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Life & Times Transcript
01/25/06 Val Zavala>> Tonight on Life and Times -- There's a shortage of young men who want to join the priesthood. Why is one group different? Deacon Bich Vu>> If you ask any Vietnamese Catholic parents, "If you have a son, do you want him to become a doctor, lawyer, dentist or even the President of the United States?" They all want their son to become a priest. Val Zavala>> And then, you know those old record albums you can't seem to part with? Well, Cris Franco has his guidelines for sorting through those stacks of wax. Those stories and more next on tonight's Life and Times. Announcer>> Life and Times is made possible through the generous support of the L.K. Whittier Foundation dedicated to improving the quality of life by supporting innovative endeavors in the fields of medicine, health, science and education. And by a generous grant from Jim and Anne Rothenberg. With additional support for Life and Times from The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation. Val Zavala>> The Catholic Church is suffering from a severe shortage of priests with the exception of one community, the Vietnamese American community. Go into a seminary in southern California and you'll see an unusual number of Asian faces. Why is that? Sam Louie met one young man whose story is revealing. Sam Louie>> It's Friday morning mass at Holy Family Cathedral in Orange County. Deacon Bich Vu is a pastoral intern on his way to becoming a Catholic priest. The seeds to Vu's calling were first planted during his early childhood. Deacon Bich Vu>> In Vietnam, I used to go to church with my grandfathers at four-thirty in the morning. Our families, we all go to church together. So my first memory was I think I went to church about four or five years old every day at four-thirty in the morning. Sam Louie>> The Catholic Church may be experiencing a serious shortage of priests, but not in the Vietnamese American communities. Here, the Catholic tradition runs deep. Asians only make up about one percent of American Catholics, but they account for twelve percent of all seminarians and the majority of them are Vietnamese. This high percentage reveals the strong impact that faith, family and tradition have on Vietnamese Americans. But where does this deep faith come from? For Vu's family, it began with the work of missionaries in Vietnam. Four generations ago, his family converted to Catholicism. Deacon Bich Vu>> The two main things we do in our family is go to church in the morning and pray a rosary in the evening, so we spend like an hour in the morning to go to church and, in the evening before we go to bed, we all get together and pray a rosary. Tin Vu>> I was learned of the Ten Commandments and all the teachings about being a good person when I was little and that was passed on from my great-great-grandparents. Being a Catholic helps teach a person knowing good from bad. Sam Louie>> But the real test of their devotion came during the Vietnam War. The war disrupted their lives and their ability to practice their faith. Deacon Bich Vu>> Suddenly the church closed, so we didn't know what to do. Going to church is a part of our lives, so we lost that. Sam Louie>> His parents tell harrowing stories of local priests being taken away and killed. They knew they had to escape. Tin Vu>> There's a lot of persecution for Catholics and followers and because of fears for our lives and also the freedom of practicing our faith and that's why we had to leave Vietnam. Sam Louie>> They escaped in 1978, three years after the fall of Saigon. They were found floating in a small boat off the coast of Vietnam clinging to their lives. Deacon Bich Vu>> We were on the ocean for two weeks without food and without water and we faced a lot of storms. I thought I was dying. I had no hope and I prayed to God and I prayed sincerely. I said, "God, if you save my family, I will give my whole life to you." I keep saying that, I keep saying that. Then like a miracle, a day later, we were saved. We were rescued by a Japanese ship. Sam Louie>> Vu and his family managed to arrive safely in America. One of the first things he did was reach for a bible. Deacon Bich Vu>> It was the first time I opened a bible since I came to the United States. I saw the verse, "Keep your covenant." You know, keep your covenant. It reminded me of the covenant I make to God when I was escaping in the ocean. Sam Louie>> Not long afterwards, Vu got a degree in theology with his sights set on becoming an ordained Catholic priest. In the Vietnamese culture, priests are held in high esteem. The priesthood is considered the pinnacle of service and success. Deacon Bich Vu>> In Vietnamese culture, people come to the priest for everything, for counseling, for advising. They see the priests as their teachers, advisers or counselors. The priest has a very high respect in Vietnam, in Vietnamese culture, so they look up at you so you can guide them. If you ask any Vietnamese Catholic parents, "If you have a son, do you want him to become a doctor, lawyer, dentist or even the President of the United States?" They all say they want their son to become a priest because it is such an honor for them. Sam Louie>> Reverend Dominic Luong is the Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of Orange County. He is the highest ranking Vietnamese Catholic in the United States and the first and only Vietnamese American Bishop. He is a living symbol of his culture's deep Catholic