The First Filipino

On June 19, 2011 Filipinos in the Philippines and abroad kicked off  a year-long celebration of our national hero's sesquicentennial or 150th birthday.  Various government and private agencies, schools, organizations and even foreign entities joined the festivities in honor of Dr. Jose Protasio Rizal Mercado Y Alonso Realonda (whew...no wonder he turned out a great novelist).  There were a lot of symposiums, lectures, bust and statue unveiling, wreath laying, ribbon cutting and even sports activities commemorating the 15th decade of his nativity.  Growing up in the Philippines, we remember having a "Rizal sensory overload". How can you not when everywhere you go there is a reference to him. Noli and Fili subjects in all levels from grade school to college, busts and statues in public schools and parks, the staple elementary class field trip to Luneta Park and ancestral home in Calamba Laguna, 1 Peso coin and 2 Peso paper note, street names and yes, even a peculiar men's hairstyle.

 However as a normal occurence, we tend to take anything or anyone as ubiquitous as Rizal, for granted.  There is a collective tendency for us to keep him aloft a pedestal represented by either a bronze bust or a white washed statue. Silent, cold and yes dead for almost 116 years.  Universally acclaimed and regarded as a hero, patriot, a martyr yet at the same time many of us are still oblivious to his continued relevance.

Rizal has and will always be an enigma. A character who has always been viewed by generations that followed with a combination of awe, worship by the majority and even doubt and suspicion by some. The latter perhaps influenced by the belief that his image and popularity was bolstered up by the colonizing Americans to encourage Filipinos to embrace Rizal's stance on non-violent means of emancipation. While still others as a result of a very wild imagination, thus propagating the 2 urban legends or myths that first, Rizal is the father of Hitler and the second, that he was Jack the Ripper.



Although one can see the similarity with the hair bangs, it is quite impossible that Lolo Pepe sired the anti-Christ since he was nowhere near Germany or Austria the year (or 9 months prior) Hitler was born. While the serial killer angle has more fodder for the imagination given the fact that during the murders, Rizal was in London in May 1888 to January 1889 busy annotating Antonio de Morga's Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas. It was also said that the killings stopped in the same year that Rizal left London. It was also believed that the perpetrator has a medical background and familiar with human anatomy as evidenced by how the victims were mutilated. Lastly they have the same initials...J.R. Okay boys and girls let's allow our imagination to run wild for awhile if this makes Rizal a little more interesting to you. Okay stop it...that's enough. As we all know our beloved Lolo Pepe is such a ladies' man that he doesn't need a knife but only his pen and wit to dominate (err..woo) women.

It is important that we study Rizal and learn about the man beneath the bronze sculpture, beyond the white painted bust and sans the overcoat. Heroes are not born as such. They are ordinary men and women who did extraordinary things and made extraordinary choices and sacrifices.  It has been 116 years since he was executed but his admonitions and quotes remain very much relevant to this day. This only means that the ills of society and practices of its members, though may be in a different form (actually some are exactly the same), are still very much present to this day.

 Prof. Ambeth Ocampo endeavors to highlight Rizal's relevance to the present generation and encourages us to get to know the man without the european garb. In his book, Rizal without the overcoat, Prof. Ocampo compels his readers to view Rizal not through a kaleidoscope but with a simple magnifying glass and not be scared to see any imperfections. For it is only through an unadulterated portrayal of Rizal, along with our acceptance of his humanness that we could bring him down from his pedestal and realize that heroes start out as ordinary people like us.

There are alot of modern day heroes around us today. Men and women who chose to be the change they want to see in the world or specifically in the Philippines. People who believe that doing nothing and not being part of a solution is tantamount to being part of the problem. One such modern day hero is Antonio "Tito Tony" Meloto, the founder of Gawad Kalinga. Its goal is to transform lives in the Philippines, one community at a time regardless of religion, ethnic group, dialect or political affiliations. A man Rizal would have been proud to call a "kababayan"..
                            
