Jay Castro 0:02

It's June twenty eighth, twenty twenty two, and I'm at the Hafaday Golf Classic, the thirty-ninth annual golf tournament that's hosted this year by the Chamorro Golf Club of Washington State. We're at the Hogs Prairie Golf Course and I'm at the Rangens and Blue Golf Balls to honor my friend's recently departed father, Mr. Jack Burnett. His daughter is an incredible advocate for me in my profession as a content designer. She told me his favorite color is blue and that this is his favorite course. Rest in peace, Jack. This place is everything I've imagined of the Pacific Northwest. Sprawling fairways that meander through tall timber of Douglas fir, red cedar, maple, and a lot of pine trees. There's picturesque ponds and wetlands. The fairways are lined with this like dense old growth forest, and when there's an occasional break in the trees, there's a view to Puget Sound. And this just isn't a normal golf course today because it's filled to the max with the indigenous people from the Marianas Islands, the Chamorros and our allies. Almost 200 of us in total. The whole vibe is idyllic. The air is crisp, and between the sparrows singing and the cute chubby chickadees chirping, you hear the Manumkos, the elders, speaking Chamorro, and the Manhovans, the youngsters, speaking in English. We're all over the course, and we've traveled from all over the world to be here. That was Ryan Bloss, the president of the Chamorro Golf Club of Washington State. It was during those remarks that I had this damn near anxiety attack that I shared in the last episode. But that's when I heard.

SPEAKER_11 2:14

Yeah, yeah, yeah. That was the purpose behind that when it started this uh Hafaday Golf Classic, you know. And especially, you know, we're getting ready to leave.

Jay Castro 2:39

This is the Red Rice with Finadeni podcast. I'm J. Bird Castro from Megan Zedzi, Dunk Pichu. And like the traditional dish Red Rice with Finidini, podcast is a traditional platform. But the talk story, that's the pop. That talk that I'll be coming back for hours. Today's episode is dedicated to Hoffade Golf Classic. The people who are behind it, the people who play it, and the future of what it can become. More after the break. Hoffaday, y'all. This is a community chinchuli break. My first one. This wants to tell you about this box I just got in the mail from the company I work with, DoorDash. The Indigenous ERG reached out to a company called Brand Marinate to fulfill their merchandise request and ship it out to the employees like me. It came with a shirt that has not shrunk after multiple washes, a hoodie that I sleep in every night because it's so soft, and a kangaroo crew. A kangaroo crew, it's a crew neck sweater with pockets. Full disclosure, my brother is the owner of Brand Marinate. I'm biased, what can I say? Support Chamorro owned business. He does corporate swag, he does merchandise for your e-commerce solutions. Hell, he even does e-commerce solutions for you. You can get five shirts or you can get 5,000 shirts. And don't be afraid to hit him up. He is all about empowering the community and the culture. Check him out on his website, brandmarinade.com. That's www.br-a-n-d-m-ar-r-in-a-d-e.com. Brandmarinade, because it's all in the sauce. And we're back. So I called Ton Diego Hammett after the tournament, and we had a great conversation on the phone. We talked about his extensive military career in the Air Force. We talked about the time he did jump training and how there were 17 Chamorro in his airborne company. Yet he was the only one named Hammett. It confused everyone. He touched on his four tours in Vietnam, the time that he got ambushed, and when he lost his brother. Rest in peace. He's a proud husband and he's a proud father. He's a grandfather to more grandchildren than we can count on our hands and our feet. So today I'm only going to share portions of the interview that relates to the Haffiday Golf Classic because I'm going to put something together with his family that I think can make him proud and something that can positively add to his legacy. Because let me tell you, Ton Diego Hammett is creating an amazing legacy, and I'm just so happy to witness it. So we'll hear more from Ton Diego on the future episodes. Here he is for now.

SPEAKER_11 5:21

Okay, then I'll start half a day.

Jay Castro 5:32

Another pause here. I don't speak tomorrow, but I did get to work with uh Benny Anderson, the founder of e-Sakmin. That's I-S-A-K-M-A-N.com. And Benny helped me translate what he's saying from tomorrow into English, and I will be giving you a shortened version in English. Kind of up to no good, starting to make in trouble in the neighborhood. He was eventually adopted. His adopted parents are Merrill T. Hammett from North Carolina, an American soldier stationed on Guam, and a Mexican American from Laredo, Texas, Manuela Flores Hammett. And as you hear, he goes on to describe the number of Chamorro families and clans that his biological parents are from. Chamorro abundant. He then goes on to describe the number of people who helped start the classic and all the different cities or regions who participate. There's an article in the show notes that has the complete list of the founders of the Hoffade Classic. It truly does take a village to do this sort of stuff, and we appreciate everyone who helped make this happen and who continues to make it happen today. Here's Benny Anderson, and among many things, he's on the board with the Hoffade Classic, and he's got a lot of the history down.

