Bridge Generation News

(Today’s Bridge Generation — now in their 70s, 80s, and 90s — is 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 is a recurring feature of this blog.  This issue remembers musician Larry Ramos, 1942-2014.)

Born Hilario Ramos, Jr. in the small Hawaiian plantation town of Waimea, Kaua’i on April 19 1942, Larry’s early years gave every indication he was destined to be an entertainer.  When he was only four his father taught him how to play the ukulele.  He spent hours practicing on the floor of the hotel gift shop where his mother Patrocia worked.  Larry even slept with his ukulele so he could practice when he arose in the morning!  Perhaps it was inevitable that he made his entertainment debut at the precocious age of seven on the “Arthur Godfrey and Friends” television show, strumming his ukulele along with  Godfrey playing his own uke. Young Larry was also a dancer and an actor.  At age five he and his older sister won a statewide dancing contest. In 1947 he was cast in the film “Pagan Love Song” starring aquatic star Esther Williams.  And at age 13, he acted in the national tour of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical “The King and I,” playing the crown prince of Thailand opposite the king, Yul Brynner.

When Larry was older, he mastered the banjo and guitar in addition to the ukulele, which together with his singing, led to opportunities in folk music.  First, with the “New Christy Minstrels” and then with “The Associations.” His television debut with the Minstrels’ audition for the “Andy Williams Show” almost did not happen.  The CBS-TV producers questioned the wisdom of featuring a group with a non-White performer.  After several agonizing weeks, the producers relented.  It was the first but not the last racist incident Larry would encounter as a performer.  Guy Aoki, President of Media Action Network for Asian Americans recalled, “Ramos was subjected to racial barbs…and he had to confront suspicious whites when the group toured the South.  He helped this country get used to someone who wasn’t white or black but Asian with a brown face.” The New Christy Minstrels’ debut album won a Grammy in 1963.

While Larry spent four productive years with the Minstrels, he experienced his greatest fame with The Associations.  He sang co-leads on “Windy” in 1967 and on “Never My Love” in 1969.  Both songs earned Grammy Gold awards.  He also rendered memorable performances on megahits “Cherish” and “Along Comes Mary.” According to the 1999 BMI poll, “Never My Love” was the second-most played and performed song on TV and radio in the poll’s history — ahead of the Beatles’ “Yesterday” and just behind the Righteous Brothers’ “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling.”  While with The Associations, Larry won six Golds and four Platinum awards.  In recognition of his many contributions to The Association’s success, he was chosen as the group’s leader in 1984.

Health issues ultimately led to Larry’s retirement as a performer.  In 2011 he suffered a heart attack.  In 2013 he was diagnosed with metastatic melanoma, a skin cancer.  Knowing he didn’t have long to live, he wanted to do two more shows.  The first was in his native Hawaii where he attracted scores of relatives, friends, and fans.  The second show was scheduled in his adopted home of Grangeville ID — the home town of Helene, his wife of 50 years and where he had resided since 1995.  However, he was so weakened by the time of the Idaho event, it was cancelled.  He died in Clarkston WA on April 30, 2014 at age 72.

Passings: 

Conchita “Connie” (Dacuyan) Gin-Alcordo, 83, in Modesto CA on February 15, 2022.  Connie was born on August 29, 1938 in Merced CA, the youngest of six children of Filipino immigrants Felix Dacuyan from the island of Leyte and Florencia Martina Catiel of Siquijor Province.  She grew up at her parent’s farm labor camp in Winton CA.  A graduate of San Jose State University, she worked as a Clinical Laboratory Scientist. To her credit Connie persevered and succeeded in a profession that was not always friendly to women or Filipinos.  A devoted wife, mother, and grandmother, she also was  committed to her community as she actively served on numerous non-profit organizations.  In remembrance, her family established a scholarship in her name with the Central Valley Chapter of FANHS…………. After a happy marriage of 63 years, perhaps it was fated that Gerald “Jerry” and Gloria (Magpiong) Salac of San Jose CA would pass within days of one another. A Santa Clara County juvenile probation officer before his retirement, Jerry, 85, died on January 6.  Gloria, 86, a technical writer for an electronics systems company, passed away a week later on January 13.  Their parents, from the tiny island of Siquijor, were part of the Manong Generation immigration of the 1920-30s. Most Siquijor immigrants were blood relatives (typical of inhabitants from tiny islands) and were close-knit, almost clannish.  Their American born offspring maintained the same tradition of closeness — reflected by the large turnout of several generations of Siquijor descendants at the January 28 joint funeral services…………. After a long illness Virginia (Zambra) Melear, 89, of Stockton CA, died on January 14, 2022.  She was a founding member of the Stockton Chapter of FANHS.  Surviving are her brother Simon Zambra, Jr., two daughters, six grandchildren and eleven great grandchildren.  (It was my privilege to have known them well —  Connie and Jerry from infancy when Connie was called “Bibi” and Jerry was known as “Dolly-boy”; Gloria and Virgie since 1952.)