                                


Mabuhay ang Pilipinas...Mabuhay ang Pilipino.









sources: pics by songbird via flickr, wikinut.com, joserizal/wordpress, neps365.wordpress

Amoy PX!

One of our fondest childhood memories growing up in the Philippines involved either a "balikbayan" box or a maleta (luggage).  We recall gathering with our siblings in the living room anxiously waiting for either parent to conduct the "great reveal".  The only thing that was keeping us from tearing at the containers and getting our hands at their contents was a firm admonition that goes...."You want belt or slippers?".  However that didn't keep us from vying for the best position and trying to own the spot that will allow us, as soon as the flaps or covers are lifted,  to get the first whiff of....hhmmmmh.. "amoy PX or amoy stateside"! ("PX" is an army term meaning "Post Exchange". The Philippines used to have 2 of the largest U.S. military bases in the Pacific, the Subic Naval Base and the Clark Airforce Base where goods from the U.S. are shipped for the servicemen but somehow find their way in local merchant stores surrounding these bases.) Now what came after, is either pure ecstasy from getting your "bilin" of a specific toy or shoe brand or walk away grumbling that what you got wasn't exactly the same thing. Notwithstanding the fact that our beloved relative scoured the whole store for hours to look for our "pasalubong". I guess it's simply beyond a 14 year old's comprehension that our returning loved one is not as knowledgeable as we are in terms of "cool" stuff from the U.S. where they live.  A shoe is a shoe right?" No Tita....Sebago and Sperry are not just any shoes....they're boat shoes"! An exasperated reply comes next "Why.. do you own a boat?". "No but we need it here for the "baha"! 

Throughout human history, nations and peoples have continuously colonised and been colonised. It is said that when a foreign colonial or imperial power is too strong to be effectively resisted, the colonised population often has no other immediate option than to accept the rule of the foreigners as an inescapable reality of life. As time progresses, the colonised indigenous people-natives would perceive the differences between the foreigners and themselves, between the foreigners' ways and the native ways. This would then sometimes lead the natives to mimic the foreigners that are in power as they began to associate that power and success with the foreigners' ways. This eventually leads to the foreigners' ways being regarded as the better way and being held in a higher esteem than previous indigenous ways. In much the same fashion, and with the same reasoning of better-ness, the colonised soon equates the foreigners' racial strain itself as being responsible for their superiority. The native soon strives to that strain to give their children a better standing in life than just their native genes.

In his book, Filipino -/ American Post Colonial Psychology, Dr. David  intend to investigate the prevalence and psychological implications of colonial mentality among Filipino Americans using survey and experimental methodologies. Below are some feedback and comments expressed by readers of Dr. David's book.

Expressed by a 37-year old Filipina American:

"I find your research extremely fascinating. My father is Filipino-American. He was born in San Francisco, CA in 1932 (not the best time to be born in the U.S. when you don't fit in with the white majority.) I feel deeply saddened to say it, but my father was a victim of the "colonial mentality." My mother is English/Scottish/German ancestry. My English side goes as far back as the founding of Jamestown. I truly believe my father married my mother simply to improve his status in the U.S. and to produce the ideal "mestiza" child, namely me. I grew up with my father worshipping my "half white" status. Of course, as a teenager, I felt superior because of my mestiza look and bloodline. I grew up "ignoring" and sometimes "hating" my Filipino side, just as my father has done."

"My father died over a year and half ago and my eyes opened up to the truth. My mother treated my father as a "house negro." He would do anything for her, even though she cheated on him and basically treated him like an errand boy. She would often brag to me how she could get him to do anything she wanted him to do. I haven't spoken to my mother since the funeral. I guess the point I'm trying to say here is I was deeply affected by my father's "colonial mentality." I, too, was caught up in the colonial mentality."

"At the moment, I'm in an identity crisis, a war within myself. I feel "white guilt." I feel ashamed for being "half white." I feel horrible that my father hated himself so much for being Filipino. I feel like I'm half oppressed and half oppressor. It sucks to say the least."

