Rolling the R's (1990)

Rolling the R's is a coming of age novel written by Filipino-American author R. Zamora Linmark and published in 1997. Rolling the R's, set in the 1970s in Hawaii, follows several adolescent Filipino characters as they grapple with the difficulties of fitting in as immigrants, discovering their sexualities, and deal with the social structure of in their community. The novel is written from a variety of perspectives, switching between main characters' perspectives in order to develop individual narratives. Linmark draws partially on his own experience as a Filipino-American immigrant to guide the plot. Linmark frequently references pop culture (Charlie's Angels, Donna Summer, and countless other unmistakable cultural relics of the 1970s), demonstrating his characters' awareness of mainstream American culture. Narrated in Pidgin English, Linmark develops his characters across various settings including the home, school, and the streets of Hawaii. The story is told in non-linear progression, presenting the young, queer characters across settings to show how they all stray from typical depictions of pre-teen protagonists. Throughout the novel, Linmark shows how racism and ethnic prejudice, conflicts over language, social norms regarding sexuality outside of marriage, and prejudice against gay men and boys govern the lives of his young protagonists.

The novel was well received, prompting a 20th anniversary reprinting in 2015. Linmark also adapted his novel into a play by the same name set to be performed in Honolulu, Hawaii in late 2018.

Author background

R. Zamora Linmark is a Filipino-American novelist, poet, and playwright who was born in 1968 in Manila, Philippines. Linmark moved to Hawaii in 1978 at the age of 10 and became an immigrant student in the Hawaiian school system. He often addresses Filipino/a stereotypes in his writing, drawing from his own experience. His other works include multiple collections of poetry and his 2011 novel Leche, which also tells the story of Filipino immigrants. He has received fellowships from the Japan-United States Friendship Commission, the National Endowment for the Arts and the Fulbright Foundation.

Synopsis

R. Zamora Linmark presents the story of Rolling the R’s in a series of vignettes, offering readers glimpses into the lives of young people exploring their sexuality, education, assimilation into mainstream American society, and other aspects of their identity. The protagonists of the story are a group of fifth grade students living in Kalihi, Hawaii during the 1970s. There is no clear plot line, but there are specific character developments throughout the story. Edgar becomes more confident about his sexuality and gains more control over the ways he uses his body. With Edgar's help, Vicente also begins to accept his queer sexuality. The recent immigrants (Florante, Mai Lin, Vicente) become more comfortable with their language usage, consequentially also becoming more confident in their ethnic identities and racial histories. Examples of racial and ethnic prejudice between groups, and the stress caused by their teachers' demands that they speak standard English in the classroom rather than pidgin, become more pervasive throughout the novel. These experiences cause the characters to gain self-confidence and strengthen their friendships in order to maintain their sense of well-being in Kalihi.

Characters

Edgar Ramirez: A young gay Filipino student in the Kalihi school system who often speaks in Pidgin English. His sexuality is often the target of ridicule, exhibited by the opening vignette "Blame It On Chachi" in which the homophobic epithet "faggot" is hurled at Edgar from an unspecified narrator. Edgar's flamboyant demeanor and love for pop culture helps guide the plot of the vignettes. His story most evidently reflects the rupture of childhood innocence as he explicitly describes his sexy escapades with Mr. Campos, the school janitor.

Florante Sanchez: A recent immigrant from the Philippines who attends school with Edgar, Katrina, Vicente and the other children. He comes from a family of writers and has a talent with the English language which sets him apart from the majority of his friends who communicate in creole languages, Tagalog, or Ilocano. Florante is praised by his teachers for his intelligence, but despite their discouragement, he remains a part of Edgar, Katrina, and Vicente's friend group.

Katherine "Katrina-Trina" Cruz: A Filipino-American student who attends school in Kalihi and is one of Edgar's best friends. Trina is sexually active, yet again breaking the expectations of childhood innocence. She and her mother are often the subjects of gossip around town as they are known to be promiscuous. They also receive criticism for their non-traditional family structure—Trina's parents were not married when she was born, and her mother is apparently a single parent—but Katrina seems unbothered by the criticisms she receives, demonstrating her perseverance.

Vicente De Los Reyes: a recent Filipino immigrant growing into his queer identity. Vicente is described as artistic, kind, and thoughtful, and is the most quiet of the friends in the main character group. He is respectful and understanding, which is presented as a reflection of his family's commitment to respectability.

Ms. Takara: teacher of immigrant students in the Kalihi school district. Ms. Takara is a Japanese-American who teaches corrective pronunciation to the recent immigrants in order to help the students learn how to speak standard English. The immigrant students are removed from class regularly and taken to a small room on the opposite side of the school for lessons in how to speak standard English.

Mrs. Takemoto: another Japanese-American teacher in the Kalihi area. Trina's mom sleeps with her husband, and Mrs. Takemoto is apparently aware of this, which creates an antagonistic relationship between Trina and Mrs. Takemoto in the classroom.