Rich considers biology as his passion — not just his profession.  And like his part Filipino/part White ethnicity, he considers himself as part/zoologist, part/anthropologist, and part/ comparative psychologist — not just a biologist.  In 2014 Rich retired after 46 productive and memorable years at the University of Pacific.  (Thanks to Rich, Linda Claramo and The APA Living Today for their contributions to this article.)

Another BG Passing:  It is sad to report the passing of Morris Artiaga, 79, of Stockton.  He was the  former Executive Director of the Filipino Multi-Service Center in Stockton and Co-chaired the Second Young Filipinos Far West Conference held at the University of Pacific in 1972.  (For additional information on Morris, please go to my April 2020 blog.)

Happy July Birthdays to: Bob Agdoma, Rosita (Adlao) Amen, Dan Inosanto, Gilda Lum, Gloria (Magpiong) Salac, Rudy Modelo, Loretta (Pimentel) Orpilla, Candido Oyog

Pinakbet — News Across America

Historical Tidbits: On December 20th, 1906 fifteen Filipino plantation workers — called sakadas — arrived in Honolulu.  Their arrival marked the beginning of a rapid increase in Hawaii’s Filipino population which today approaches 400,000.

A Filipino American Historical Destination?  On May 21 the small town of Livingston CA (pop. 13,058) dedicated its latest 12-foot high metal sculpture in honor of the Filipino Community, thus joining  metal sculptures of long-time Japanese, Mexican, Sikh, and Portuguese residents of this multi-ethnic community.  The tall sculptures are conveniently located just off California State Highway 99 at the corner of Winton Parkway and B Street.

The model for the Filipino metal sculpture was Apolonia Madelo Jamero, matriarch of the Jamero family who have continuously resided in Livingston since the 1930s.  A schoolteacher in her native Philippines, she immigrated to America to further her education in 1929.  When circumstances prevented her from doing so, she married her Philippine townmate, Ceferino Ledesma Jamero, at the gold country town of Sonora CA in November.  For the next 45 years they operated the successful Jamero Ranch and Filipino Farmworker’s Camp .  Community-minded, she was a lifetime member of the local Parent Teacher Association, a Cub Scout leader, on the first Board of Directors of the Livingston Medical Clinic, a member of the Livingston Chamber of Commerce, and a volunteer for the Red Cross and County Welfare Department.  In addition to her duties as financial officer of the Jamero Ranch and Camp, she was mother of their eight children and foster mother for countless Filipino children in need of temporary care.  For her community, she founded and coordinated the annual Filipino Community Christmas celebration for many yeas and served as Grand Matron of the Teodora Alonzo and the Leonora Rivera Lodges of the Legionarrios Del Trabajo.  To honor her many achievements, she was selected by the City of Livingston to serve as Grand Marshall of the annual Livingston Day Parade in 1969.   She passed away of natural causes in 1986.  And yes, she was also my beloved mother.

 Musings

Is Excluding People of Color in Favor of White Supremacy in America’s Future?  Part XVII:  Last month’s conclusions:  (1) White fear of the “browning of America” and their loss of power and privilege continue to be major factors behind the violence against Persons of Color.  (2) Violence has been perpetuated against Filipinos since the early 1900s. (3) As confirmed by its participation in the January 6 insurrection, the rise of White Supremacy groups continue to pose a serious threat to the Constitution, to POC, Filipinos, and to open access to voting.

According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, the number of White Supremacist/Nationalist hate groups remain at high levels  — 940 in 2019, representing a 55 percent increase since 2017, the year Trump took office.  Today, hate groups are focusing their efforts at the state level — targeting voter suppression.  The Brennan Center for Justice reports that since the 2020 presidential election, 389 voter suppression bills in 48 states have been introduced.   Fourteen states have already enacted new laws that restrict access to the vote.  Many more bills are likely to become law since one-third of all state legislatures are still in session.  Egregious voter suppression bills include: banning snacks and water to those waiting in line; reducing polling place availability; shortening the time frame for voters to request a mail ballot; limiting the availability of mail drop boxes; imposing stricter signature requirements for mail voting; and limiting early voting days.

Hate group voter suppression efforts are largely in states controlled by Republican governors and legislatures.  Unless federal action is taken, these egregious bills are likely to become law.  In his April 28 State of the Union address President Joe Biden stated, “White Supremacy is the most lethal terrorist threat to America.”  On June 11 U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland announced an aggressive effort to fight policies and legislation that restrict voter access and discriminate against marginalized voters.  “Efforts to restrict voter access have relied on allegations of voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election that have been refuted by state and federal courts and by intelligence agencies,” said Garland.  Sadly however, the Voter Rights bill in the Congress forbidding suppression of the vote faces a doubtful future as Senate Republicans are threatening to use its filibuster rule to defeat the measure.  As this blog goes to press, the Voter Rights bill is yet to be approved.  Stay tuned.

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