CHICAGO— As an army captain assigned in Iraq, Mario Bonifacio experienced the war firsthand. Now, he is in a different battlefield, helping Senator Barack Obama get elected as the first African-American president of the United States.
“This is an extremely historic event and I am very proud to be a part of it,” Bonifacio said, referring to the Illinois senator’s candidacy.
Bonifacio is the regional field director of the Obama campaign for the state of New Jersey. He is one of the very few Filipino-Americans with an inside look at the campaign from its early stage.
Recently, the campaign also recruited Charmaine Manansala as director of the Asian American Pacific Islanders voter outreach program.
During Obama’s crucial primary campaign in North Carolina, Bonifacio was in the trenches, mobilizing voters as Obama’s regional Get-Out-The-Vote (GOTV) coordinator.
The effort paid off with a decisive 14-point victory in the Tar Heel State, cementing Obama’s delegate lead.
On June 3, Obama officially clinched the Democratic nomination, becoming the first African-American major party presidential candidate in the nation’s history.
Bonifacio said that despite the intense fight between Obama and New York Senator Hillary Clinton, which dragged on for months, the contest was good for the party.
“It was encouraging for the campaign because it included a lot more people in the nominating process,” he said.
Bonifacio expressed confidence that Clinton supporters will embrace Obama’s candidacy, saying that “people are really hungry for change.”
“I think people recognize the very serious issues that we face in this election, and I think that it will override any sort of feelings people had during the primaries,” he added.
Political awakening
The California native was not always a political animal. As the eldest son of an accountant and an engineer, he is good with numbers.
In college, he steered clear of politics, instead taking up economics at the University of California at Berkeley.
“I really never had any inclination towards politics, although I always voted,” Bonifacio said.
Halfway through his major, 9/11 happened and it altered the course of his career and outlook in life. The terrorist attack prompted him to sign up for the ROTC.
“My parents have always been grateful for the opportunities they’ve had in America, and I’m grateful to them in turn. They’ve worked hard to be able to buy a home, raise four kids and send us to college.”
Bonifacio’s mother, Marilen, is a native of Manila, while his father, Oscar, is from San Jose City, Nueva Ecija.
The Bonifacio family now resides in Orange County, California. His two younger brothers, Jordan and Michael, attend school, while his younger sister, Lauren, lives and works nearby in Los Angeles.
Bonifacio said that joining the military at a time of crisis was his way of expressing his gratitude to the country that welcomed his immigrant parents. After graduation, he formally joined the Army, and eventually rose up the ranks to become an army captain.
