Other Faces, Other Lives

00:13 Ready to go in about 30 seconds get a shot.

00:24 But it’s very nice of you to allow us to come and visit with you this afternoon.

00:29 It’s our pleasure.

00:34 Can we start now? All right. Did Lily tell you what this taping is all about? Yeah.

00:45 I was just really wondering what is going to be understood now?

00:51 Yeah.

00:54 Okay, I think we’re ready.

00:56 Okay. Would it be better if I said over on the other side maybe or no? I either. Yeah, that would be okay. Don’t have to keep looking at me this way.

01:08 I want them to look at you. Yeah. And the latest coming from so it’s really better. You’re

01:15 talking to her? We’re talking to her.

01:19 I know. I know. How should I address Mr. Callao? Oh, Mr. Callao. Oh, no. (unintelligible)

01:37 I would address the question to both of you. When did you first come to the United States? Well, Mr. Callao out I remember my new my dad was at the start on school. My dad was that again? 1928. Because you

02:11 and then then where are you in about that time?

02:19 What town?

02:21 Can San Francisco

02:23 No, when we came here?

02:28 When you first came to America, you were in what place?

02:33 Well,

02:36 independent San Francisco. We were in San Francisco when we first came up to San Francisco.

02:45 Maybe would you rather that you maybe I talk to you more today? (unintelligible) Okay.
Um, intention I managed to find out on History News, Idaho. So then when Mrs. Callao, how did, how did both of you come to live in Idaho?

03:12 My son was in the Air Force here in Mountain Home, Idaho. And well, when he was discharged, he thought maybe he would like to stay here. And as a matter of fact, he got married here. And then that time my husband also had a car accident in California and California was really getting so crowded that I feel it was good for us to be in a smaller place. When really, when we first game here. Boise was small, really
Smaller than it is now? older than fair. As matter of fact for the mobile home that we have. We it was in a one acre and a half, almost pasture, pasture land. And now for 21 years. You’ll see subdivision and in the street fair we has so many subdivisions, big condominiums and all the pasture land here is a big big business case for like Albertson and all the big, big firms. IBM and all that.

04:48 Coming from there. Did I hear you say you came from California. Coming from California. How did you find Idaho? How did you find Boise Idaho?

04:58 Like I said, My son was here. He was in the Air Force. And we come and visit him every summer. And when my husband retired, he and his wife thought, maybe come and retire here. So that’s how we came in here.

05:18 What changes have you seen in Boise since you came?

05:24 In what way?

05:26 changes in the way people live changes in the way children are being raised or?

05:36 Like, when we first came here, really, I was lost. Because when we came here, we saw only… Well, my son was the only Filipino here. But then, a month later, we saw another Filipino married to American. Then, from there, I tried to inquire where Filipinos are, Filipinos are, if there are any Filipinos around. And so we, this is kind of funny when we saw this. So it was a funeral that that started us to see a Filipino in Caldwell. And that’s how it is. And then we saw also a dis, those who are good, those who are heading their naturalization a Filipina girl, and we traced we didn’t know her address, but we trace it through the post office. And through her she introduce a couple. We visited this couple. And you can believe it this couple. The first time we met. They, they were very, very like, they were our children, or they were We were their parents. And from then on that was in 1968. Till now they call us mom and pa. That’s very nice. And we were really good. We can adapt them to be our children

07:26 Are they Fillipino also?

07:29 The lady is a Filipino. She is (unintelligible). And the husband is, of course America. He was but he was a servicemen who stayed up in for a long time in Clark Air Force Base in the Philippines. And he is more of adapting our ways. Yeah.

07:58 I understand your husband was the minister at one time?