tradition. Reverend Dominic Luong>> If you ask the parents, "If you have children, would you send them to seminary?" They say a priest is number one above any other profession. Sam Louie>> Orange County is home to one hundred forty thousand Vietnamese Americans, the most of any county. Here, the number of Vietnamese seminarians is even higher than the national percentage. Luong estimates that forty percent of those studying to become priests are Vietnamese, much higher than the twelve percent national average. As a seventh generation Catholic himself, he can attest to the grip that religion has on culture. Reverend Dominic Luong>> People from Asia or in the Orient in particular, they view religion as something essentially belonging to a person. Means that you're incomplete person without religion. Sam Louie>> With such strong Catholic roots, you may wonder how the highly publicized sex abuse scandal in the Catholic Church is viewed by Vietnamese Americans. Reverend Dominic Luong>> Definitely it's affected somewhat. Wide publicity might have presented false image and portraying the priesthood wrongly. Sam Louie>> Portrayed the priesthood wrongly? Reverend Dominic Luong>> Sure. Sam Louie>> Bishop Luong feels the problem is not just a Catholic issue, but a problem in society at large. He believes that, over time, the spotlight will help rather than hurt the church. Reverend Dominic Luong>> And I'm glad that we were singled out so that we are in the forefront and we can really change and improve the situation. [Film Clip] Sam Louie>> In a few months, Bich Vu will take his vows and become a ordained Catholic priest. Deacon Bich Vu>> I feel that my life has meaning, what I'm doing. So I know that this is my call, the life I want to do. Sam Louie>> Over the coming years, Catholics in Orange County and across the country will be seeing more priests like Bich Vu, Vietnamese Americans whose faith was tested in war and whose culture reveres those who choose to make the church their life. I'm Sam Louie for Life and Times. [Film Clip] Hena Cuevas>> And now for a Life and Times update. Last November, we brought you the story of a group of parents in Orange County who were collecting signatures to recall all seven members of the school board. The parents from the San Juan Capistrano district were upset with the construction of this new administration building at a cost of over thirty-five million dollars. They argued that the money should have been used to improve deteriorating schools and they cited this as one example of a history of mismanagement by the Board. Late last year, the parents submitted over a hundred seventy-five thousand signatures, more than were necessary. But on December 22, the Orange Country Registrar's Office said it could not certify a recall because there were questions about the validity of about a third of the signatures. But recall proponents say they haven't given up. They're now taking a second look at the signatures in question to find out why they were disqualified. Board members, for their part, are pleased that the district won't have to spend six hundred fifty thousand dollars on a recall. The next school board election is in November and three of the positions are up for re-election. Announcer>> Kcet.org is the place to look for the very latest on Life and Times. You'll find previews of upcoming stories, plus transcripts and audio of past episodes and links to some of our most interesting features. Just go to kcet.org, scroll down the page and click on "Life and Times". Val Zavala>> They thought it was destroyed, painted over or forgotten, but then a remarkable discovery in an old building near downtown. I'm talking about a mural by the famous Mexican muralist, David Alfaro Siqueiros. Hena Cuevas has the story about how a small group of art scholars proved the experts wrong. Hena Cuevas>> It was here near MacArthur Park in downtown Los Angeles that an unexpected discovery happened. Dave Tourje>> This whole panel right here, if you see this little rectangle, is hollow underneath. Hena Cuevas>> Beneath more than seventy years of paint and plaster is an amazing find, a piece of a puzzle in the picture of art history that most people thought was destroyed. Dave Tourje>> Apparently, what's happened based on what we found is that it was painted over simply. Hena Cuevas>> Dave Tourje is the Director of the Chouinard School of Art in South Pasadena. He says this might be the mural long thought to be painted over by Mexican mural master, David Alfaro Siqueiros. Siqueiros, along with Diego Rivera and Jose Orozco, is considered one of the great muralists of the twentieth century. He lived in Los Angeles for only six months in 1932, but in that brief period, he made an indelible mark on the city's walls. One called "The Portrait of Mexico Today" is currently at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art. Another called "America Tropical" is on Olvera Street. But his very first mural, "Street Meeting", hasn't been seen in decades. It was painted on a wall at the original Chouinard School of Art where Siqueiros briefly taught. Most experts considered it gone and Siqueiros' followers had resigned themselves to having only two of his three Los Angeles murals. But then last summer, the first mural long thought destroyed resurfaced. Luis Garza>> For this exhibition, I wanted more background information on the block of painters that worked with Siqueiros at Chouinard. Hena Cuevas>> Curators Luis Garza and Jose Luis Sedano were doing research