"Thank you so much for bringing the truth out, I really respect and admire you for that. If you need any help on your research, don't hesitate to call me or e-mail me."

Expressed by a 19-year old Filipina American:

"After I read your article on colonial mentality, I felt like I could connect a lot of the issues to my own personal experiences. For example, my parents chose not to teach me Tagalog. In high school, I chose to play sports just like my other ‘white friends’. I assimilated to the white culture more than my Filipino side in hopes of becoming more Americanized. The last thing I wanted to be labeled as was a fob. It was not like I was denying being Filipino, but rather wanting to do more Americanized things because that was what I was surrounded by, an American culture. But now that I look back on my past, I ask myself, why did I choose to assimilate myself so heavily among the American culture and what is so wrong with being Filipino?"

Expressed by a 21-year old Filipina American:

"I called my sister this week. We got into an argument, and I was winning. I guess to get back at me, she told me that I had an accent. This came out of nowhere. What a weird way to put someone down. Then, she proceeded to tell me to get “white friends.” I didn’t even know how to respond to this. I have friends of all colors. I didn’t get it. It made me really upset. I don’t think I have an accent. What difference does it make? Accent or not, I’m still the same person. How dare she suggest to me what kind of friends to have."

Expressed by a 21-year old Filipino American:

"I called my mom today and she was telling me a story about one of her friends, and she described her friend to have a “funny accent”. She later told me that her friend is Filipino. So I guess her perception of the Filipino accent is 'funny'. I was walking home with my friend and we were just talking, and then all of the sudden, I said something funny and my Filipino accent came out. She then called me a FOB. It sort of embarrassing since the word FOB has a negative connotation to it. I was hanging out with one of my friend’s group of friends and I was very annoyed by one of his friends because he was doing some funny things, but at the same time mocking the Filipino culture. He was mocking the way Filipino’s talked and just doing Filipino stereotypes. It was very upsetting, so I just left the room and hung out somewhere else. It’s so sad to know that even Filipinos make fun of other Filipinos, and it’s unfortunate to say that I think I participate in this type of situation. I don’t know how I feel about this. I think I’m somewhat confused, but I’m slowly realizing what I must do to make things better for EVERY Filipinos, not just Filipino-Americans who have assimilated to the American culture."

Expressed by a 20-year old Filipina American:

"This past weekend, I met a Filipina that had a strong accent. I immediately knew that she grew up and probably just came here from the Philippines just for college. As we were talking she mentioned 'Yeah, I’m from the Philippines.' In my head I said to myself 'Duh, I can tell.' Is it so bad to automatically point out who is a FOB? Also this past weekend, I took part in a group activity that involved Filipino stereotypes. Each person had a note card that they could not say that was labeled different stereotypes such as ghetto, dog eater, FOB, etc. Mine was FOB. When it was my turn to guess who I was my group mates said the following: 'Learn to speak English' and 'Go back to your homeland!' Do people really act this way? Is it right to bash on a FOB because they act differently or speak differently?"

Expressed by a 21-year old Filipina American:

"I went to the Bayanihan performance last week, and it was amazing. I was VERY excited. They were so fun to watch. Their costumes were beautiful, and their dances were very well choreographed. Even the sets and the lighting added to the mood and the stories. Their presentation of these various dances was really interesting because they all tied in together. I did notice something: none of the dancers were really brown. In the Igorot scene, the lighting made the dancers look darker and fierce. In all of the other dances, however, I noticed that every one of the dancers, male and female, were really light-skinned. Then, I remember the information that a lot of Filipinos prefer light skin. They think it’s beautiful. Even my mom would say so. She hates it when I get dark from being outside too much. I remember that she would say that I looked “ugly” because I was so dark…and it seems that many other moms feel that way too from hearing stories from other Filipino kids. I just think it’s a shame that Bayanihan is a world-renowned dance company, and even the National Philippine Dance Company, and they don’t represent all colors of a Filipino. It’s like they pick and choose to make their group more recognizable, or more marketable. Or more like an American dance company…"