08:04 He in 1933 or 32. He was just volunteering us to work, to work for, among the Filipinos volunteering, because we didn’t have a church or we didn’t. You know, we that time that they, they never even tried to give a chance for the Filipinos to have a place to worship. We had been worse being from place to place. And even, that he tried his very best until he was given a church. Heaven have met this and Presbyterian, but the Methodist did not did not fulfill the promise of heaven. So the Presbyterian gave scholarship to my husband to go to the San Francisco Theological Seminary for the Presbyterian. When he graduated them, then we have a church. He organized the church. They didn’t really leave the church, we organized the church and the American churches had been a cooperating with us until we were connected with board of national mission.

09:37 And how long did he preach?

09:39 He was… Since he excluding his volunteers. He preached for almost almost 39 years.

09:52 How old is Reverend Callao? How old are you sir?

09:59 90.

10:01 1990, yeah, right,

10:02 And you, Mrs. Callao?

10:05 82 almost 83.

10:10 So you came to Boise, when your son invited you to come and stay? How did you how did the church help you with your integration or social interactions in the community?

10:25 In here? Yes.
What do you say, when, we came here, we selected the church that we were going to, then we selected a smaller church, which was called the second Presbyterian Church, it was just a small church. And at that time, since my husband was still strong, strong and able to help, he was asked to help in ways, some ways in the church that said, but then, when he was not able anymore, we just go for our regular church attendance, like me, too, we are used to help but now I cannot do anything anymore, because I have to put all my care for him. But in spite, because we were not able to do more of our church to to the church. Since we have few Filipino couples here, families here then few, maybe there were about three or four. And we started like, say, suppose instead of just visiting one another, we will just have to, we will make it this way. He said, We will visit you Sunday, and then we extend and the other Sunday, and then the other Sunday. And you know, how Filipinos are when you visit, you have some something to eat. And it became to be that this young couples, Filipino couples, they feel that we being as elderly, they have that respect. And they said, well, it is really nice that they said yes. Really nice. So what is that? Well, I will give you another proposition is that instead of just visiting and eating, he said, We suppose we will have a prayer meeting first, or study the Bible and then after that, then we visit it. And we did that for years, until he was not able to see his eyes had been now damaged with a car accident in 66 and we can use it then. So he said well, I think I can’t help anymore. So that’s what it is.

13:07 Can, can you share with us some of your memorable experiences? Perhaps both in California and here in Idaho?

13:18 What would you say are your memorable experiences that could be either something positive or negative? Or what are some of the things that you remember the most?

13:33 Any questions you want to Yeah Can we just disconnect this Yeah, no? Let me do it for you…

13:56 I can I can ask another question which is, what other what other Asian groups out there in Boise and do you do things with them together socially?

14:10 No. Yes our

14:12 could you get closer?

14:17 yes our groups

14:21 you You mean you keep to Filipinos you interact with Filipinos mostly? Why is that you think?

14:30 When we came here there is no Filipino the Oba yes sir but one family. Only one family only when we came here, right? Yeah, yes. Yeah, yeah. And then (unintelligible) just like this?

15:04 There are many. There are really many of them. But, of course, everybody seems to be working. And we have, when, sometime how many years ago that we have when we were having about, say maybe about more five or six families, we started to have, we he inspired them to that we should be having a community, community, Filipino community. And so it was organized, we have organized and we have all these Park picnics and parties. And mostly we have this every Christmas or having a Christmas party for the kids especially and it was improving, it was really improving. But then, when he was not strong enough, they were running it themselves. So I don’t know how it’s going now.

16:14 Do you do do any activities with say the members of the Chinese community or the Japanese community in the area? No.

16:25 No,It’s not the fact that we didn’t even have any Japanese group that we know. Yes. And even nothing but Chinese.

16:44 Filipino when we came here, there is only one Filipino No.

17:01 One what they do isn’t even one one that says they’re married. They’re married (unintelligible)

17:12 Just one family. Right now how many families

17:22 there are many. There are many now.

17:27 What? It sounded to me like at the beginning, you were you’re there were just not many Filipinos and you were about the only ones. What made you stay that long in Idaho? What made you?

