Kudos to the FANHS Rio Grande Chapter for a memorable and well-organized conference, especially when considering the chapter has only been in existence for less than five years. “On Time” was the by-word for plenary/workshop sessions, entertainment venues, and the Saturday evening gala. Presenters were well prepared and instructive. The hotel staff did yeoman work in accommodating its conference guests.

It has been my privilege to attend virtually all of the national conferences since FANHS’ inception. This was one of best. Particular thanks go to hard-working co-chairs Emilie Underwood and Ester Tambor; President Pearl King; founding chapter president, Dr. Dely Alcantara; the ubiquitous and tireless Cris Underwood; as well as the entire chapter membership and its legion of volunteers – Well done!

And to underscore its significance, the conference fell on the 30th anniversary of FANHS – a most fitting way to celebrate the founding of the organization, now 28 chapters strong.

Pre-conference events, Wednesday, June 27– Tour of Santa Fe and Welcoming Reception in Old Town Albuquerque

Eighty-five hardy FANHS conference-goers piled into a bus and two vans to tour the historic State Capital of Santa Fe, a forty mile trip from Albuquerque. Santa Fe has the little-known distinction of being the oldest capital city in the U.S. In the past, it also served as the territorialcapital when it was under Spanish and Mexican rule, which is reflected in the architecture of Santa Fe’s buildings and churches. Today, Santa Fe is perhaps best known as an artist colony, where expensive homes of Hollywood and other luminaries of the artistic and entertainment worlds dot the landscape.

Our first stop was at the Museum of Folk Art, featuring international collections of artistic works made from everyday materials. There must have been thousands of small individual items on display. Of particular fascination to me were the intricate objects depicting long-ago scenes of historic New Mexico. We next toured the St. Francis Cathedral and Basilica, perhaps most reflective of the city’s Spanish and Mexican heritage. It was also where we enjoyed a bag lunch and refreshments, a most welcome respite from the intense high-desert heat of Santa Fe. Near the cathedral was the Miracle Stairway of the Loretto Chapel, so named because of a long stairway that seemingly has no supporting structure.

On our return trip we stopped at the Pueblo Indian Reservation where we learned of the daily life on a reservation. We gathered at the Santo Domingo Catholic Church which, with its wooden beams and adobe walls, reminded me of the Father Junipero Serra missions in California. The reservation is self-sufficient, with several established businesses, schools, fire department, reservation hall, and parks.

As we reached the outskirts of Albuquerque, we toured the Bataan Death March Memorial, a series of large standing plaques depicting the mass march of American and Philippine military men to concentration camps following the fall of Bataan to the Japanese in the early days of World War II. The death march included a large contingent of New Mexico reservists who were called to active duty just prior to the onset of WWII. One plaque was totally devoted to a long list of New Mexico men who perished during the forced march.

Our day would not have been possible without the able assistance of the knowledgeable Dr. Ted Jojola of the University of New Mexico who served as our tour guide throughout the day. Great job, Dr. Ted!

The final stop of this full day of pre-conference events was the evening Welcoming Reception in Albuquerque’s historic Old Town Plaza. A delicious array of foods native to the New Mexico area greeted us famished tour-goers. Following our dinner, we were treated to a wonderful program of songs and dances celebrating the history of the Philippines – from pre-historic and pre-colonial days, to the coming of Spaniards, and finally, to the Americanization of the Philippines.

Conference Highlights – Thursday-Sunday, June 28-July 1

The conference opened with an inspiring talk at the morning plenary session by outgoing national president, Vangie Canonizado Buell, who provided a review of the history of FANHS.

Except for the Author’s Reception on Thursday evening when I was able to promote both of my books, I had not initially planned on personally participating in conference presentations. Rather, I preferred to take in as many presentations as possible and to visit with old friends. But then, I accepted a request from Dr. Juanita Tamayo Lott to be a panelist on Filipino American Experiences in Washington D.C.to speak on how my years in the nation’s capital influenced me socio-politically. Particular emphasis was placed on my experience in policy development, events such as the Vietnam War and the 1968 riots, and my role during the ensuing Poor People’s Campaign and Resurrection City encampment.

