AN UNKNOWN SENATOR

 

So tell me what you know about ALFRED CHING.

Nothing? I'm not surprised. Some much older people surely remember the name, and even though I'm just entering man åmko' status, I remember hearing the name before but couldn't tell you either who he was.

But he was Guam's FIRST SENATOR NOT BORN ON GUAM.

We're not talking about the old Guam Congress under the US Navy administration, where someone like Tomás Calvo served, who was born in Manila. We're talking about the popularly-elected Guam Legislature that was created by the Organic Act in 1950.

BORN IN HAWAII

Alfred Kwai Doon Ching was born in Hawaii in 1919.

He was of Chinese background, his father having born in Guangdong (Canton) and his mother having been born in Hawaii but of Chinese parents.

Ching got involved in the construction business after finishing high school. He moved to Guam in the early 1950s and continued in that line of work; building houses and other things, selling building supplies, and developing real estate.

GUAM BUSINESSMAN

He got involved civically, too, becoming President of the Guam Lions Club and serving on the Territorial Planning Commission.

ELECTED IN 1958

Ching decided to give politics a try for the first time in 1958.

In those days, the only way to get elected on Guam was to run as a Popular Party candidate. So he added his name to a list of 28 candidates. There was no primary election in those days. The party had a convention in September and the convention voted for the party's final list of 21 candidates. Ching won enough votes to make it among the 21.

In the 1956 election, the Popular Party won all 21 seats in the Legislature and the Territorials won zero. It looked like it would be a repeat performance in 1958 and, sure enough, the Popular Party won all 21 seats again, with Ching coming in last (or next-to-last according to the Hawaii newspapers).

Though coming in at the bottom, he was still elected and an equal to the other 20 winners once sworn in. As a Senator (called Congressman in those days), he was quite vocal and was often in the news. He had his fiery arguments with other Senators, even though they were all of the same party. he was known as a stickler for correct spelling and clear wording in the bills being debated, often calling the attention of the Legislature to typos.

DROPPED FROM LIST, RETURN TO HAWAII

In the 1960 Popular Party convention, Ching did not make it to the official list of 21 senatorial candidates. He was beat out by another candidate by one vote for the 21st slot. So Ching was unable to run in 1960 as a Popular Party candidate.

After some years, he decided to return to Hawaii where he continued in private business and passed away in 1997.

He and his wife did have children and one that I know of went to Father Dueñas Memorial School. So I wonder if the children are still with us and have been back to the island any time lately?