Monday, June 30, 2014

Week One: The Influence of the United States in Filipino Art and Culture

Opening up the program with Kidlat Tahimik, a filmmaker and multi-media artist, gave me a new perspective on the power of influence the United States has in the media and culture all over the world, specifically in the Philippines. All my life, I never realized how much power America had on the Philippines and its people until now, especially with the illusion of the American Dream. My parents have always talked about their immigration story of wanting to move to America, fulfilling the American Dream but it never crossed my mind that the mentality of living the American Dream would be present in the mindset of the Filipino people. But how did the influence of America become so strong in the Philippines? Through the United States’ determination in creating a summer getaway in Baguio, the American culture has influenced both Filipinos and Filipino Americans to assimilate into the Western culture while struggling to keep their Filipino heritage intact.

Throughout his film Mababangong Bangungot, Kidlat spoke of growing up in Baguio, aspiring to live in America to produce films in Hollywood. He told his life story of how he befriended an American soldier who gave him the opportunity of leaving home to work abroad. Through that offer, Kidlat eventually found himself in America and educated himself to become a filmmaker. Even though he was able to find the means in learning more about filmmaking and he was ready to produce his first film, Kidlat Tahimik had to make a tough decision. Was he going to follow the stereotype of being a Hollywood filmmaker, abandoning his cultural background for fame and fortune? Or would he stay true to his country’s culture in future film projects even if he would have difficulty putting his name out to the public? In the end, Kidlat decided to create films that promoted the indigenous culture present in the Philippines in hopes that his films would help educate people more on Filipino culture. He showed that art is a strong way of giving people a certain understanding that “art is linked with culture through its strong utility aspect” (Anderson, 2010, p. 57) by comparing two different cultures in his art installation.



The internal conflict that Kidlat Tahimik went through of staying true to his Filipino background or converting to the American culture was represented in his art installation. Each art piece contributed in the struggle each person tends to battle with; whether or not they will let the American culture overcome their mindset while forgetting about the Filipino culture. The art installation consisted of a comparison between the two cultures, beginning with two female figurines, Inhabian and Marilyn Monroe. Inhabian is the Ifugao goddess of typhoons and wind, representing the indigenous culture whereas Marilyn Monroe represents Hollywood. Another art piece in the installation that represented a conflict between cultures was the figurine of Pope Mickey. The unique art piece was another representation of Hollywood and the Philippines’ strong faith in Catholicism. But Kidlat Tahimik’s most prized possession in the art installation was the bamboo camera which spoke out to local filmmakers who create indie films. The bamboo camera piece is a reminded to stay true to what you believe in and create a story that is authentic and from the heart without any outside influence.
 But how does he make it seem so easy to overcome the influences of Western culture when it comes to creating his own artwork?

Kidlat Tahimik is not the only person who struggles with the difficulty of choosing to uphold Filipino culture when American influence is present everywhere. Through the United States’ conquer over the Philippines, the American government took control of everything, assimilating its culture on the people through education, culture, and tradition. Because of this, people have become accustomed to the Western culture present in the Philippines. Just listening to the radio in the car, I noticed that American music played and the news was spoken in English. Within a matter of time, Filipino culture began to fade with the influence of America changing its identity. In American history books alone, the invisibility of Filipinos creates a mystery for Filipino Americans in understanding more about their cultural history.

“These factors influence Filipino American students’ self-concepts and attitudes toward learning about their ethnic history and culture. Many Filipino American students subsequently face the challenge of deconstructing an immense history of subjugation to find a self-concept that positively removes them from the loss of tradition, capitalism, and the spiritual and physical ordeals of colonization” (Andresen, 2013, p. 70).

But why have Filipinos and Filipino Americans allow Western culture have so much power and influence over them and their culture?

The start of America’s influence in the Philippines began in Baguio during World War II. Baguio served as an American army base at the time for American soldiers to flee from the Manila heat. They were surprised to find a place in the Philippines with cool weather and with scenery completely opposite of the environment present in Manila. “‘We were literally dumbfounded when within a space of a hundred yards we suddenly left the tropics behind us and came out into a wonderful region of pine parks’” (Bose, 2002, p. 262). Seeing how much promise Baguio could bring for America in terms of economical reasoning, they decided to turn Baguio into a money making location. “Asserting its colonial authority, it responded to its critics and drafted a resolution on 1 June 1903 designating Baguio as the official summer capital of the archipelago” (Alcantara 2002, p. 212).



Even to this day Baguio continues to attract many people into the cool weather city. After experiencing the long drive through the winding roads which were a part of the American architecture, it felt like we stepped into a completely different place. Going from the rice terraces to a city that reminded me of Seattle and San Francisco weather, I knew we were in Baguio. Seeing Camp John Hay was an interesting experiencing and walking through the area, I could see how the United States made it into a place of enjoyment in the past. It was interesting to know that the place was once for soldiers to cool off from the Manila heat and seeing how much Camp John Hay has changed since then. One thing still remained; the city filled with foreigners everywhere, visiting the mansion, shopping at the mall, and zip lining, all enjoying the official summer capital of the Philippines.




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