17:41 Well, my son was here.

17:44 Can you tell us how many children you have? Three boys.

17:47 I mean, three, two boys and one girl.

17:52 Can you tell us a little bit about them? Yes.

17:54 Well, my junior course. Like I said, we only came here because he was dismissed from the Air Force then. And he, he was working here with BLM. And now he is trying to, he’s having his own business now like, maintain, like maintainence in repairing buildings. And his wife runs their a little restaurant and invoicing in Nampa. in Nampa, they moved to Nampa. And that’s it about him. And the other one is a psychologist and he he has his office, but he is mostly working for the adolescent hospital. And he teaches also part time in Idaho college. Here in Caldwell, yes. He seemed to be very busy right now. He got two children. His wife is a teacher also in the elementary school. Course my daughter is a certified teacher too. But she did not go on. She just worked for the IBM for a while, for maybe about 10 years. Then the husband decided that they would buy an orchard in Emmet. So they were to do orchard and she quit her job there. But her husband being the the what you call he said For our billing, Supervisor of the rehabilitation, notice VR rehabilitation for the Endicott. He is the supervisor, traveling Supervisor of this rehab rehabilitation
Is it veteran? No vocational vocational vocational rehabilitation, the oldest handicaps and he visits places like Louise stone Kodaline in Idaho Falls in the bin close out in less than the United States to supervise and see what the needs are.

20:48 Thank you What

00:11 Like if I ask, what are some of the things that Filipinos do together? Or or with the rest of the community? What kind of activities are they involved? In?

00:30 I can’t remember these these, like, well, just like when they have affairs here in the park or anything like that, or the RPC bars and fair, the State Fair guarantee. They don’t. They don’t cooperate in a way like doing something but they, they like, those selling things they sell. That’s what it is there.

01:04 Are there are many nurses in Boise, Filipino nurses?

01:09 I know. I know. One. One that I really know here in Boise. And some are retired already. So like, but then in Nampa, or something like that. But I know one here in Boise. lady.

01:32 She used to nurse right, well, how

01:35 How about you?

01:36 Well, I was just, like, nursing aide or something like that. But I have worked in the hospital for a long, long time.

01:44 But when by the time you came to Boise, were you?

01:48 I was still working in California to Yes, to help him because you know how it is?

01:58 When When did you? When and where did you meet?

02:01 San Francisco.

02:04 Can you talk a little bit about your?

02:07 Oh, yes. Well been in here when he came here in, in fact, he came in California. You know how Filipinos don’t have a good job, they just get as bus boys and, and house boy and all that. See, you can get the job right away. And at that time, he was waiting on a table on, on, on the hospital. And in the hospital, hotel, whatever you are, whether in a hotel, in a hotel, and he goes to church, then I go to church, and now we met at the church. That’s where we met, the church. But really, when he comes to church, he felt he the church is over. He lives. And that is for a while long time I know him before a long time. And we never even get together until when it was time probably that we have to meet

03:16 the mean when faith
Yes Destined for you to meet?

03:19 And yeah. And that decision. When we first met, it was in 1932. And, of course, we were friends, we were friends, boyfriends, you could say boyfriends. And at the time, he was volunteering in this this religious work. And I was really cooperating with him i and the and the people think that it was it was really a nice pair to pair to be working like that. In fact, it did the volunteer work that he was doing. We have even more more congregation than then when we have our own church. So then in, we got married in 1976. And we were poor you know, at that time, because he was going to in this seminary, he was going to the seminary. We were poor. And when we got married couldn’t believe it? My town mates from whoever this guy. I’m from Norway, skya. Salon. They were the one who even sponsor our party so that we could get married and have a nice time.

04:47 Did you have a nice day?

04:49 We did have a nice time. And we were married by a Presbyterian Filipino minister also

05:00 No, wait, let me ask why. Why is it you had a fresh Filipino Presbyterian minister?