SPEAKER_08 9:11

The Hoffade Golf Classic started in 1982 by Segundo Saiyan Pinco. The San Jose Golf Club, also started by Mr. Ompinco, had regular golf audiences with family and friends. The word spread to other communities and cities where Chamorros lived, like Monterey, Fort Ord, San Diego, Los Angeles, Palao, Sacramento, and eventually Washington State. Though not the classic, a spinoff of the golf tournament called the Chamorro Open was held in the Reno Tahoe area and had big Chamorro business sponsors and was held during the golden years of the Chamorro Golf. During these years, it was common for Chamorros to travel throughout the year attending individual golf club monthly tournaments up and down the West Coast, supporting fundraising efforts.

Jay Castro 9:54

Now, back to Diego.

SPEAKER_11 9:56

But just why I I started playing golf in Guam as a young boy, you know, nine, ten, until I left twelve years old. Back in Guam, we we we get parochial school. We don't go parochial school, we go caddy, we go play golf. And back then growing up in the village, you know, uh being I mean we're poor family. And hey, we we we try to help every kid we can, you know, to make sure we have some cash money to buy groceries for the family to eat. But um we go play off the world, you got course. Go play off. We do. And the boys will get a nickel, you know. You got the best code and the guy with the nickel from everybody. The half of the classic was started 1984 or the first tournament was started down in Port Ord, California. I played in that one. Didn't do good. I guess what? I made the first home one. I made some a ball on a park when he rolled all the way up to the green and went right into the hole. Cost me $780 of fine drink. But everybody enjoyed it because you know their money.

Jay Castro 11:27

This was my first year playing in the Hoffaday Classics. I didn't know what to expect, but I did know that there was some betting involved, and I'm always down to gamble and bet.

SPEAKER_11 11:37

And I continue playing golf day classic. No different golf courses that we go out, and all these tomorrow comrades and tomorrow buddies meet to challenge each other who's the best golfer. And then we go to Las Vegas, Reno for the tournament, and we go up to Washington.

Jay Castro 11:57

Here's Betty again.

SPEAKER_08 11:59

Early classics included Chamorro Fiesta style award banquets. Many considered the Washington State Club's fiestas the pinnacle of hospitality, generosity, and chamorro culture. Think roast pigs, dear Keligwin, and fruit bat stews.

Jay Castro 12:14

Yo, we were just in Washington for the classic, and I can confirm that their hospitality is on point. It's top notch. Shout out to Greg Menno and the entire family for the barbecue. And while I didn't see fruit bat stew there, I don't even know if I would have eaten it, because I could already hear my son Kalani Joe being like, Papa, you know for Nikis are endangered, so don't eat fruit bat stew. It was at this barbecue I got to meet Ryan Blass, the gentleman you heard in the loudspeaker earlier and the president of the Washington Club. Here he is again.

SPEAKER_04 12:46

So my name's Ryan Blass. Uh I grew up in Guam 18 years, and then I joined the army in 1996, and then did 22 years and two and two days. And then uh I retired out here.

Jay Castro 13:04

Retired.

SPEAKER_04 13:05

Yeah.

Jay Castro 13:05

So what is what is daily life for Ryan now?

SPEAKER_04 13:07

Well, I well I'm back working because my wife, of course, said I cannot stay home. So I work for the government again. I just you know I help soldiers uh medically board out of the army if they're unfit for duty.

Jay Castro 13:19

It's important.

SPEAKER_04 13:20

Yeah. That's pretty cool. Yeah.

Jay Castro 13:23

So I just asked him, what was your favorite part of the classic this year?

SPEAKER_04 13:27

The favorite part of this week is today. The ending part. No, it was it was cool. It was uh meeting, you know, a lot of uncles that you didn't know exist. And then when when they ask you who's your dad, who you know, you know how it is? Who's your dad? Who's your mom? Huh? I'm your uncle, and then now you know you just meet all these and then you know how it is.

