PETER’S PATTER – FEBRUARY 2015

Pinakbet – Bridge Generation News

Leading off today’s blog is my fond remembrance of two great Washington State IndoPino (Indian/Filipino) leaders — Bernie Whitebear (nee Reyes), Chief/CEO of Seattle’s United Indians of All Tribes/Daybreak Star Cultural Center and Joe DeLacruz, Chief of the coastal Quinault Tribe for 22 years. Both of their Filipino fathers married Native American women and became fully integrated into Indian culture.  Both were leaders in the takeover and subsequent occupation of the just-closed U.S. Army base at Fort Lawton in 1970. Both were heavily involved in civil rights, not only for Native Americans but also for Filipino American causes as well. Both went on to develop lasting programs and to erect impressive buildings for their people that were models for other Indian nations. Both became nationally respected leaders. Both died in 2000.  I am proud to have known and worked with both of them, especially Bernie — a regular at many of my old Seattle haunts………. Congratulations to Nadene Suguitan for shooting a hole in one at the Woodhaven Country Club golf course in Palm Desert CA on January 7.  The rare achievement shouldn’t be surprising.  Nadene, along with her husband Art, was usually among the top golfers at Filipino American old-timer reunions………. Talking about old-timer reunions, Ed and Beverly Ventura recently celebrated their 22^nd anniversary, a romance that got its start at the 1991 San Ramon Reunion……… In an earlier blog I mentioned that 80s-something Ernie Cabreana continues to travel far and wide on his motorcycle, El Diablo.  What I failed to mention was that the side seat on El Diablo was always occupied by his beloved late wife, Iree.  Ernie also played an important role in Filipino American history.  As the co-founder and then President of the Central Coast Chapter (Santa Maria CA) of the Filipino American National Historical Society, he led the successful 1995 effort that established an historical marker in Morro Bay commemorating the first landing of a Filipino in 1587 on what is now U.S. soil…….. Former Sacramento Filipino Youth Association basketball player Bobby Edralin of Elk Grove CA is keeping busy remodeling homes with the able support of his wife, Irene ………… You may remember the 1960s folk singing New Christy Minstrels and The Association among whose big hits were “Along Came Mary”, “Never My Love”, “Windy”, and “Cherish”.  What you may not recall is that their co-lead singer/ukulele and banjo player was Hawaii native Hilario “Larry” Ramos.  Larry was professionally unrecognized even though, as the only person of color on the Associations, his image was most visible on a popular album cover.  His obscurity continued into his retirement years in Grangeville, Idaho whose residents were unaware of his earlier entertainment life………..Carey Tenio, 89, entered into rest at her Stockton home on January 16 with her many loved ones at her bedside.  Born in Hawaii in 1925 a few years after her parents’ immigration from Bohol, Philippines, she moved to Stockton with her family in 1933 where she remained for the rest of her life.  With Carey’s passing, the only surviving sibling of what once were eight Tenio children is Josie Canion, the well-known jazz diva…………  Thanks to Gemma Nemenza, editor of the weekly internet magazine Positively Filipino for running the story of the genesis of the term “Bridge Generation” that defines second generation Filipino Americans. It was featured in the magazine’s January 28^th issue.

 Filipino American News Across The Country

Who says Filipino food isn’t popular?  When you compare the popularity of Filipino cuisine among states to the national average, Filipino cuisine is disproportionately most popular in the states of Nevada and Hawaii.  The findings are according to a study conducted by food reviewer Yelp and published by the Huffington Post, the internet magazine.  Nevada was found to be a surprising 277% higher while Hawaii was a whopping 809% higher than the national average.  California cuisine came in at 226% higher but was barely edged out by Taiwanese food for first place in the state………. Kudos to Charise Pempengco, who plays Sunshine Corazon on the Fox-TV show Glee for the courage to come out as gay in an interview on the Philippine TV program The Buzz in 2013.  Filipinos are not always as understanding of the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, Transgender) community………… Speaking of TV, Dean Devlin, the former actor, is the producer of the new TNT-TV show The Librarians…….. Check out the new single video “Uptown Funk” featuring Bruno Mars.  His singing and dancing reminds many of a present day Michael Jackson…………. It was good to hear from Tony Grafilo, the former San Francisco anti-Marcos activist now living in Hawaii.  I haven’t seen him since the early 1970s when Tony could usually be found by looking for his signature red bandana……….. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio continues to add to his already impressive number of Filipino American appointees.  The latest to join NY city government is Carmelyn Malalis who was appointed Chair, Commission on Human Rights in December……….With the production of a three minute trailer, an important first step was taken to film a movie based on Peter Bacho’s award winning book Cebu. Here’s wishing the trailer evolves into a full length movie.………… Allan Pineda, better known as apl.de.ap, rapper and member of the Grammy winning Black Eyed Peas, has joined the promotional effort to convert the former U.S. Clark Air Base in the Philippines into a commercial venture, thus providing some relief to overcrowded Manila. Pineda is a dual citizen of the Philippines and the U.S………. Did you know that the top two city officials of Colma CA — Mayor Joanne Del Rosario and Deputy Mayor Diana Colvin — are Pinays?  Colma consists of 1,500 interred souls and  1,400 living residents, is euphemistically called the “City of the Silent”.   Its website boasts, “It’s great to be alive in Colma”.