05:08 There was a Filipina Presbyterian minister, but it was he was not in. He was in Sacramento.

05:15 So what I’m trying to ask really is, were you in a situation where the Filipino Presbyterians were separate from the white American Presbyterians… No
Worshippers, or?

05:28 it’s just that it’s just that we decided to have a group of our own. And then, like I said, the group that we have was intermarriages. They’re Mexican, and Japanese and all that stuff. And so well, he preached in English began at that time, so that everybody will understand. The there was a church, a Filipino church in Salinas. And in San Jose, that’s where he was stationed in San Jose, we were there for 10 years, then he was transferred to, to Salinas, for we’ve been there for 18 years. Then he was there, before before you went to the seminary, also to, to, there was an old old group that they started, but it was never. It was never was that going on. So they sent him there to revive that before he went to the seminary. So all in all, he was really working, almost says 1932 in all that.

06:57 So it sounds like he devoted his life. Most of his active working life to the church. Yes.

07:04 That’s one of the years you folks came to this country. What year did you come to this country?

07:09 He came in 1928. And I came in 1925.

07:14 With with all of your family or?

07:17 I came, I came with a nephew and a cousin.

07:22 And how did how did you get to come here? Can you talk about that a little bit?

07:25 my see, I have a nephew that was here. And he came for a vacation. And he said, when he went to came to the Philippines to do the lockers, yeah, whoever was this guy. And he said that, you know, in the Phillipines, in America, he says, education is better there. Because you will have well, they call this A, A and B, you know, that he got it to two promotions, promotions. So I said, Well, maybe I like to see how he does, you know. And of course, my parents did not agree or make I mean, but my mind was just like, am I enough? Boy? Yeah, boy, that I did not realize how sad I was until I really left my parents.

08:31 So this was in the 1930s. When you came? Was it? How difficult was it to to come to the United States from the Philippines? Oh,

08:42 Oh, that was very, it was easy. You we have to ride on boat on the boat.
It was it was did you say it was easy?
Yeah, that’s nothing new. There’s no questions that like now, you know, like now you have to

08:58 go. So the immigration policies…? Tat wasn’t there at that time. However, at the same time, at about that time, it was very difficult for the Chinese and the Japanese. That time come to this country. It’s about that time and very interesting that you point out was

09:16 When he came my nephew came there are no leaders as long as we had the transportation. Okay, we just came like you came from Moscow

09:24 to here. Is that the same for Reverend Callao?

09:27 How did you do that?

09:29 Was it also easy for you to come to America? Yes.

09:35 My sir. I mean, and and then when I saw that I could do something better there than in the Philippines. So I stay

10:07 and stay in the place where I could I could go to school see, because I was just alone by myself, House boy…

10:35 So I got, my I got somebody to to, be their house, house boy see so I got that yeah easy.

11:06 Work you can get anyway

11:09 So when I was in the in the house boy, I I did not just do like that I went to school that way I want to get school I want to get a job

11:39 in such a way that I could go to school also and that I have been a little bit better and then it’s better for me because I could go to school that way Yes.

12:12 How would the people you work for, how did they treat you or how was your relationship with, with these people?

12:21 Well it’s good. That the that type any rigid rigid say they as a matter of fact they help me on also in my school… (unintelligible)

12:53 at about that time did you know any other people from Asia like the Japanese and the Chinese?

13:02 No, not at the time. It was only Fillipinos.

13:19 So go good in that kind of because the Filipinas. Coming there are education

13:36 in money also, I guess most of them really game for money.

13:42 Which is what many immigrants come for.

13:45 Like when they like in the 19th century. I say 1990 90 or something like that. They they have there were a group of Filipinos that were attracted to come to this country through Hawaii, they go Hawaii first and then come this way. And that’s how many Filipinos came here and all they do or what they they have landed on the schoolboys in porters in what a little work that they can get because That’s all they can it’s all They can find they can find and get no little money

14:32 okay. What what do you think brings people to Idaho?

