The Physical and Mental Consequences of Colonization

The experiences that I’ve had over the past week reveal my own ignorance of Philippine history and custom while at the same time answers the question, “Why didn’t I know this?”. In Erlyn Ruth E. Alcantara’s article, Baguio Between Two Wars: The Construction and Destruction of a Summer Capital, her main point is to illustrate the United States’ strength, power, and most importantly indifference to what happens to areas and the inhabitants it colonizes. This is true for many countries that have taken the opportunity to exert force over another. The history of Baguio illustrates the physical destruction of American rule and power. Like the physical destruction of Baguio, a deleterious consequence of colonization is the mental destruction and inter-generational trauma of the people. In Third Andresen’s chapter, he argues Filipino American students have difficulty constructing a positive worldview and cultural-historical perspective because of the way Philippine history is framed in American textbooks (Andresen 76). I will compare and contrast the physical and mental destructive consequences of the colonization of the Philippines in the context of our activities: Kidlat Tahimik’s screening of Perfect Nightmare and visiting Baguio city. After, I will argue that the mental consequences of colonization are not as often recognized as the physical destruction.

The method in which Baguio was created is a microcosm of all other colonizing efforts of the United States. In her article, Alcantara walks the reader through the creation and destruction of Baguio city. The interest in Baguio as a sanctuary for American soldiers negatively affected the environment and the way of life of the people (Alcantara 214). The focus on the gold mines motivated American capitalist actions to drain as much of the resource as possible. This is an example of the environmental or physical destruction of colonization. The way of life of the indigenous population was also affected. Alcantara states, “New colonial policies reshaped Baguio Ibaloy society as these eroded the base of the village economy…” (Alcantara 216). Finally, the United States eventually bombed Baguio after spending millions of dollars to create the city because of militaristic goals. The physical destruction of colonization is obvious and easy to recognize. While visiting Baguio city, I noticed the American vibe of the built environment. The remnants of U.S. occupation of Baguio are still very prevalent today with its focus on tourism.

The destructive consequences of colonization on the mind are more difficult to detect and understand. As a first-generation Filipino-American, Andresen’s chapter greatly impacted me as I began to reflect upon my own experiences. It’s difficult to admit that I do not know a lot about the country my family came from but the new ideas presented in the chapter highlight the reasons why. Andresen states, “… the implementation of an American education policy in the Philippines was intimately connected with a larger military campaign” (Andresen 72). The most effective way to control a population is through re-education and creating a cultural perspective that favors the colonizing country, in this case being the United States. The focus on U.S. culture is still seen all over the Philippines. For example, there is a tremendous amount of malls throughout the city and promotes consumerism through media like billboards. This early shift in education of the people in the Philippines trickled throughout the generations. Through my own personal reflection, I’ve come to realize that my parents are also products of the education system that favors the United States and ultimately affects me. For example, my parents decided not to teach me how to speak Tagalog because they were afraid I would be placed in ESL classes in the United States. They made the decision to favor English over their native tongue because of their cultural perspective framed by the Filipino education system. 

The physical and mental consequences of colonization are described well in Santiago Bose’s article and can be seen in Kidlat Tahimik’s film, Perfect Nightmare. What struck me the most about both Bose’s article and Tahimik’s film is the fact that both perspectives conclude that no matter how hard they try, they will never be fully accepted or understood in a purely Western culture. Before coming to the Philippines, I never had the chance to critically explore my own identity. The physical consequences of colonization can be seen through globalization, environmental changes, and changes in policies. The mental consequences, on the other hand, are not easily recognized because of the situational context we try to detect them. The majority of my own education was framed by the United States. Because of this, my own cultural perspective is handicapped so it’s difficult for me to articulate the ways in which my identity is compromised. With all of this in mind, I am interested in further discussing the methods we can use to identify and challenge how colonization changes the perspective of the country’s inhabitants and those who immigrated away.

References

Alcantara, E.R. (2002) Bagiuo between two wars: The creation and destruction of a summer     capital. In Shaw, A.V. & Francia, L.H. Vestiges of war. (pp. 207-223). New York: New        York Press.

Andresen, T. (2012). Knowledge construction, transformative academic knowledge, and Filipino        American identity and experience, In E. Bonus, E. & D. Maramba, (Eds.) The “other“     students: Filipino Americans, education, and power. Charlotte, NC: IAP.

Bose, S. (2002). Bagiuo Graffiti. In A.V. Shaw & L.H Francia, Vestiges of war. (pp. 260-67). New York: New York Press.