Our  sharing similar cultural values and language was a good first step for me to navigate smoothly the new environment that was to become my permanent  home. Agnes has been my  "godmother" of sorts, who introduced me to other Filipino Americans as well as people of diverse races and creeds,  and made me feel  "included" in many ways. She became my role model, just observing at how she does things even in her retirement years.  Most importantly, however, it was Agnes who encouraged me to believe in      myself and to take leadership in my field that she knew I could handle very  well.
      Tracing back her life experience since the [40s, I am truly amazed at Agnes' seemingly natural flair at working with real leaders      like Gen. Douglas MacArthur, who was considered the Philippines "liberator"  from the Japanese occupation during World War II. It was no accident that she landed a file clerkship position in MacArthur's staff at Clark Air Base in Pampanga, though. Agnes was a valedictorian from  Far Eastern University. It was rare for a college graduate in Manila of her caliber not to get a good job, especially if the graduate is as assertive and confident as Agnes is.  She can give you an earful of stories and anecdotes about Gen. MacArthur if you have enough time to listen. One of  her favorites is about the general's rules on "long hair  undone, sleeveless dress, and 'stockingless' feet."  Anyways, I'm pretty sure there was very little problem on the matter since the Philippines during that period in world history was probably as conservative --if not more than -- as the times and its former colonizers (Spain, the U.S., and the Japanese).
      It was in Clark Air Base where Agnes met the love of her life, the late Kenneth Cammer, with whom she has four great children.      Kenneth took Agnes to the U.S.A. in 1952, and since then, the family moved from place to place as Kenneth took on new assignments, including one in Tokyo, Japan, where her second child, Rose, was born. The couple, however, wanted their children to be exposed to Filipino culture as well, so the family moved to the Philippines and stayed there for a couple of years. The children have remained connected to Agnes' roots to this day.
      In an earlier interview by Asian Wisconzine's Anna Maria Manalo, Agnes reminisced her career path in Madison where she held several high profile positions in human resources administration after graduating from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in public policy. In this interview, Agnes admitted that: "her most memorable job was as executive director of Community Action Commission of Madison and Dane County, an anti-poverty agency, where she learned about her community --working with all kinds of people, understanding their problems, and helping find solutions."
      Ms. Manalo further wrote:
     "It brought her awareness and sensitivity to the needs of the disadvantaged community. Specifically to new immigrants, she      advised: "... leave behind dated customs in the airport and have a clear assessment of goals; make conscious decisions in this path toward success -- be ready to take responsibility to reach out to the community, and there will be a response.
      "In her mission to help as many as possible, Agnes feels that her greatest achievement as a community leader is being an advocate for female minorities. An important change she would like to see happen for the future of this demographic is improved attitudes and treatment by employers. True to principle, she co-founded the Wisconsin Women of Color Network, a statewide organization of women of color who believe in helping each other to achieve their fullest potential. It established the Cammer-Hill Grant, a Women's Fund which awards scholarships for youths of color to attend vocational or technical college. For the female minority, she advises: focus on working on the dignity of the profession rather than the individual, especially earning  the respect as a colleague. Always look at both sides of a situation, you can always rectify the negatives.'
       "Agnes is also co-founder of the Philippine-American Association of Madison and Neighboring Areas and the Wisconsin Organization for Asian Americans; a member of the Rizal-MacArthur Memorial Foundation Board of Trustees; the United States Committee on Scientific Research for Vietnam and Laos and several community boards and associations.
      "Former Dane County Executive Richard Phelps and Mayor Paul Soglin designated June 23, 1992 as Agnes Gutierrez Cammer Day in the City of Madison and Dane County."
     I have been attending Agnes' birthday party since five years ago, and they're no ordinary birthday celebrations. People come not just to enjoy Filipino food, but to enjoy the camaraderie of Agnes and her friends and family. Her birthdays are fund-raisers for her      scholarship grants, as well, so it is always amazing to see a couple of hundred folks in support of her community work.
      Agnes is now 80 years old, but she hasn't shown any sign of stopping from her commitment to the community where she has found her niche. She still leads and develops future leaders, especially from groups of color in Dane County and Madison. I tried to call her today six times; but she's not home. She is rarely home. Agnes is always out in the community doing things she loves to do: reaching out and helping those who are yet to navigate Madison and the state of Wisconsin.
(With Anna Maria Manalo- Asian Wisconzine, February 2006)
Agnes Cammer
No sign of stopping at 80
     I first met Agnes in one of the quarterly gatherings of  the Wisconsin Women of Color Network Inc. in 1999. I knew right away that Agnes has a very strong presence in that women's group, being one of  the founders of WWOCN. I felt that unquestionable influence almost immediately as I entered the room where she was on the microphone updating members about the WWOCN scholarship funds and the selection process of the incoming scholars. She was then 73 years old.
      Being a newcomer to Madison at that time, I felt extremely proud to learn that this woman, a leader of a Madison women's group, is my kababayan (countrymate) who hails from Pangasinan, a province north of Manila in the Philippines. It didn't matter whether she has been a Madisonian for more than 40 years!! What was important to me then and now is that Agnes is a Filipino American -- just like me.
(Below) Filipino American families surround civic leader, friend, and mentor, Agnes Cammer, on her 80th birthday
Homepage
June 28, 2006 Issue