Although the Philippines is
considered to be an independent nation since 1946, the Philippines is still
influenced by the United States and has resulted in many detrimental
consequences. These detrimental consequences has caused critical reflection and
social action to help the well-being of Filipinos. In this blog post, I will
explain the way the US continues to dominate through education and how the
colonial mentality is currently ingrained in the minds of the Filipinos and
Filipino Americans today.
A major way that America is still part of the Filipino identity is through colonial mentality. Colonial
mentality(CM) is “a form of internalized oppression, characterized by a perception
of ethnic or cultural inferiority that is believed to be a specific consequence
of centuries of colonialization under Spain and the United States (David and Okazaki,
2006, p. 241). After the independence of the Philippines from Spain, American
had to quickly pacify and remove any resistance from the Filipinos. To
distinguish themselves from the imperialist ways of the Europeans, they used
the American Indian Education as a model to civilize the Filipinos (as they had
done to the Indians). The goals of their education policy was not only to help
Filipinos become literate, but also instill the values of America and create an
inner debt to America (Paulet, 2007, p.182). We still see this American legacy through
the culture of the Philippines, such as the PBA(Philippine Basketball Association)
game we attended as well as the way the "Act of Proclamation of Independence of the Filipino People" from Spain
(seen at the Aguinaldo Shrine) dedicated the colors red, white, and blue in the
Philippine’s flag to commemorate America as their savior from Spain.
America justified their
Americanization of the Philippines by saying that Filipinos were too
uncivilized and needed the help of America to progress as a future
self-governing nation. Filipinos were incapable of knowing what was best for them
and because of this, education was never entrusted to the Filipinos (Constantino, 1982, p. 185). We visited
and toured the University of Santo Thomas (UST), which was the first westernized
university in Asia. UST is an example of an institution owned by foreigners who
lack the understanding of the importance of incorporating values of Philippine nationalism
into the system (Constantino, 1982, p. 191). When visiting Macros House in
Tagaytay, it made me think about how the imperial practices of America may have
influenced Macros presidency. How did American colonialism effect the
Philippines way of governing (even after becoming an independent nation) and continue
to effect the identities of Filipinos?
The emphasis of America as
an ally and lack of nationalism within the curriculum has caused many consequences
of colonial mentality for Filipinos. Colonial mentality can be seen in
different forms such as the lack of support to protect and help the people of
the Philippines, reliance on American resources, and the use of English in
class instruction (Constantino, 1982, p.188). Those who hold a colonial
mentality may be pro-English in terms of education.
During our visit to Ateneo University,
I was able to see how English is still very much seen as the superior language
of instruction. We met with Mr. Campomanes
again as well as some of the graduate students studying there. The most
interesting part of our discussion was about the language politics of the
Philippines and language used in university education, such as Ateneo
University. According to Mr.
Campomanes, Filipino language classes are being taken away at
Ateneo as there is a strong emphasis on the use of English in academia (Campomanes, 2014). English
is a language that is very dominant globally and may help students to gain opportunities
outside the Philippines, but what does this mean for the Philippines? Using English
may lead to forgetting your own nationalism and can be a barrier to the
democracy for the Philippines. Given the fact that English is not the dominant language spoken
by majority of the Philippines, this can hinder a Filipino students’ ability
to understand and express themselves in school because they are not using their native
language (Constantino, 1982, p.188). As the use of English continues to be
valued over the national language as well as other dialects, the spread of
colonial mentality continues to exist.
Due to the many detrimental
consequences caused by the American education policy in the Philippines, it has
been addressed that the education system needs to be re-evaluated. Constantino
(1982) argues that the interests of Philippine education are not the same as
the interests of America. Philippine’s social and economic problems are
completely different from America, as the Philippines is considered a third
world country and America is not. Education needs to be catered to help
Filipinos gain a better pride in their country, which may be helped by using
the national language as the standard for instruction. If the education system
is created in the interest of the Philippines, Filipinos may be motivated use
their education to better help the Philippines instead of relying on the United States (Constantino,
1982, p.183).The colonial mentality instilled by America not only affects
Filipinos, but also Filipino Americans.