I also agreed to narrate my chapterin my first book (translated into a play) on growing up as a six-year old — one of eight acts in the East Bay Chapter’s presentation that was based on stories in the anthology Seven Card Stud with Seven Manangs Wild as edited by Helen Toribio, Vangie Canonizado Buell, Liz Megino, and Terry Bautista. I naively thought I could make both presentations and still be free to go to other conference offerings and to visit friends.

However, I hadn’t anticipated that much of my conference time would be taken up with a number ofrehearsals for the play. As it turned out, however, I enjoyed my rehearsal time with the othercast members.Theyfelt the same way and our Friday evening performance received a standing ovation from the enthusiastic audience. Much of the play’s success goes to Ann Fajilan, professor of dance and drama at Cal State University Hayward (CA), who skillfully whipped us amateur actors into performance shape. Thank you Ann! Thanks too to playwright Cecilia Gaerlan who turned my chapter prose into play form…..Last but hardly least, hats off to young Adrian Sobredo who played me as a child in the play and my brother Herb Jamero who played my father – both turned in superb performances.

My home-base chapter, Central Valley (CA) FANHS, contributed several presentations. The first was a roundtable entitled “Talk Story” that featured personal stories by Dina Peralta Contreras, Barbara Nambatac Geyer, Nina Gonzalez, and Bob Lunain the self-published anthology of the same name. (By the way, Dina and Barbara – first time conference goers –along with my brothers Herb, George, and me traveled by train to the conference, a memorable trip that took 24 hours each way.)

The panel “Growing Up Brown” included sisters Andrea Dacuyan Gimeno and Connie Gin-Alcordo who entertained the audience with humorous vignettes on growing up in the small farming town of Winton CA. Finally, in the workshop “Planting Seeds, Preserving History”,my brother Herb’s granddaughter, Melissa Jamero, produced a video/film focusing on her grandfather and the Jamero family. It was a wonderful production by this young, recent UCLA graduate on the significant influences that her grandfather and her extended family had on her during her developing years. The lively discussion by Herb and Melissa with the audience that followed further enhanced the excellence of the video/film.

Other highlights: Raymond Townsend, the former UCLA All-American basketball player and one of the first Filipino Americans to star in the National Basketball Association, who delivered an inspiring speech at the Saturday night Gala. Raymond is the eldest son of the late Virginia Rugnao Townsend, who shared a duplex with my sister, the late Paula Burila, and my wife Terri and me when we were all struggling students at San Jose State in the early 1950s…..The Friday noon plenary session “The Delano Grape Strike and Larry Itliong” featuring Larry’s son Johnny – an emotional tribute to the famed Filipino leader who led the 1965 Delano strike and later co-founded the United Farm Workers of America…..Gregg Bambo’s inspiring presentation of rising from humble beginnings in the farming community of Salinas CA to become the first Filipino American to fly as a U.S. Navy aviator and later as a pilot with Western and Delta Airlines…..A panel on Filipino American Food History with Dorothy Cordova, Emily Porcincula Lawsin, and Dawn Mabalon that offered tasty morsels to hungry audience participants…..A whole host of “How To” presentations ranging from journal-writing to researching Filipino American history to digital storytelling…..Despite my above musings to the contrary, I still had plenty of time to visit with old friends, especially the following folks from my old base of operations in Seattle: Sonny and Evelyn Tangalin, Tony Ogilvie, Larry Flores, Pio DeCano, Peter Bacho, Al Acena, Fred and Dorothy Cordova, and John and Marya Bergstrom; also Bridge Generation friends, all regulars at California old timer reunions: Phil and Darline Ventura, Nena Calica, Gregg Bambo, Art and Helen Villarruz, Vince Gimeno, and Bob and Joyce Balandra.

The Sunday Mass officiated by Archbishop Michael Sheehan of the Santa Fe Diocese and assisted by Deacon Fred Cordova of Seattle WA and Deacon Roland Rowland of Detroit MI, both FANHS members, brought a fitting spiritual end to FANHS’ 14th Biennial National Conference. The conference will be remembered as one of the most successful national conferences ever.

Thanks again to the hardworking members of the Rio Grande Chapter of FANHS. You made us proud!

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