I am loving this part of the world so much. Each and every bit, seems like a long lost home never been found before. From the first moment I stepped into Manila’s streets, whizzing past the street art in Manila, to the Banaue Rice Terraces and more….
This week’s topic of the ‘US Westward Movement’ brought to light the borderlands theory - which is living in a place neither here nor there, for Filipino Americans, and how the indigenous voice before colonization emerged, can continue to be expressed. Although imperialism continues to ‘rule’ everyday Filipino life in the Philippines, and for Filipino Americans, memories of their peoples’ resistance are recorded through a bamboo lens, a term coined together by Kidlat Tahimik. Filipinos and Filipino Americans alike, through the deconstruction of the knowledge given to them, can find their own ‘dwende’ (inner voice and true calling in life) and live through the lens of their own bamboo camera - like Kidlat Tahimik did with Oh My Gulay - an artist/activist cafe space dedicated to art, indigenous resistance, spirituality and love, located in Baguio City. I thoroughly enjoyed experiencing the space, for it is a dream of mine when I am older to create a community activist/organizing space for artists and community members alike. In addition, it was very insightful to read about the different indigenous tribes and their cultures for me as well, particularly the Igorot people. As we were hiking the Banaue Rice Terraces, I was just in awe with how such a beautiful creation was made.
Third’s reading (Knowledge Construction, Transformative Academic Knowledge, and Filipino American identity and Experience) gave the perspective of, and how, Filipino Americans are continually struggling to find their own identity and dwende through ‘American Culture.’ Alcantra’s piece (Baguio Between Two Wars: The Creation and Destruction of a Summer Capital) brought Filipino Americans roots into perspective through the creation and destruction of Baguio city, in which the city’s identity can be taken into perspective for the Filipino and Filipino American experience (1). As we were traveling through Baguio City, I couldn’t help but acknowledge the history introduced in the reading and note that the city breathes resistance, beauty and enchantment.
In Third’s piece, the dwende found is through teaching a multicultural curriculum which emphasizes the history and culture of the students, with teachers considering 5 topics: 1) discussing students’ ethnic backgrounds, prior knowledge and experiences; 2) moving from safe to controversial topics; 3) learning through concepts; 4) linking learning about their ethnic history and culture to social action; and 5) acknowledging the teacher’s ethnic and cultural background as an influencing factor on curriculum. When Third discussed the deficit perceptions of Filipinos within their own kind, I could really see it on the glorification of pale skin, with all the models looking part White and nothing like the Filipinos that were walking down the street and who came with us on the trip. I saw it everywhere, and it just made me sad. Yet, if we educate ourselves and teach others, it allows us to deconstruct what the media and society tells us, and grant us a freer space and peace of mind. Third ends with the quote: “Education is an integral part of the struggle for a truly democratic and transformative curriculum” (2)
The Baguio Graffiti reading (Baguio Graffiti by S. Bose) then introduced a way of resistance which is through art, with the author’s own dwende being found. It was in a sense, tying everything together as it was told in first person narrative instead of third person, coming from an individual story instead of a summary of multiple stories. The author is an artist himself, and I really enjoyed viewing his artwork found in the reading. The way that he makes his art, and the common themes found throughout, is very similar to my own art. The author mentions:
“In my art, I draw from such observations and research into aspects of the spirit of insurrection that has long characterized Filipino culture. My art is a means whereby I can gradually work toward reinstating the importance of indigenous traditions in establishing a contemporary world view, cosmology, and in developing contemporary cultural symbols.” (3)
This is very beautiful, and I believe that the extra connection to his indigenous ties, living and growing up in Baguio City enhanced his consciousness even more. This has led to rich artwork that is both insightful and aesthetically pleasing. Coming from the perspective of an artist, I noted the different street art in Manila and Baguio City - the artwork from Baguio City breathed more of this indigenous and peaceful resistance. Personally having been inspired by the readings and my visits thus far, I created an art piece, which was in the spirit of the Baguio graffiti and artwork.
Furthermore, on this trip I have been reading other books which I brought for my own pleasure reading. One of which, is titled “Mirrors” by Eduardo Galeano, the same author who wrote the highly acclaimed Open Veins of Latin America. In this book, he has countless re-writings of the world’s stories since the beginning of time. I love his entries, particularly this one on Colonization, which I found to tie in nicely with our readings as well (4)…
I hope that this trip continues to further politicize me and at the very least provide me with the tools to see how I can combat the very things I am fighting against with communities through my dwende of law, politics, educational work and art combined. However, given that imperialism surrounds us all on a daily basis, how have spaces like Oh My Gulay! been used to resist the US Westward Movement and how can they continued to be utilized, not just in the Philippines? And more specifically, how can our own dwende be fully realized without utilizing ways to create money and continue the cycle of capitalism? Although Oh My Gulay! is a wonderful space, it took large amounts of money to create and a social capital accomplished through Kidlat Tahimik’s experiences, which his MBA and previous Captialist Friendly background may have helped to create.
Bibliography:
1) Alcantra, E.R. (2002) Baguio between two wars: The creation and destruction of a summer capital.
2) Andresen, T. (2012). Knowledge construction, transformative academic knowledge, and Filipino American identity and experience.
3) Bose, S. (2002). Baguio Graffiti.
4) Galeano, Eduardo. (2010) Mirrors: Stories of Almost Everyone.
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