Robert V. Ragsac, Sr. was born and raised in early Sixth Street Chinatown, San Jose. Currently, he serves the community in documenting, preserving, and presenting the social and cultural history of the First Wave Filipinos and Filipinas who immigrated to the U.S. and settled in Santa Clara Valley in the 1920s and 30s. These individuals had commonly socialized and patronized the businesses of the now vanished Pinoytown of North 6th St., San Jose. Ragsac Sr. currently serves as the Founder and active participant of San Jose’s Pinoytown Tours, and is an avid speaker on the Filipino American experience of the First Wave’s children, the “Bridge Generation.” Currently, he serves on the Board of Directors for both the Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS) National Museum, as well as the Moffett Field Historical Society.

Ragsac Sr. is a retired aerospace systems engineer, having spent much of his career working in the commercial aerospace and defense industries. He also worked on various NASA projects, serving in a variety of research and project management positions. Ragsac Sr. graduated from SJSU (formerly known as San Jose State College) in 1954 with a BS in Mechanical Engineering. He is also a charter member of the Phi Kappa Phi honor society. Ragsac Sr. received his MS ME in 1955 from the California Institute of Technology.