Celestino Tagimacruz Alfafara
(22-May-1899 – 12-Dec-1990)
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Son of Maximo Poncardas Alfafara and Ana Rama Tagimacruz.
Pioneer Filipino rights crusader in the United States; Bachelor of Laws (National University, 1925); 1929 left for San Francisco, U.S.A.; 1931 established The Pen, a monthly magazine in Stockton, CA; won landmark 1945 case (California State Supreme Court: Alfafara v. Fross) for Filipinos to own property in California, if not as citizen but also not an alien, rather as a U.S. national because the Philippines was a territory of the U.S. and thus its people owed allegiance to the U.S.; 1931 also joined Caballeros de Dimas-Alang, and became its Grand Master from 1943-1958 (4 terms).
Married to Juanita Cayton with 2 children.
(from a writeup by his granddaughter Lisa Suguitan Melnick, 17-Oct-2013)
CARCAR FAMILIES: A Genealogy Blog for Carcar 
Many years ago, I use to correspond with your grandfather, Celestino. I am Odette, daughter of Gaspar Enanoria Alfafara. Celestino and my father were cousins. I also wrote and spoke with his son, Celestino, as we tried to trace our ancestry. I have followed Peary Aleonar’s site for many years, but have not done so for quite sometime. Surprised to see a name I was familiar with. We were raised on the East Coast – New York City. I now live in Laughlin, Nevada. The last I recall I believe your grandfather was in a Filipino home in Los Angeles. Did speak to him, but he did not want me to visit him. You can probably read my correspondence with Peary under “Families.”
By: Odette (Alfafara) Safranek on December 21, 2014
at 2:05 pm