14:40 I know. Well, what I know is most of them are in the service. And when the, well we have a base here you know in my in Mountain Home and whenever they retired they or even if they don’t retired, they like to live here in Idaho. And then not only that, not only from these people from either from Mountain Home, there are many from other states. And they would be stationed to Idaho. And in Boise, then they come this way and live here. Many retiring up here.
I wonder why?
Yeah, I, I don’t know why. But to me, when we decided to come to Idaho, being a small place, you feel more at home, because you can live… Well, that is how I felt anyway. That’s how I felt that I like a smaller place. You are away from so many activities, you know, all in filing California, for we were all you have is all these activities like many other like Oregon and Washington.

16:04 Like the other bigger cities? Yes,

16:06 yes. And we cannot do that anymore. That’s why it’s okay. That we were here.

16:12 We have heard that Filipinos have a very high intermarriage rate. Can you comment on that?

16:22 That’s what I can see. That’s what I can see. Because my son is married to an American. And my, my other son is married to Japanese. And my other son is married to American. I mean, my daughter is married to American… pictures. Yeah, she married to American. So that’s what it is. I don’t have any pure Filipino children.

16:55 Why why do you think that is so? Yeah, good question.

16:59 Well, the reason? Well, I really can’t say anything about that. But I think the reason is that we don’t have many of our people in here. Or I can say that because in the West Coast, there are many Filipinos see, but I really don’t know because that’s what that’s going on. But you see, when he was still a minister in California, the early part of his ministry, they did not allow marriages, intermarriages like that. So, so he cannot marry. So we have been bringing these people who wants to marry another nationality to Reno. In fact, we had brought about seven of them.

17:56 So when you say they can you clarify that who would not allow?

18:02 The law below in California, California, California, maybe maybe in United States? I didn’t know how I didn’t know this. But in California, they didn’t. It was not allowed for for intermarry. intermarriages, so he can marry them. So

18:20 So Reverend Callao, and you would take them to Reno?
Yes.

18:29 Well, how did you feel about the intermarriage? What do you think of intermarriage?

18:39 I well, so far. Like I have been talking to him that in my observation here, although there are many that we know who are as good as when they are Filipinos, or there are Americans, it’s themselves. See, there are there are many that I know that we deal with that they have the best husbands. They have the has the they’re the best husbands in the American side. Like this lady that I said to her for, course as ma and pa. He is really very good. And there are many more that I can quote, but they are really something they’re, they are very good. They love their wives, they respect their wives just be Filipinos in darker colors, you know, and, but they love them. They, they’re really proud about them.

19:38 As grandparents. How do you feel about your grandchildren being raised perhaps more in an American way than in a Filipino way?

19:48 Now to me, I, to me, I really raised my my my grandchildren, the way the Filipinos Oh, and then like, does they like doesn’t pay my daughter’s thing. See my daughter being the only girl in my family in (unintelligible). Also at the late period I had taken code on her three children from birth. When except Marissa, she was seven months when my daughter started to work. And I took care of her. And the twins I took care of them when they were six weeks because see, she cannot have longer leave for for that. So they I raised them until they were almost three years old. Those twins they’re now seven.

20:42 So what what do you mean when you say you raise them just like you would raise them? I mean that you raise them in the Filipino way?

20:51 Well, what I meant is how I treat my children. That’s the way I treated them. And the Father the father hadn’t well I didn’t say he has no say, but he never had a say you know how I treated my grandchildren. The if I scold the children in front of him, that’s fine, because they’re my children. And that’s it. And he’s so good about that. And same thing with my other boys. That’s the way I treat them all. But you know in the other ready to take time to change

00:06 While you both look very nice and very young, very fit for your ages really?

00:12 Yeah, when he’s when he is he’s one. There are this this year in, in March, May, and two of them in May, 19 years old and one in marks right here. So three of them 3 90 year old. And that is the Oh, there they are just once.

