Bridge Generation News

Personality of the Month: Carlene (Sobrino) Bonnivier, 79: Her remarkable story began with her arrival in Los Angeles from the Philippines in 1940 as the yet to be born baby of her mother, Marciana (Sobrino) Bonnivier — then in her eighth month of pregnancy.  Just two weeks after their arrival, her father, Gerhard Gustav Bonnivier, an enlisted man with the U.S. Army, passed away from leukemia.  Then on February 12 just two weeks after her father’s passing Carlene was born, thus leaving her, her mother and older sister Mary, alone in a strange land. Her growing up years were spent around various Filipino enclaves of LA’s Temple Street, in the area now known as Filipinotown.  Life was not easy; the two girls were often unsupervised while her mother worked at a factory for eighteen cents an hour.  Carlene remembers her mother describing their early years as agwanta lang (bearing up to hardship).  Moreover, growing up in the tough, ethnically diverse, Temple Street neighborhood was often confusing, especially since she had a strong Scandinavian resemblance to her Swedish father. Until she was  seven she thought she was “half American and half Catholic”.  At fifteen she “was one signature away from going to Juvenile Hall”.  When she was seventeen she decided to leave Filipinotown and move to Washington D.C. to live with an aunt.  In the nation’s capital, she soon found herself working – in rapid succession — as a White House administrative assistant, on a project for Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, and for a Congressmen.  The ensuing years were spent volunteering with the Peace Corps and Teacher Corps, traveling to forty countries, and even trekking in the Himalayas.  But between travels she always returned to the familiar confines of Filipinotown.  Since 2007 she has resided in Los Angeles but never far from her old neighborhood.  In 2010, together with Gerald Gubatan and Gregory Villanueva, Carlene began a series of workshops in and around Los Angeles gathering stories from old-timer Filipinos who resided in Filipinotown.  Their work resulted in an anthology “Filipinotown: Voices from Los Angeles”, published in 2014.  Carlene’s latest effort was producing, and writing the script and lyrics for “WARRIOR – The Musical” in 2018 — inspired by the long struggle of manongs against eviction from the International Hotel in San Francisco……………… Milestones: (1) Among her many relatives and friends, Leatrice “Letty” (Bantillo) Perez celebrated her 90th birthday at the Red Orchid restaurant in Stockton on January 19.  Letty is a former president of the FANHS Stockton chapter and the only surviving charter member of the Trinity Presbyterian (Filipino) Church.  (2) The usually reticent George Jamero was at his entertaining best as he alternately toasted/roasted his relatives at the fun-filled observance of his 80th birthday in Atwater CA on January 13.  Clearly surprised, George was speechless when greeted by the “Happy Birthday” cheers from the “six-generation in America” Jamero  family. (3) On December 30 Ed and Beverly (Daquioag) Ventura celebrated their 26th wedding anniversary in Sacramento.  Their romance, along with several other couples, began at the 1992 Grand Reunion of Bridge Generation Filipino Americans in San Ramon CA…………….. You are urged to visit the Kitsap County Historical Museum on Bainbridge Island WA.  There you will view the wonderful “Exhibit of the Indipino (mixed heritage peoples of indigenous and Filipino descent) Community of Bainbridge Island”, which will open on March 9 and remain through September.   Thanks to Joann Oligario who led the community effort, the exhibit captures the history of this island community — born from the intermarriage of indigenous Canadian First Nation and Native American women to immigrant Filipino manongs.  A brief history: Japanese immigrant families began farming strawberries in 1907. Single Filipino immigrant men joined the labor force during the 1920-30s, working side by side with the Japanese families.  In February 1942, with the relocation of persons of Japanese ancestry to remote concentration camps, many Filipinos were entrusted by the Japanese strawberry land owners to look after their farms.  However, the timing could not have been worse.  The rapidly ripening strawberries needed to be picked immediately or the valuable crop would be a total loss. First Nation migrant families from Canada were quickly recruited. The 1942 strawberry harvest was saved! Perhaps as important, this was also the beginning of the Indipino Community of Bainbridge Island! Filipinos married First Nation Canadian and Native American women; strawberry farms were purchased; children soon followed; an organization was incorporated; a farm cooperative was established; an annual Strawberry Festival was celebrated; the Indipino community flourished.  A Filipino Community Center was also built and when it needed rehabilitation and repair during the 1990s, their children — now Bridge Generation Indipino adults — championed the successful effort.  However, life on the island wasn’t always ideal.  During the 1970s, racial discrimination against Indipino high school students reached critical levels — so critical that  Seattle Bridge Generation activists Bob Santos (RIP), Tony Ogilvie, and I were invited by Indipino students to assist in their quest to better deal with their treatment at the high school.  (A documentary DVD — “Island Roots: A historic Portrait of the Bainbridge Island Filipino American Community” — is available from the Kitsap County Historical Museum.)………Did You Know:  Long-time family friend and Stockton CA native Frank Carido was the Banning High School (Wilmington CA) quarterback in 1967-68 just before future University of California Berkeley and Los Angeles Rams signal caller Vince Ferragamo took over in 1969-70.  The enthusiastic and energetic Frank still coaches football in Southern California……………… Happy March Birthdays to: Corinne (Artiaga) Fontanilla, Bob Balandra, Tony Bucol, Eleanor (Engkabo) Paular, David Galanida, Joe Jamero, Dolores (Ladaga) Abasolo, Manuel Luna, Rich Tenaza, Ed Ventura.