As Filipinos Americans are
considered to be the “forgotten Asian Americans” or the “invisible minorities,
there is a need for more attention on the psychological experiences of Filipino
Americans in relation to CM, or colonial mentality (David and Okazaki, 2006, p. 241). A
study by David and Okazaki (2006) found that “CM is passed on to later
generations though socialization and continued oppression and that it
negatively affects the mental health of modern day Filipino Americans” (David
and Okazaki, 2006, p. 241). As research on the effects of colonial mentality is
very complex, further research is needed to obtain a better grasp on this
phenomenon affecting the Filipinos (David and Okazaki, 2006, p. 248). As
studies help to bring awareness to these issues related to Filipino American mental
health, other types of mediums are used to also help better the esteem and
pride of Filipinos.
This Filipino pride can be expressed through mediums beyond just
language. Media and art can be a tool of education. Although westernized art/media
can perpetuate the American values, the spread of Filipino art work and film
can be a form of resistance to the norms enforced by America. For example,
Kawaiian De Guia, son of the father of independent film (Kidlat Tahimik),
showed us his work during our last lecture at The Philippine Women’s
University. My favorite piece was his art of the American flag in which he used
his own blood to create the red stripes and represent the exploitation of the
United States. He sees using his own blood for his art as a ritual and often
incorporates political messages into his work (De Guia, 2014). The art work showcased at
the Ayala Museum fights against the stereotype of Filipinos being labeled as “uncivilized”
people. I was amazed at the intricate ways the pre-colonialized Filipinos designed
gold jewelry and created various pottery used in their daily life. The Ayala
museum enlightened me to religious practices, cultural rituals, and the lifestyle
of the people of the Philippines before they were colonized by Spain and the United
States. It shows that the Filipinos were very much capable of living
their life without being dependent on colonial powers.
As I am becoming more aware
of the harmful effects of colonial mentality, I am trying to become more critical
of the things that were taught to me. In watching Shaw’s film “Nailed”, it made
me question my practice in Catholicism, a religion used to colonize the
Philippines. Even though my faith in God has always been a part of my life, I
think it is important to acknowledge and criticize that my religious faith is
in part a reflection of colonialism. To only focus on the positive
contributions that Catholicism has given me does not acknowledge what Spain did
to the Philippines. And in order to stop the damaging psychological effects of
colonialism, the history and repercussions of colonialism needs to be addressed.
I am beginning to understand that colonial mentality is imposed on you from a
young age and by dominant forms of power(family, media, education, government,
etc), and it is our responsibility to critique these powers. My study abroad
director, Third Andresen PHD, said along the lines that the revolution starts
within yourself. So even though I am still a product of colonial mentality and
can be blinded by my own privilege, I am working on making a conscious effort
to deconstruct my colonial thoughts and understand the bigger picture beyond
myself.
Discussion Question: What are other ways we can promote
Philippine nationalism and Filipino pride within the Philippines and the United
States?
Campomanes, O.
(2014). Languages of the Philippines. [PowerPoint Slideshow].
Retrieved from Ateneo University.
Constantino,
R. (1982). Miseducation
of Filipinos.In I In A.V. Shaw & L.H Francia,
Vestiges of war. (pp. 177-192).
New York: New
York Press.
David, E.J.R., &
Okazaki, S. (2006). The Colonial Mentality Scale (CMS) for Filipino
Americans: Scale construction and
psychological implications: A review and recommendation. Journal of
Counseling Psychology 53 (1), pp. 1–16.
De Guia,
Kawayan. (2014). Art Gallery. [PowerPoint Slideshow]. Retrieved from the
Philippine Women’s University.
Paulet, A. (2007). To change the
world: The use of American Indian education in the
Philippines. History of
Educational Quarterly, 47 (2), 173-202.
Shaw, A.
(2014). Nailed. [PowerPoint Slideshow]. Retrieved from the Philippine
Women’s University.
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