The passing of giants

AMONG the best documentaries about Filipino-Americans that I have seen, "In No One's Shadow" and "Manong" shared one unfortunate coincidence. Two amazing filmmakers associated with them recently passed away, ironically in this month designated as Asian Pacific American Heritage Month.

"In No One's Shadow" was produced by the sibling team of Naomi and Antonio De Castro in 1988. This professionally crafted documentary, a staple on KQED and other public television stations, is narrated onscreen by Ray Gatchalian who recounts the history of Filipinos in America from the earliest settlements in Louisiana in the early 1800s to the arrival of the Sacadas in Hawaii in the early 1900s to the present. According to the book jacket of the video, "'In No One's Shadow' paints a comprehensive overview of Filipino-American history, tracing their rich and varied accomplishments and contributions to the United States."

But Ray Gatchalian's own uniquely inspiring storybook life could have used the same title. When he died, the San Francisco Chronicle honored him with a major story which began with this line: "Ray Gatchalian, a Vietnam veteran, peace activist, retired Oakland firefighter and documentary filmmaker who brought unwavering optimism to some of the world's most despairing places, died Sunday in a car accident in Chile. He had just celebrated his 57th birthday."

Ray was traveling in the Atacama mountains of Chile when his car flipped over. He somehow survived the accident and managed to hitch a ride with a truck driver who was heading down the mountain. Unfortunately, the truck driver miscalculated a turn and drove into a steep ravine killing both of them.

Ray was born in San Francisco where he attended local schools until he was drafted while a student at San Francisco State. He was sent to Vietnam where he served as a paramedic with the Green Berets.

After four years in Vietnam, Ray returned home to the Bay Area and enrolled at UC Berkeley. One year before graduating from UC Berkeley in 1974, Ray was hired as the first Pacific Islander in the Oakland Fire Department where he rose to the rank of captain in 1983.

In the 1990 Oakland Hills fire, Ray was cited for his heroism and leadership in rescuing trapped homeowners and directing the fire suppression efforts. When ABC produced a made-for-TV movie about the fire, Ray served as a technical adviser. He told me later that he was disappointed that ABC could not find a Filipino-American for his character, instead hiring an Italian to play a Latino.

Ray was a tireless workhorse. As the Chronicle piece noted, he organized doctors to donate their services to refugees, directed a month-long anti-violence vigil in Oakland, worked with incarcerated youth in Alameda and ran across the country to raise money for a memorial to Francis Scott Key.

After his involvement in the making of "In No One's Shadow" in 1988, Ray became a filmmaker traveling the world to places as varied as New York's ground zero, Mongolia, El Salvador and Chile.

Ray's documentary, "Unheard Voices," about US policy in El Salvador, was screened in the US Congress. At the time of his death, Ray was working on a film about the restoration of Buddhist monasteries in Tibet and about street children in Mongolia.

Ray never forgot his roots as he found time to remain active with the Filipino community in Oakland. He emceed a benefit film showing of Marilou Diaz Abaya's film, "Rizal," which inspired him to do research on Rizal's writings. Together with Terry Bautista, Ray was working on building a Filipino community center in Oakland similar to the three centers planned in San Francisco.

Terry sent an e-mail to all her friends about Ray's passing: "The loss of Ray is felt by many thousands of people around the globe who he embraced his spiritual journey, advocacy, and search for peace, which he took on full-time force after retiring from the Oakland Fire Department. I have yet to confront the reality of his passing, so young and still full of dreams that he would accomplish with more time. I ask, why was he chosen to pass over, too soon, too quickly, too abruptly. The shock seeps into my psyche bit by bit since I heard the news on Sunday by e-mail."

"In No One's Shadow" was produced by Visual Communications, a film/video company founded by Linda Mabalot. One of Linda's earliest films, "Manong," which was released in 1978, records the struggles of the first wave of Filipinos who came to the US, the manongs, and their contributions to the agricultural industry and the struggle to build a Filipino community. "It tells of their decades in the farmland and canneries in the West Coast and the bachelor society which lingers today."

As her friend, Florante Ibanez, wrote: "Linda advocated for the democratization of media in which communities control, own and produce their truthful images. Linda also believed that with access to the technologies and the delivery systems, the voices and stories from communities of color will have an impact to effect positive social change."

There are few if any parks, streets, or schools named after outstanding Filipino-Americans because we don't do enough to honor their memories. Please, let's find some way to honor these two great and honorable giants of our community.

Send comments to Rodel50@aol.com or to 2429 Ocean Avenue, San Francisco, California 94127.