00:41 Okay, let’s let’s go back to the way you raised your children and your grandchildren, we would like to know how you raised them? Or do you raise them in the Filipino way? And what do you mean by that? As far as discipline, respect for the elders? And can you talk about that a little bit?

01:02 Yes. Well said it might be children, the children nowadays they call they call you by the name, first name, first name or something like that. Or, but I teach this grandchildren to say we are their grandparents. And they had to say grandparents to us forever. We want them Apple or Lolo or grandma or but really they mostly are talking only in English. That is my that is my, my, my mistake because I am not. I have not taught them our dialect, see with others, they they insist them to learn, Mexican, Chinese and Japanese, they teach them their dialect talk to them in during their infant days, you know, but me I never did to my children or their grandchildren. Back. i There was a comment at one time that somebody read a an article that was written by my son in a magazine. And this this friend told me, he has shame on you. They said you you have not even taught your child to speak your dialect. Yeah, so I, I was teaching this girl here. She is inquisitive. She likes to see like to whatever, I say some things that are how do you say that? So I’ll tell it but you know, they don’t say it right? You know, and that’s the reason I don’t really try to force them to learn because they, when they pronounce it, they pronounce it awkward. And that’s why I don’t want to do it. But I tell them how to respect and I help them, I help when they said we may help them in their lessons. And I have to admit there are no lessons and I teach them all the manners and the way manners of the Filipinos, I teach them. And then what they do to their parents, how do they act to their parents, I teached all those to the kids because I really praise them from but my other son I didn’t press them. Because when she had my my daughter in reference, you had debate children. She laid off from school from teaching. So (unintelligible), they’re about four or five years old.

03:37 How about education? How important is that to you?

03:42 I really helped them I had to tell them to do all the work the studies I helped them to. Because I told them that if they do good, they they will that, is their that that is theirs, not others. So they have to learn so that at least they can have scholarship to to assist them in their expenses, if your parents are poor.

04:17 So they’re doing good.
And you find that they’re…?

04:21 I have I have my oldest granddaughter is held that several scholarship as we did last year that she decided to go to Boston. And that’s where she is now in Boston

04:34 On a college scholarship? Yes.
Very wonderful?

04:40 So I don’t know about deciders but I check on them. I had to check on the record status I they post me on they then I check from my daughter also you help them do you help them especially when they went far away. Are you helping them?

05:02 Oh, yes.
That’s very good.

05:04 I have to check on them.

05:07 There was another thing I wanted to ask you: Do you do anything with the senior citizen groups in the area?
Well, not Both you and Reverend Callao?

05:20 No, we just go and attend sometimes. Where there is a senior citizens here, we just go there. And

05:28 How do you find out of their activities?

05:32 They have so many different hours. They sent us a bulletin. See, we received the bulletin every month or every week, every month, I think we receive… We receive bulletins and we know all the news about it, then. They were they said, they asked if we needed help or something like that. And could they contact us. You know? So matter of fact, they said, if ou need help. They would send some babysitter for him. So I could go out, you know, because I can’t leave him in the house. I can, I have to bring him every day, I bring him to the mall just for a walk for exercise, you know. And they offer all those but I said at the present time, I really don’t need it. But I will surely need your help now that says and they’re really that’s,

06:31 That’s good. Very good. I’m curious. You and Reverend Callao, if you would have any words of advice or wisdom to give to the younger generation generations, what would you want to say?

06:47 Now if I’d be but what are we going to say? But really say but will you advise

06:54 advise the young people young Asians, Filipinos, Chinese or Japanese? What would you what would you like them to do? What would you like to tell them?

07:04 Well, so probably to get good, good education. And to do well, to do good and what can I say?

07:16 Sounds very good.

07:19 What can I say? Because there are many many of our youngers here it get mixed up with all these other things right. They will be off see. So if they had an advice from some older people, probably it would be okay.

07:38 Thank you. Thank you very much