Murphy: A Family and Community Car (1994-2020)
Circa 1995, Pittsburg, CA at Lola Marina’s — Left to right: [edit] My mom, me holding a bag full of lemons from Lola Marina’s lemon tree, my Lolo, my Ninong, and Murphy. Photographer unknown: likely a family member with a polaroid camera—maybe Auntie Connie or Auntie Lil.
Murphy: A Family and Community Car (1994-2020)
By Erina Alejo
(long post, lots of pictures)
Murphy has traveled on with new friends.
As what I do best— now, prematurely incorporated into A Hxstory of Renting— I review archives to honor the sentimental loss of Murphy, our 26-year old family car. Murphy served three generations and immigration periods of my family across California. The car was also a community fixture when I worked as an educator in SOMA Pilipinas. Recently, whether by miscalculation, opportunity or fate— the sedan was unexpectedly taken to new sights with new company from its parking space in our Excelsior neighborhood.
This is what I learned to do after getting my first car stolen:
file a report by calling the police non-emergency line (how ironic to turn to authorities in light of current sociocultural risings),
ideally, file a claim with my insurance (theft is unfortunately not covered in basic plans),
inform our landlord (theft as a communal safety issue for all tenants— we all park in the same vicinity)
call DMV (failed first attempt, due to COVID-19 impact of a three-hour queue).
notify taxi cab companies and offer a reward if a driver spots the stolen car (thanks to the advice of my childhood pal whose car got stolen several times)
request some hours off from work to handle all logistics and decompress (gratefully, this is a privilege and also a right I am learning to ask for)
tell my friends I can’t see them using my car
inform my family about what happened, what steps I took, and future directions
Image description: Murphy waiting for service at Excelsior Auto Care, on an overcast, rainy, November 21, 2018. The good folx there replaced Murphy’s taillights, since water and moisture would leak into the trunk for the last few years. The staff also glued down the rubber lining on Murphy’s trunk lid.
I also get service (oil change) through my homies at Unique Automotive on Ocean and Mission/Persia!
Amidst all of managing that, taking calls and firing emails at work, I took a break, scootered down to western Excelsior to grab some Beep’s Burgers with a pal for a work meeting on A Hxstory of Renting, and to also decompress. Several sisters via text, offered to take me to surf this week, since it’s south winds (!!!) at the spot we enjoy.
My Ninong (godfather) returned my call. I apologized to him, because, he had cared for Murphy for so long, after my Lolo (grandfather)—only to have the heirloom taken under my care. He offered practical advice for me to move forward. My Ninong, Ninang, and cousins helped me learn how to drive using Murphy (I even mowed through their lawn with the poor car!).
I’m really grateful to my family, my friends, my surf pals, and community, for all the support as I embrace this transformative and humbling process.
Image descriptions:
(Left/top) Post surf-session with Murphy. Also, it’s a major kook move to leave one’s board on top of a car—very uncool and unsafe. Don’t be a dork like me. February 20, 2019.
(Right/bottom) Photo by fellow surfer and filmmaker Peggy Peralta. I’m taking a photo of Peggy next to the beloved “Ma Dukes” 9’ Stewart California noserider on loan from Bobby (this is the proper way to rest a board). May 18, 2020, 6AM— yes, we still found ways to surf during shelter-in-place!
In the grand scheme of things, and in light of all the uprisings signifying our need for justice, through the Black Lives Matter Movement — lives are invaluable, specifically, trans, queer, indigenous, Black and brown lives — over material possessions. No question; even for those who believe that recent looting and riots are unjustified, over Black and brown life.
Thankfully, no one among my family and neighbors in our apartment complex were harmed when Murphy was taken. Another silver lining is that the opportunists left behind an equally sentimental possession I’d store inside Murphy— a 9’ Stewart California noserider (affectionately nicknamed “Ma Dukes” after J Dilla’s mom) I am borrowing from a surf elder, Bobby.
Image description: Murphy’s engine, San Diego, March 15, 2015. I learned so much about saving money for emergency repairs—from alternators to circulating radiator fluid and water, and communicating with mechanics, in the five years I cared for Murphy.