Jay Castro 13:48

To be real, I know how it is because I'm on this trip and I met two new uncles and two new aunties, and let me tell you, I am so happy that I met them. Cause now I get to hang out with them, and I'm hearing stories of my aunties and uncles who I grew up with from aunties and uncles I just met today. It is so dope. I am so thrilled. And the best part is, is like now I'm like, uh-oh, curiosity kicks in, my my mom's Italian Sicilian's coming out. Let me ask you some questions. Cause I bet me and you, Ryan, I think we're related. And look, I always temper my expectations when it comes to situations like this because my family's last name is Cruz and Castro. Cruz in the Marianas Islands is like Smith in the United States. And Castro, well, everyone just thinks I'm Cuban. So I say, tell me by your last name.

SPEAKER_04 14:35

I'm a blass. And then my mom's a cruz.

Jay Castro 14:41

And I'm like, whoa, why did you say something? My puppy dog ears go up, and so I start asking further clarifying questions.

SPEAKER_04 14:47

Cruz from from where from Ipan Telefofo. Okay.

Jay Castro 14:50

Uh nah, my family's not from Ipan Telefofo.

SPEAKER_04 14:54

Dang. But they're originally from Interan.

Jay Castro 14:56

Okay, I heard a lot of stories about my family being from Interrohan, too.

SPEAKER_04 14:59

What are the family names? I know they call my gr my grandfather um I don't really remember.

Jay Castro 15:04

Yeah, I'm asking because Cruz, I'm my grandmother was Cruz, and she's okay.

SPEAKER_04 15:09

You know what? That's what it is. Jedi. Yes, it is. I stop it. See, that's funny. Yeah, that's cool, man. Yeah.

Jay Castro 15:15

And sure enough, after I return from the classic, I go to my very sacred uh family tree book called Ramas de Jedi, and in there I find his grandfather, first cousin to my grandmother. Damn, it feels good to be a Chamorro. I swear I should have been an archaeologist or historian or detective or something like that, but that seemed to be the theme of the Hothay Golf Classic for me was the idea of connecting with old friends, meeting new friends, and meeting family for the first time. This wasn't just unique to my circumstance or even Ryan's, because Diego's been doing this for over 30 years.

SPEAKER_11 15:53

Yeah. But uh and every time we go out playing in the Hobbit classic, you know, we always meet new friends. Now it's not only for tomorrow. We got all kinds of ethnic groups, all kinds of nationalities, you know, from different states. They come, they're flying to play. And I love the gamble girl. The barbecue was great. It was good gathering. The food was great, the people were supporting. You meet old friends, you meet new friends, you meet relatives. And you meet some friends you don't want to meet. But that's okay. The people that I meet a lot of nieces and nephews that I've been seen 30, 40, 50 years, and they were all surprised to see me. Because they thought I got I was killed in Vietnam, but I thought it wasn't me, it was my brother David that got killed in Vietnam.

Jay Castro 16:48

This idea of reconnecting and meeting family for the first time is so inspiring to me. And I really, really want to pay homage to Saiyam Pinko and all the other people that Tan Diego mentioned earlier for starting this Hoffade Golf Classic as a way to get friends together to play golf. And golf really just may be the excuse to get us together and keep traditions alive. And then there's the idea of bringing your family with you. This is my newly learned uncle. And he and his wife, they're role models when it comes to family and the Hoffade Classic. I got the rest of these interviews while I was at the banquet at the Little Creek Casino Resort, so it's a little loud in the background, but you get to enjoy the music too. One band is called Napo, and they played at the banquet. And the other band, I didn't get their name, but they played at the barbecue.

SPEAKER_07 17:34

Um, so tell me your name and where you're from. Uh, my name is Frank Thoris from Jacksonville, Florida. All right. Originally I'm from Marigata, Guam.

Jay Castro 17:43

He's 74 years old, plays golf five days a week, and known around the tournaments for just being hella good at golf for a long time. Kind of like my Camudo Nino, Frank Cruz and Nicholas, just a steady, good golfer.

SPEAKER_07 17:59

So I really enjoy my life, especially with my wife, and she's really taking care of me too.

Jay Castro 18:07

Uncle Frank is humble, he's happy, and he just shows a lot of love to my auntie. Every year for the last 20 years, they have been going to the Hafaday Golf Classic together as a couple. Everywhere I go play-off, she comes with me. Yeah. Honey, this message is for you. I know you're listening. This is your official invite in front of everyone. Join me at the classic next year. Make it a spa day. This is my auntie Annie. I just met her on this trip, but talking to her and looking at her, it makes me feel like I've known her my whole life. She reminds me of my Auntie Nelly mix with my auntie Silly.

SPEAKER_05 18:51

It gives you a chance to really meet up with all the other people, not just the, you know, just not like just you and meeting other golfers, but the wives. And there's quite a few wives that follow their husbands around.

