Google just gave a huge shoutout to Emerson Romero, a Cuban-American silent film actor, for Hispanic Heritage Month, and honestly, I didn’t even know who he was until now. This guy was a big deal in making movies more accessible for people with hearing impairments, which is pretty cool when you think about it. And with Google honoring him, everyone’s suddenly curious about his life, especially his family.
Who Was Emerson Romero?
Emerson Romero was born on August 19, 1900, and became famous as a silent film actor. But the crazy part is, when sound films (aka “talkies”) became popular in 1927, Romero realized those with hearing impairments were totally left out. So, what did he do? He started pushing for subtitles to be added to films and even created the Theatre Guild of the Deaf in New York. Like, he really wanted movies to be for everyone. Now, with Google giving him props, his whole life story is out there for people to learn about.
Romero Was More Than Just an Actor – He Was a Family Guy Too!
Emerson wasn’t just all about the Hollywood scene; he was a total family guy too. In 1936, he fell in love with a woman named Emma ‘Connie’ Corneliussen, and they got married a year later. They lived in Queens for a while but eventually moved to Farmingdale on Long Island. Together, they had two kids—Rod and Dorene.
Even though Emerson was deaf, his kids weren’t. And instead of pushing them into the entertainment world, he fully supported their academic careers. Rod ended up going to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (yeah, MIT!), where he got his master’s in electrical engineering. Dorene, on the other hand, went all the way to Paris and got her degree from the Sorbonne. Pretty impressive, right?
Later Life and Legacy
When Romero got older, he moved to Boulder, Colorado, to be closer to his kids, who had both moved there with their families. He passed away on October 16, 1972, but his legacy definitely lives on, especially now that Google has given him this huge recognition.
Extra Stuff You Might Not Know
- Emerson lost his hearing when he was just six years old because of a fever caused by whooping cough. After that, he went to a special school in New York to learn how to communicate.
- His wife, Emma, was also deaf and had gone to the Minnesota School for the Deaf and Gallaudet College. She used to teach handicrafts and gymnastics at the New York School.
- Oh, and fun fact—Emerson is cousins with César Romero, the guy who played Joker in the old Batman TV series. That’s pretty wild, huh?