Murphy is my family’s 26-year old, 1994 Nissan Sentra. Cared for by my late grandpa— "Lolo” Jesus, my godfather "Ninong” Larry, my Auntie Lil’, my cousins, and most recently, by my immediate family and me— Murphy is the oldest heirloom possession collectively owned by my extended maternal family. Their life of service to our family spans three generations and family immigration periods across northern and southern California— all within 89,000 miles on the car’s odometer.
Yes, 26 years later, Murphy has only driven 89,000 miles! My Lolo avoided driving on freeways, even en route to SFO (he’d take El Camino Real). Doing so kept Murphy’s engine in mint condition. Nissan parts made in the 90s are also of supreme quality compared to Nissan parts made nowadays. Moreover, Murphy was strictly for essential errands— until, I acquired Murphy. I am and was responsible for the last 20,000 miles (a lot of art, community organizing stuff, and surfing, aside from family errands).
While a true California car, Murphy’s name originates from the street where my mom and Ninong lived as youth with my grandparents in Cubao, Philippines, during Martial Law.
Image description: Murphy and family at Lola Marina’s in Pittsburg, CA, c. 1995.
26 Years Ago: My family purchased Murphy from a Nissan dealership in Concord, CA. Murphy drove from SF Mission to Foster City for my Ninong’s work at a US Postal Office, in between his semestral medical studies at UC Berkeley and eventual practice in Bocaue, Philippines; to Lake Tahoe to take my brother and me to taste snow for the first time; to the East Bay, to visit Lola Marina and our other relatives. Murphy took my Lola, who became terminally ill, to her chemo appointments. My Lolo took Murphy to drive me and some high school track and field peers of mine at 5AM to volunteer at Bay to Breakers at Golden Gate Park. Murphy, on occasion, would faint en route somewhere because of a long-term issue with their alternator (and get a replacement)!
10 Years Ago: Murphy spent their life helping my cousins obtain their drivers licenses in West Covina. Yes— Murphy would still faint on occasion due to alternator issues (and get it replaced)!
6 Years Ago: Caring for a grandparent car, I learned to save up for and replace Murphy’s alternator (again), batteries (dead alternators suck batteries dry, so replaced that again), radiator, tires— you name it— as a college student in San Diego. Murphy helped transport various items and communities of people for my art shows, even once, driving my Tagalog language professor, the legendary Ginoong Atilio Alicio, to his home. Murphy and I volunteered at City Heights at Nile Sisters, and spent weekend afternoons hanging out at Gran Se Veronique and her family’s apartment in southeast San Diego.
Image description: Murphy at SOMArts Cultural Center transporting various supplies after deinstall for Asian American Women Artists Association’s Agrarianaa, May 27, 2019.
As of recent, in Frisco: Murphy brought my late Lolo to his doctor appointments. After Lolo passed away, Murphy helped my family and I visit Lolo and Lola at their graves after we’d go shopping at Costco and Seafood City. We had continued visiting Lola Marina in Pittsburg, and taking friends around the city through Murphy. Murphy was also my faithful surf mobile for the last two years. I kept replacing Murphy’s alternator and battery through my brothers at Unique Automotive, because the car would faint if I didn’t run its engine for over a week! I got their rear tail light fixed at our local, family-owned Excelsior Auto Care.
Image description: Murphy and me outside Ongpin Restaurant. Photo by Singapore-based curator and Planting Rice’s other half, Sidd Perez, June 25, 2019.
Murphy also became a community car in SOMA/ SOMA Pilipinas, my arts community, and at Stanford, 2015-2020: Murphy transported school supplies, 35mm film for processing and other media equipment for SoMapagmahal, cooking supplies, aquarium fish, catered food from Kababayan and Pampanguena, Filipino Mental Health Initiative-SF’s djembe drums for Bessie Carmichael Filipino Education Center Pre-K - 8 and Galing Bata Bilingual Program youth.
Murphy and I shuttled my mom, my brother, families, SOMA Pilipinas staff, volunteers, community members, and educators to and from work; picked up youth and families for field trips, and parked a few blocks away from Bayanihan Community Center, Bindlestiff, SOMCAN, Victoria Manalo Draves Park, SOMArts Cultural Center, etc.— to be of service for any needed community errand. Murphy drove down to the Japanese American Museum of San Jose for Agrarianaa install and deinstall.