for an upcoming Siqueiros exhibition. So last June, they went to the Chouinard School of Art in South Pasadena for additional research. Dave Tourje>> The conversation just kind of drifted toward the mural itself and we started questioning, well, who said it was destroyed, right? Why would they do that, right? And we just kept probing. Hena Cuevas>> Garza and Sedano had a book with this picture, the only known photograph of "Street Meeting", the name of that first destroyed mural. While they were talking about it, Nobuyuki Hadeishi, a member of the Board of Directors and a former student, walked in and saw the photo for the first time. Nobuyuki Hadeishi>> And when I looked at it, I knew exactly where it was and the reason why they couldn't find it if anyone had been looking for it because it'd been modified and a room had been made out of the courtyard. Hena Cuevas>> What about the picture led you to know exactly where it was? Nobuyuki Hadeishi>> The windows, the three windows. That's the only place in the Chouinard building that has three windows in this particular way. Jose Luis Sedano>> The building is still there and that's when we all realized. Internally, we sort of looked at each other and said, oh, my God. It really just might be there. Dave Tourje>> I cross-checked that wall with the blueprints and then I could see on the blueprints the three windows on the second floor and then one door on the lower floor. In just cross-referencing everything, we knew we had it. Hena Cuevas>> With the excitement of what they had discovered, the group went to the former art school downtown. The building is now owned by the Korean New Times Church. Sure enough, in the back of the courtyard were the three windows seen in the photograph. Using a ladder, the group was able to get a closer look at the upper portion of the mural where small sections have already been revealed. Luis Garza>> Initial reveals are showing that there is color. It has not been wiped away by time nor by rain. Hena Cuevas>> With the photograph and windows as reference, they were able to see how these indentations in the cement correspond to the outline of the mural. Dave Tourje>> That ball right there above the window is the two hands that are clasped together, and the shadow. Hena Cuevas>> But why was this mural, hidden for more than seventy years, ordered destroyed? Garza, who took these photos when he met Siqueiros in 1971 in Hungary, says the painter's pro union message was too much for the authorities. Luis Garza>> It had a red shirted orator who symbolizes socialism and communism and equal rights because he's speaking to a multi-racial group of laborers. A black man with a child, a white woman with a child, at the height of the Depression. These are messages that the authorities did not want conveyed to the masses. It was too provocative. Dave Tourje>> And it was David Alfaro Siqueiros' first mural painted in this country and he went on to paint some very significant murals mainly in Los Angeles. Hena Cuevas>> Sigueiros' murals have often sparked controversy. Take the most visible mural on the side of a building on Olvera Street. Its depiction of a crucified Indian was so politically controversial that the city ordered that it be painted over. Efforts to restore it have taken over twenty years. The best preserved example of his work and least controversial is his third and final mural, "Portrait of Mexico Today". It was found in the back yard of a home in Pacific Palisades and, in 2002, was moved to the Santa Barbara Museum of Art. The big question now is what will happen to this new Siqueiros discovery? This door which is incorporated into the lower left hand side of the mural leads into the church's kitchen and its ceiling splits the mural in half. The Chouinard Art School wants to buy the building to turn it into a second art school and, together with the mural, turn it back to what it originally was. Because some portions have pulled away from the wall, nobody knows how much of the mural remains intact. Dave Tourje>> For instance, here you see de-lamination of the material here. It's come off. There's going to be some extensive work in here to get that glued back into place. Hena Cuevas>> Paint and mural experts have started the painstaking job of opening up small sections to determine just how much of "Street Meeting" remains. Luis Garza>> Yes, there is anticipation, but (laughter) you try to hold back your excitement and such like that because you don't want to be disappointed. Hena Cuevas>> They will need a lot of patience and money. "America Tropical" on Olvera Street, for example, has been under restoration for more than twenty years. So they've established the Chouinard Siqueiros Mural Conservation Fund to continue exploring if the mural can be restored. But before any work can begin, Tourje needs to buy the building, which is something he's been working on since 2001. Dave Tourje>> We've been moving along on that path slowly and then we find this mural and that may hold something of the key to seeing it all happen. Jose Luis Sedano>> It's Los Angeles history that everybody in Los Angeles can share. It is for all of us to take pride in. We actually are recipients of an art form that we can say it started right here in Los Angeles. Hena Cuevas>> They all agree this is an opportunity for Siqueiros to get the recognition he deserves and for a vital piece of Los Angeles's rich art history to be revealed. I'm Hena Cuevas for Life and Times. Val Zavala>> And we're very proud to