Amid Google celebrating the life of actor Emerson Romero, cinema fans have had many questions about his life and the deaf kids whose lives he had changed for the better. Things were pretty amazing for the actor, and much is yet to be revealed about his life!
Key Takeaways
- Emerson Romero was a Cuban-American silent film actor.
- He was married to Connie Romero.
- Romero focused heavily on educating deaf kids.
Silent Film Pioneer Emerson Romero And Deaf Kids Education
Emerson Romero’s reach and fame are beyond cinema.
While there had been neglect for those who were deaf, it was Romero who made sure that deaf kids, as well as individuals with a disability, in general, got proper education as well as the freedom to enjoy cinema as much as others.
The actor knew that there would be adversities in teaching deaf children.
He admitted that it was not the easiest thing to do as a teacher, but he had to make attempts by providing them with special facilities, and that he did.
During the teaching process, the trainees were kept in a certain setting so that they could converse and observe the deaf individuals, both children and adults, without judging them.
Outside the classrooms, however, the trainees were not given access to associate with the deaf people under authority as they had to see them as every other person.
Further, Romero introduced audiovisual materials, including educational TV and videotape recordings, for easy learning among the deaf community.
That said, he has a great role to play in advancing educational technology among the deaf community.
Emerson was not the only one involved in the deaf community. His friends John Funk and Sam Block had just as much influence and involvement.
For the sake of enjoyment and involvement of the deaf community in cinema, he also introduced the first captioning for a movie, splicing film strips, and inserting images with captions between picture frames.
Further, he had also been the editor of “Digest of the Deaf.”
He would also market items for the deaf, such as doorbells, smoke detectors, and baby alarms.
Emerson Romero: Life With Wife And Kids
Romero was very involved in his work as an actor, filmmaker, and advocate for the deaf community.
However, his life with his wife and their love story is extremely heartwarming.
Emerson met his wife at an amateur theater group; her name was Emma (Connie) Corneliussen.
She had by then graduated from the Minnesota School for the Deaf and Gallaudet College ’34.
Connie taught handicrafts and gymnastics at the old New York School for the Deaf near Riverside Drive, New York City till the time her and Emerson eloped in 1936.
The couple had two children, Rod and Dorene. Connie was attached to her children and made sure to spend as much time with her family before they married and had their own lives.
Both the children had normal hearing and led a far more normal life than their parents.
Rod earned a master’s degree in electrical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and worked in real estate. After he married, he settled in Boulder, Colorado.
Dorene, on the other hand, attained a degree from the Sorbonne in Paris. She worked as a teacher in New York before becoming a secretary at her brother’s office.
Further, Emerson and Connie also had a dog named “Brown Nose“.
They moved to Boulder, Colorado, in 1972. Sadly, Romero passed away the same year in spring.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- Emerson Romero was known by his screen name, Tommy Albert.
- He was among the first to introduce the captioning technique in cinema.
- Romero was deafened at the age of six due to a whopping cough.
