Hawaii group launches scholarship in honor of first Fil-Am elected county official

A group in Hawaii launched a scholarship named in honor of the first Filipino-American who was elected as a county official in the United States to encourage the youth to pursue careers in government. The Asian Journal news site reported on Friday that the Maui Filipino Chamber of Commerce Foundation announced the inaugural Richard Caldito Government Service Scholarship for a deserving college student majoring in political science, government studies, or other related fields. “The Richard Caldito Government Service Scholarship was created by the Maui Filipino Chamber Foundation to honor Mr. Caldito’s memory and to inspire our youth to pursue a career in government service,” said Elizabeth Ayson, chairperson of the Scholarship Committee. First Fil-Am elected to a county office The scholarship was named in honor of Richard "Pablo" Caldito Sr. (1913-2011), who was the first Filipino-American to be seated in a US county office and also had the distinction of being the first elected Fil-Am Democrat. Asian Journal said Caldito in 1956 was the first Filipino-American to win a county election in the US, in Maui County election. He was elected to the Maui County Board of Supervisors, which subsequently became the County Council, and continued serving there until 1972. Caldito passed away in 2011 at the age of 98 in his home in Kahului. Legacy Asian Journal said that Caldito, born on February 1, 1913, in Bacarra, Ilocos Norte, was considered the "Tata" of the Filipino community in Maui. He was named as one of 20 Outstanding Filipino Americans in North America and Guam in 1988 by Filipino Image Magazine. Other awards he received include the UFCH Certificate of Recognition of Lifetime Achievement and the Maui Filipino Community Council Bini At Ani Achievement Award. The article noted that Caldito was "very much involved" his community's activities, such as those organized by the Catholic Church, the Boy Scouts, and school and business groups. He was also one of the founders of the United Filipino Council of Hawaii in 1959. Caldito became active in politics when he was working at a dairy in Hawaii, according to Asian Journal. He became a member of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) and worked closely with one Tom Yagi, described as a leader of ILWU and a staunch Democrat. His charisma and reputation for being a community leader led to Caldito being asked by Democratic county chairman Elmer Cravalho to run in 1956 for the Board of Supervisors, which Asian Journal said preceded the formation of the County Council. Caldito won the 1956 elections, and continued to subsequently serve as a Board of Supervisor/ County Council member for 15 years. Even after his term of serving the County, Asian Journal said Caldito continued to be active in community affairs and still worked up to his death. - Gian C. Geronimo, VVP, GMA News