Jay Castro 19:03

And soon there's gonna be quite a few husbands following their wives or planning.

SPEAKER_05 19:06

That's true, because Lola, she stuck up golfing now, and she and Lenny would go golfing. So, you know that's a good one.

Jay Castro 19:16

So the only reason I was able to meet Uncle Frank and Auntie Annie was because during the pregame on the first day of the golf, Lenny Samika, who we met in the last episode, he heard Joseph and I describe ourselves and our family as Kamudu. And so he introduced us to another uncle.

unknown 19:31

That's pretty cool, man.

Jay Castro 19:33

It's like as soon as you said Camudu, I was like, Oh, I bet there's a man. I've heard that name before. Yeah. Look, I know technically I'm not Camudu, but you know, I'm Chamorro, so technically kind of goes out the window. But just by looking at this next uncle, I can see that we're related. He's short, he's stocky. You could tell he's got thick bones and thick muscles. He looks just like me, like a dense beast.

SPEAKER_03 19:57

My name is uh Joe 62. They call me Joe Camudu Guam.

Jay Castro 20:03

Uncle Joe Camudu is first cousins with my dad, and he's quite the legend from what I hear on the golf course and with the fire department on Guam.

SPEAKER_02 20:11

I retired with the Guam Fire Department 20 some years, I retired since 95.

Jay Castro 20:18

He eventually tells me that as the former fire chief of Guam Fire Department, he helped introduce EMTs and paramedics as part of the fire department emergency services. That's amazing.

SPEAKER_02 20:35

But because of this COVID, you know, they they can still several months.

Jay Castro 20:40

And beyond Uncle Joe Komuru simply visiting from the islands to participate in the classic every year, he's sort of a liaison between the classic and the groups out here in the States to those on the islands.

SPEAKER_02 20:53

I play with the uh Guam seniors a couple of years ago since um leave 2000. Several times, the um president of this club here, um he's from Guam and he's from Bedidum. Mr. Romilium Modern is um seven several state um people then please.

Jay Castro 21:35

Yo, where does the list of sign up for that? I'm down to go to Luther and go play some golf with someone I'm gonna.

SPEAKER_02 21:41

Um here now. You don't have to run them in thing again. Still have some injuries from the military from Vietnam. From Vietnam in 1969. Hey, here. I love to play the mother play system. So glumf is pretty much it, you know. It's good. It's fun. Meet friend relatives, friends. From uh long long ago, and that's how that's why it's very nice to be coming out here and meeting everybody. It's good.

Jay Castro 22:42

So we're seated at a round white cloth banquet table, eating dinner. It's myself, Joseph, Frank and Annie, Lenny and Dolores, and Kamutu Joe. There's an agenda to the banquet, and it was on time, and it was time to announce the winners of all the bets. By the end of the night, lots of people won for playing amazing golf. And what made it so fun for our table was that we had two Joseph St. Nicholas's at one table. And between the two of them, their name was called a lot. They did well this tournament. The chairman and Ryan Bloss eventually had to use the middle initial to differentiate and then speak an emphasis on it.

SPEAKER_06 23:19

Joseph St. Nicholas. Which one? Joseph C. St. Nicholas.

Jay Castro 23:27

So we golfed, we've been at the barbecue, we went to the banquet. The only thing that I didn't get to participate in because I didn't know about it is the Anetnun Mangatsun. It's the pre-tournament welcoming. You know, here, let's let Benny tell you.

SPEAKER_08 23:48

The Anetnun Mangatsun is a direct connection to the first classic, an informal gathering of family and friends, a small intimate event with home cooking, and the telling of stories, singing, and music all gathered around the barbecue pit. In current times, the Anetnun Mangata has become a welcoming work over ritual by the host club for out-of-towners, long-distance travelers and pre-tournament days, a meeting place with familiar faces to get thank yous out to visitors and get everyone comfortable before a friendly competition.

Jay Castro 24:30

Here's Ryan Bloss again.

SPEAKER_04 24:40

You know, those that were still there when it was time to break down. It's just like back home, right? Everybody helps, puts stuff away. Um, you know, just all the members too. They all did some hard work and they get it, they did a good job.

Jay Castro 24:53

And this is what his club is doing up in Washington to try and change the future of the classic so it can continue to last generations.

SPEAKER_04 25:01

Um our club here in Washington, they started in 1993. So of course, our club, they wanted to go younger because you know it's just a bunch of, you know, the older guys that's been, you know, you know, all them and uncles, and you know, they're always complaining, you know, oh you young guys need it. So they voted us in, and and then we just, you know, we took over, and then happens to be that this is the year that our club was doing the Hoffade Classic.