say that that story by Hena Cuevas won a Golden Mike from the Radio and Television News Association. Announcer>> To send a comment or a question to our program, you can reach us by mail at this address: Life and Times 4401 Sunset Blvd. Los Angeles, California 90027 You can also call our viewer comment line (323) 953-5555) or contact us the fast way by e-mail at kcet.org. Val Zavala>> From 45s to LPs to eight-tracks to cassettes to CDs and now to iPods. The technology used to feed America's insatiable appetite for music is constantly changing and that's a painful reality for Life and Times commentator, Cris Franco, who realizes that it's time to face the music. Cris Franco>> Is it just me that can't seem to get rid of any of their LPs? I mean, I've tried downsizing my collection, but I can't because these records represent my personal history. For example, this is "West Side Story", my very first original cast recording. Yeah, the cover is a little strange and it looks like Tony and Marie are saying, "Hey, why are we in black and white?" But this glorious twelve-inch piece of vinyl first introduced me to that brilliant Bernstein score and I played it and played it and played it and I never stop playing Maria and I never will. It's a keeper. Then I went crazy over "Jesus Christ Superstar". How crazy? I have two original concept albums, the motion picture soundtrack, in Espanol, and in French. I'm telling you, no matter what language you sing it in, this rock opera stuff is hard. How do you say laryngitis in French? And how would I describe Ethel Merman's singing on this album? Ethel fidelity! No one slept through any of her performances. And here's Bill Cosby and Jonathon Winters and Allan Sherman. I was a big Carmen fan. So, of course, I've got Cheech and Chong's "Big Bambu" featuring such stoner classics as "Let's Make a Dope Deal" and, of course, "Sister Mary Elephants". I've been offered a lot of money for this album because it still has the original nineteen-inch rolling paper and what you're supposed to do is make a huge doobie and then listen to their records. Smoke a nineteen-inch joint and have a lot of munchies. Oh, and back to Broadway with "the Merm" starring in "Annie Get Your Gun". This Irving Berlin score is so catchy that it's been translated into many languages. Here it is in Spanish starring Silvia Pinal, the Mexican Merman. Should have been called "Annie Get a Vocal Coach". Oh, some albums I keep just for the cover. This dapper escort is oblivious to the fact that his date is being attacked by a blue chiffon squid. Or is that her dress? Most interesting is how many times the word "stereophonic" is printed on the albums. Here it is at the top and then it's here, stereophonic, and it's stereophonic here and stereophonic here and then, at the top, it says "Play this record only on stereophonic equipment" -- or the Commies win. Oh, I liked "Annie" so much that I got it in Spanish. Here's "Anita" and she sings, "Manana, manana, manana, manana". You got to love her. Some shows don't translate so easily in English, Greek, in Spanish. How'd you like to put that on your resume? Starred in "Vaseline". And what do you say about an album that's titled "When You're In Love, The Whole World is Jewish" starring the You Don't Have To Be Jewish Players? Redd Fox at his best. It may be in red, black and white, but the material is blue, blue, blue. Redd Fox>> "What's the difference between a light sleeper and a hard sleeper? A light sleeper sleeps with the light on and the hard sleeper sleeps through anything." Cris Franco>> I still can't tell my parents that I own this album. They think I'm listening to "The Sound of Music" starring Mary Martin as Maria Von Trapp. Mary Martin had something called talent. You might want to look that one up. Oh, and good gracious, this is Lily Tomlin in the album called "This is a Recording". Get it? It is a recording of an album called "This is a Recording". And, of course, in 1973 I, like every other teenager, went out and bought the double album, full color, glorious masterpiece by Elton John and Bernie Taupin, "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road". Every homo sapien teenager owned one of these albums. It was the law. But definitely my favorite two albums were my first two albums. "Mickey Mouse Club" features Mouskedancers and twenty-one hit Mousketunes, and Mickey Mouse Club song hit, "Who's the leader of the club that's made for you and me?" And it's like being a member of the club. I learned English to these albums and I could no more part with them than I could part with a dear friend. You see, these discs hold within them memories that make me laugh, sing, think, remember a beautiful childhood memory, all at 33-1/3 rpm. Okay, guys. That settles it. I'm not giving any of you away. I'm keeping you all. Why? Because I like you. M-O-U-S-E. Val Zavala>> Ah, yes, Annette. I always felt sorry for Darlene. And that's our program. I'm Val Zavala. For everyone at Life and Times, thanks for watching. We'll see you manana. Announcer>> Life and Times was made possible through the generous support of the L.K. Whittier Foundation dedicated to improving the quality of life by supporting innovative endeavors in the fields of medicine, health, science and education. And by a generous grant from Jim and Anne Rothenberg. With additional support for Life and Times from The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation. Sponsored in part by:  | |
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