Murphy drove me and Ate Lian to pick up plants for A Hxstory of Renting, and her garden. Through Murphy I got to meet Planting Rice’s other half— Siddhartha Perez, when Lian and I visited her at her Headlands Center for the Arts Residency— although, prior, stopping by Ongpin in Daly City, for a meal.
When I started working at Stanford, I’d bring Murphy on occasion due to evening events to avoid the two-and-a-half-hour commute home via Marguerite, Caltrain, BART, and MUNI. Together, we’d drive home beloved colleagues who also lived in San Francisco.
Image descriptions:
1) Murphy with my brother and mom at UC San Diego Visual Arts’s Adam D. Kamil Gallery, June 14, 2015.
2) A series of photos of artist and weirdo BFF Dorothy Lee saving the day by refilling Murphy’s radiator fluid, San Diego, June 8, 2015.
Spending time with Murphy has been such a blessing for anyone who has sat inside Murphy’s interiors, but especially, for me and my family! They’re our anting-anting (talisman). We all celebrate how Murphy has made my family and community’s lives so full.
Murphy— I hope you’re taken care of by the new folx who took you for a ride… Please care of your alternator and battery, Murphy. Here’s a song for you, Murphy, by Kumasi-based highlife band Vis A Vis— Obi Agye Me Dofo, (1977) (Twi; “Someone has taken my love from me”). We all miss you…
—Erina Alejo (A Hxstory of Renting)
P.s. I recently caught up with my kindred, artist and lovely person, Diana Li, who recently also lost their family car, a 1992 Honda, to theft. (We live our lives in constant parallel.) The image is the last known photo of her car, with her quote:
“[This] was the odometer reading at the beginning of the year [2020]. I took that picture thinking I’d drive it for the rest of the year for work and personal errands, so that I could calculate the number of miles I drove for work and write it off my taxes— it didn’t work out that way [!]”
Excerpt of Words of Support from Loved Ones and Kind Strangers:
“Yes, this can be a transformative experience of letting go. It’s sad, pero it will also teach you. Thank you Murphy for being Erina’s surf mobile. Your spirit will always be with us. Cry it out… then plan for your new car *wink emoji” - fellow surfer enabler and artist “Ate” Peggy Peralta
//////
“So sorry to hear about this tremendous loss of a companion and vehicle of family history, community events and surf enabler. My heart is sore for you and your fam today :( luckily Excelsior is on the way to 280 so I’ll be happy to pick you up for future sessions.” - fellow surf enabler and artist Kristi Chan
//////
“Hey, a friend (Dara) posted about your car. Sharing my experiences living in Daly City/SF in childhood (now in Berkeley but my parents still in DC). My parents and my cars were cheap (Toyotas, etc., like ur car, easy to steal but no real value). My dad would file a report, of course, then drive around different areas of SF: Bayview, HP, different housing project parking lots in SF. He found it 3 times!! It’s some kids or some poor folks, joyrides, etc. I went with him once. It was scary as a teen kid. Once, he found one he was alone. He left the car he was in parked, jumped into the lost car and drove home. When we went back, the other car was stolen! Good luck. Lastly, the police also find it 2 days-2weeks later w some damage and weird items in it usually... just sharing for perspective and some luck.” -A.
//////
“5 speed? Great little car. I had one too. Dark green. It got stolen from in front of my house on Paris St, back in 2010. Got it back but had to pay impound fees and replace the starter. I loved that car!! Best of luck finding it. At least you won't have to pay impound fees cuz they changed the law.” - B.
//////
“Dang, Erina… what an amazing chronicle of the life of Murphy (I skimmed it in between work duties). Makes me think about the Shinto and other animistic beliefs that “things” have a spirit. Murphy has been such a faithful friend and companion. I love how you contextualize Murphy’s life. You too are a healer. Your story touches and heals me.” - ”Ate” Dr. Jeannie Celestial
//////
Why would you have an A’s license plate? Haha that’s why it was stolen thought you was from the town out of bounds. Just kidding man hope you find it. - G.
//////
[Texts a swarm of photos of Subaru hatchbacks in our group chat] - PK and Via, cc: Irwin (hbd!)
