Peter Jamero at Positively Filipino’s “Building Communities: A Tribute to our Manongs and Manangs” event *(Photo by Minerva Amistoso)*

Whenever we needed insight and input on the Bridge Generation of Fil-Ams, there was one person we could call on to provide factual information, names, even already written stories: Peter Jamero.

The Bridge Generation to which he belonged was defined by Jamero himself as children born in America by the end of 1945 to at least one Filipino parent who immigrated to the United States during the early 1900s. It is the generation that succeeded the manongs, the original group of Filipinos who came mostly as farm workers. While much has been written about the manongs, the Bridge Generation has been largely invisible until Jamero put it front and center of his active involvement in the Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS). His two books, Growing Up Brown: Memoirs of a Filipino American and Vanishing Filipino Americans: The Bridge Generation, are the go-to resources on this segment of the Fil-Am community.

There are many ways to define Jamero beyond author. The FANHS Instagram tribute calls him a trailblazer, a community leader, an educator, an author, a health advocate, a historian, a writer, and a true public servant. His larger-than-life presence in our community rightfully made him one of the honorees last August in Positively Filipino's “Building Communities: A Tribute to our Manongs and Manangs”.

He was a loyal reader and contributing writer for this publication, always willing to pass on his profiles of Bridge Generation personalities, even stepping up as a resource person in our webinars. [Read some of his stories below that we are reposting.] He also came out with a monthly blog, cleverly called Peter's Pinoy Patter, the November 2024 issue of which he posted very recently.

Peter Jamero passed away at 94 years old a few days ago. Even as we deal with our sadness, we celebrate his life and his invaluable contributions to the Fil-Am community. There is no one like him.

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As we commemorate the life of Peter Jamero with immense gratitude, we likewise wish you all a Thanksgiving celebration filled with harmony, peace and hope.