Expressed by a 19-year old Filipina American:

"Reading your research/website presented me with larger amount of Filipino history in two hours than I have acquired in 19 years. Growing up my knowledge on Filipino history was limited with the only sources being family and friends, covering mostly social and cultural aspects. I was not taught any Filipino history unless it was the bare minimum in a high school history class, offering a trivial amount of information for the sake that the students at least acknowledged the Philippines exists. Any history I obtained I actively sought out. Even now, in college, I choose to be a part of taking some Filipino classes in hopes of catching up on the history I’ve been deprived of. Seeing that Filipino-Americans are a heavy minority population the amount of history taught in schools is very disproportional. It does upset me that we are not taught enough. My guess as to why this is is that historical events like the Filipino-American war did not display America at its most benevolent. In reality, when we learn about American history and their global relations, we are not presented with their ethical short-comings. Seeing that we are Americans, we apparently must hold the objective view that America is the “good guy” in it all. Seeing that historically the United States miseducated Filipinos, it is not a coincidence that we are not even being educated today. A similar historical example is Native Americans and their relations with the United States. I do feel that I’ve been taught a good amount of what “really” happened—the cheating, lies, abuse, and disrespect, victimizing the Native Americans. Native Americans suffered so greatly under the United States, and to this day some still do practice their culture the way their forefathers have. In the Philippines, I’m not sure if this is so. My mom refers to those seemingly uncivilized as the ‘people in the mountains’. Is ‘uncivilized’ synonymous with living as our ancestors did? I don’t like the idea that being ‘civilized’ requires adopting western norms, but Filipinos today unconsciously do it all the time. It is just seemed to be the right and proper way to live. It is a discomforting thought that the Filipino culture that I participate and even what my family generations past practiced is, to be historically accurate, not genuinely Filipino. The influence and seemingly permanent affects of our historical aggressors is what I actually consider to be Filipino culture. There is an intimidating amount of history the general Filipino-American is oblivious to. The mention of colonialism now only sends unsettling vibes to me. I have a difficult time expressing how I feel about this particular conspiracy as I know that I am very ill-educated about the matter. If Filipino-Americans are not aware of this and have no interest in educating themselves as of why their culture is the way it is, it will be lost in the past. I don’t feel that many Filipino-Americans are very interested in their historical culture. While I find this to be unfortunate and a bit shameful, I do partially blame our educational system structured by the government. My knowledge on the subject is dangerously limited, so much that I feel my opinions are not yet justifiable or mature. I want to be secure and certain about why I react the way I do before I feel I’m ready to take any action."

We nosteelgians remember how we felt when we were kids. How we loved everything american. How can you not if your favorite program is Sesame Street and all your comic, tv and movie super heroes and cartoon characters all spoke english. We wanted to migrate to Disneyland and be its first citizens. We envied cousins who were born and raised here in the U.S. and childhood friends who migrated. They could wear winter clothes and able to sniff "amoy stateside" air all the time. Not knowing that they faced challenges and adversities of a different breed growing up.

The past can't be undone but there are valuable lessons that can be learned to forge a better future for the next generation. There is a saying that goes "you teach people how to treat you". The cycle can and must be broken. We can assimilate without being mired in colonial mentality. These two are not mutually integrated with each other.  Let's start with our own children, in our own homes.

Mabuhay ang Pilipinas. Mabuhay ang Pilipino.

P.S. Don't dare call us FOBs..gaddemmit...we didn't take boats to come here. We're actually FOPs :)  (courtesy of Philippine Airlines of course).

Sources: Filipino -/ American Post Colonial Psychology
                Pics: Wordpress weblog, The Forbidden Book by De la Cruz et al, 
                          Dr. E.J.R. David, Myfreewallpapers