Jay Castro 25:30

If what Ryan is doing in Washington is a sign as to what's to come for the rest of the clubs around the United States, the designer in me wants to reframe this whole narrative into a problem statement. Indigenous legacies and traditions can't pass with our elders. They need to evolve with the people and adapt to modern times. So, how can the classic be more than just golf? How can it be about family, culture, and connecting back to our indigenous roots? I want my kids to play in the classic, and maybe even their kids too. Here's what the chairman of the Hoffee Golf Classic, Mariano Roy Cruz Leon Guerrera, had to say about the future.

SPEAKER_00 26:08

I want to share two things with you. Number one, I want you to know that in the past few years, our organization kind of declined. We went down to about three active Hoffeday Golf Classic clubs that were sponsoring, hosting the classes. So our goal is the board of directors for each side. We need to grow the organization. One, we need young people in. Two, we're gonna give the each set up, we're gonna motivate people to keep the classic, the spirit of the classic going. And I'm happy to report that we have six clubs that are active right now. So you can start seeing the rotation of the half-deck of classic downloading in three places, one in four. We've got four clubs in California, one in Nevada, and one in Washington. And we're still working more on one more of the original clubs in State. That will bring us to seven. And furthermore, one of the original uh tenants of the Hombreak of Class was to have the plastic view of the mainland and have the classic in the island. So uh we're looking forward to that eventually. But the first thing we're gonna do is that we need resources. Um, we are looking at nonprofit organization, we are looking at sponsors to let people know who we are and what we do. We've got to do more than golf. We're gonna do more like education, we need uh to do more with hamster golf and give it back to the community so that we can get deep sponsors to come in and sponsor our initiative, what we are doing. Uh so that's where we're at. It's not gonna happen this year, but uh that goal, I envision that goal to be uh in place in the next two, three years.

Jay Castro 28:04

So there's a plan, there's a vision, and there's opportunity to Manazura to help the elders, pass on the torch, take a rest. You've done enough. Siju Samase, thank you. When I think about it, it kind of reminds me of a modern day story of sea voyaging. So let's close your eyes and imagine you're surrounded by a beautiful coral reef off a limestone island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. We all get on our sockmans, the canoes, and we voyage the sea, not knowing which island we're headed to, only knowing that we're all headed to the same place when we follow the same stars. Every year, when the wet season ends and the dry season begins. This year, we're breaking bread and metaphoric coconuts at the Little Creek Casino, owned and operated by the Squawkson native tribe. This tribe is known as the people of the water. They have and they still do care for the land where the Pacific waters reach the southern point of the Sailor Sea. There's no coincidence there. The chimoros of people of the water too. Same ocean, different canoe. So it's up to us, the next generation, to keep it going, to make it last, well, forever.

SPEAKER_11 29:25

The Hafari Khasi, you know, with the now younger generation, we need to be, you know, strong about it, uh, positive thinking, you know, visualize the future of the game, of where this Havid class is going to. We cannot stop, we cannot forget. Because those names that I mentioned who started the organization 40 some years ago, you know, it's a lot of hard work, but it was payoff in the long run. Everybody was happy. So, anyway, that's that's all I got to say, man.

Jay Castro 30:00

Um thank you to everyone on the planning committee, on the board, and everyone else who made the Havaday Golf Classic a success this year and for the last 40 years. Thank you to the hotel staff of the Little Creek Casino and everyone else who helped with the barbecue. Greg, thank you for the polo with the Washington logo on it. I really appreciate it. Thanks to the family members of the Washington Club for assisting throughout the golf course, taking pictures, saying hello, offering us cold water, and being just hella friendly. Thank you. Thank you to everyone who interviewed.

SPEAKER_11 30:35

Diego Matetni Moffnas Hamid. Benny Anderson, Brian Blas, Frank Torres, Annie Torres, Joseph C.

Jay Castro 30:42

Sanikles, Lenny Samika, Roy Leon Guerrero. The music in today's episode was from a band at the barbecue. Sorry I didn't get their name, a band by the name of Napu who played at the banquet, and for Whispering Palms on the Whispering Palms album. And me, I created some tracks too. Sound design by me, mastered by sub you. It was written and produced and edited by me. As a call to action, visit the Hafade Golf Classic website and sign up for the classic. Come play golf with us, June 28th and 29th, 2023, in Sacramento, California. And thanks for listening.

SPEAKER_01 31:36

A weedy bit of spicy. Thank you for listening to a Venidinny podcast.