Pinakbet — News Across America

Pediatric cardiologist, naval officer, and historian Virgilio Pilapil, MD, 80, of Springfield IL, died on Wednesday, January 16, 2019 at the city’s Memorial Medical Center. The first physician to join the Filipino American National Historical Society, Dr. Pilapil was an early member of the FANHS Board of Trustees and later served as two-term National President. Gil was also a prolific writer of quirky Filipino contributions to America.  He researched and published (1) American place names with Philippine origins; and (2) the popularization of the term “hot dogs”. Possessing a medical degree from the Far Eastern University in Manila, Dr. Pilapil was a pediatric cardiologist for 36 years at the Springfield Clinic and had a private practice. He attained the rank of Captain in the U.S. Navy and Naval Reserve for which he served for 30 years. Born on March 10, 1938 in Cavite, Philippines Dr. Pilapil is survived by his wife of 59 years, Elena E. Pilapil and four children. I was privileged to work with Gil on many FANHS projects and knew him as a responsible family man and a proud Filipino American.  He will be sorely missed…………… Marc de la Cruz celebrated the start of the New Year on January 21 by debuting as the first Filipino American and first Asian American to play the lead role in the Broadway mega-hit Hamilton.  Of Filipino and Japanese descent, Marc was born in Hawaii…………… In the November election Filipina American war veteran, single mother, and lesbian Democratic candidate Gina Ortiz-Jones lost by less than 1000 votes in her close race for Congress for the sprawling Texas 23^rd Congressional District which runs across the southern border.  She is expected to again run for Congress in 2020……………….. Leo Flor was recently appointed as Director, King County Department of Community and Human Services by King County Executive Dow Constantine.  A West Point graduate with a law degree from the University of Washington, Flor is responsible for a department budget of $1.5 billion.  According to long time DCHS employee Jackie Berganio, Flor’s first priority is to deal more effectively with homelessness.  DCHS was created in 1983 to meet growing human service needs of the county.  Flor is the second Filipino American to head DCHS.  The first?  Your faithful blogger.

Musings

The Gillette Razor Company recently issued an ad encouraging its male customers to learn from last year’s #metoo phenomenon.  I was so taken by its effectiveness I posted it on Facebook.  The responses to my post: 100% women; 0% men………….. Much has been written of Donald Trump’s proposed wall on the south border as having no factual basis or economic benefit. But doesn’t it also actually symbolize keeping out people considered to be undesirable — such as persons of color, foreigners, religions (but not Norwegians and other Whites? Isn’t it really similar to keeping animals out as recently voiced by Donald Trump Jr.?   Isn’t it really a symbol of white supremacy, racism?  Isn’t it really a subconscious substitute for white resentment of being gradually replaced by the ever-growing number of  racial minorities?……………. If there is any doubt about the Trump Administration’s attitude towards Filipinos, it should have been dispelled by the Administration’s decision to halt work visas for Filipinos from the Philippines………….. Countdown: Minus 10 months and growing: For the Board of Trustees, Filipino American National Historical Society — who have program and fiduciary responsibility — to provide critically needed financing to assure keeping open the Filipino American Museum in Stockton, the historic center of Filipino immigration.

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