Oops:

Clarifications to last month’s feature on Lois Fleming: (1) She was the youngest of two girls– not the oldest. (2) Her minority contracting involvement was with the U.S. Civil Service Commission — not ACE. (3) Seattle ended housing discrimination in 1969 — not 1963.

 Happy April Birthdays: Mel LaGasca, Patti (Monares) Greathouse, Esther (Navarro) Romero, Dolores (Rosales) Supat, Art Villarruz.

Pinakbet — News Across America

Filipino American Historical Tidbits:

By 1932 anti-miscegenation laws prohibiting marriage between Whites and “Mongolians,” “Negroes,” and “Indians” were widespread in America. Salvador Roldan, sued the State of California, arguing Filipinos were “Malay” — not “Mongolian”.   While he won his suit, victory was short.  Lawmakers simply added “Malay” to the legislation.

Did You Know:

Marc Anthony Nicolas is the consulting producer of The Kelly Clarkson Show on NBC. The two-time Emmy Award-winning producer was inducted into “The Asian Hall of Fame” in 2019 and recognized as one of the “100 Most Influential Filipino Americans” in 2020.

An Unexpected Death:

For 25 years, residents of the Central Valley city of Merced CA watched Filipino American police officer Bob Luna cruise the streets on a Police Department-issued bicycle or squad car, helping to keep the city safe.  In late January 2022, city residents, the law enforcement community, and the Filipino community — unaware that the now retired 66 year old Officer Luna was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer within the past few weeks — were shocked on learning of his passing.  The large turnout at his February 18 funeral services at St. Patrick’s Catholic Parish was a testament to the high regard the community held for Officer Luna.  Uniformed law enforcement personnel attended in force, as did the Filipino community and ordinary citizens.  In recognition of his years as supervising officer of the department’s Explorer Scouts program, dozens of present and past members were also there to bid farewell to the person who taught them character development, respect for the rule of law, physical fitness, good citizenship, and patriotism.  (See my January 2015 blog for more on Bob.)

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 XIX:

Last month’s blog identified People of Color as a major reason for White grievance that contributed to the January 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol by pro-Trump insurrectionists. White grievance has led to the weakening of American democracy — with negative impacts on POC.  Following are few examples: The skyrocketing growth of voter suppression/election subversion state laws (POC are its targets), takeover of the Republican Party by the radical right (opposing Democrats and President Biden are its only issues), hate ideology in Congress (failure to pass the Voting Rights Bill), and the autocratic Trump years (building the wall).

How concerned are Americans about the weakening of democracy and its impacts on POC?  According to recent polls, Americans are more concerned about the pandemic, the price of gasoline, and the economy — not about threats to democracy.  I grew up during World War II.  I can’t help but compare today’s indifference to threats to democracy with Americans’ sacrifices following Pearl Harbor.  Then, men enlisted in the armed forces by the millions, women took over non-traditional jobs such as those popularized by “Rosie, the Riveter”, children saved foil from cigarette packs, everyone collected scrap iron, Americans readily accepted gasoline and food rationing, victory gardens sprouted across the country — and POC worked in non-menial jobs.

Does American indifference regarding threats to democracy mean the U.S. is destined to become an autocracy? Will POC continue to be devalued? (To be continued.)

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