Defeats Do Not Mean Defeated

Blog Week 4. July 21st, 2014

As my time here in the Philippines comes to an end, I am able to reflect, more inclusively, back on the knowledge I have gained. I empathize with the crippling aspects of colonization, after all, the

struggle of Pilipino people is not solely their own, but a struggle for all people of color. At times it may seemed daunting to even begin to attempt to over come those who are in power. It may seem hopeless to begin to try to change the education system to incorporate a more holistic and organic Pilipino history. It may seem silly to believe that one can reverse a colonial mentality and state of mind. All of these factors can be overwhelming, but one thing I have learned about the Pilipino people, is that their fight is not over. Despite the defeats, they have not been defeated.

Our reading this week, “An American Colonial State” (Abinales, 2002) explains the not talked about enough history of the Moro’s and their fight to keep jurisdiction over their land and be self sustaining. “Finally, the Council was given "a very large measure of discretion in dealing with the Moros and in preserving as far as possible, consistent with the fundamental act, the customs of the Moros, the authority of the datus, and a system of justice in which Moros could take part (Abinales, 2002, pp. 93). There was a fight for the Moro’s to not be run by Spain or the United States, but to be ran by themselves and they succeeded at this for a time. Eventually, they had to succumb to the American’s and their over powering force. Despite American exploitation, their legacy still lives. “While it succumbed to political and administrative decisions from the outside, it also left a legacy that persisted beyond administrative life—the preservation of anti-center, specifically anti manila and anti Christian sentiments among its people, the reverberations of which would continue in the post-colonial period” (Abinales, 2002, pp. 109). Many of the people living in these provinces were Muslim and as the colonizers came with Catholicism and Christianity, the fight to maintain their belief systems and avoid prejudice became evident as well. There are still many Muslim identifying people occupying the southern Pilipino provinces today. This alone shows the successful resistance to colonial mentality.

         In my time here in the Philippines, I have seen a lot of brokenness and struggle but I have also seen a lot of strength and resurgence. From Kidlat Tahimik to the inspiring street artists I interviewed for my group project, I can definitely conclude that there is a presence of resistance in Pilipino culture. The organization Migrante that we visited this week, not only shows strength in its efforts to stand up and protect Pilipino workers but it also shows resistance by defying the lack of support, they receive, from the Pilipino government. The small amounts of resources and money do not stop Migrante from completing is mission. With every truth about a death they uncover, they exposed the corruptness of the Pilipino government. Slowly and surely, little successes are made.

Our second reading for this week was “Fagen and Other Ghosts: African Americans and the Philippine-American War” By Rene Ontal (2002). This reading was about the African American’s fighting in the Pilipino War and their inner conflict with the justices surrounding the war. It saddens me to think that I have been withheld from such a strong story in history when I live in the United States and there is a month dedicated to Black history. It just goes to show that even when you feel like the histories of a people are being represented, the people in power still have power over that as well. What you learn is up to their discretion. This reading recounts the stories of many African American soldiers’ that entered into the war as American soldiers and became fighters for the Pilipino’s. Specifically, this reading follows the story of David Fagen and his journey to became a general in the Pilipino army. “He (David Fagen) mounted up and rode into the jungle, toward the headquarters of the rebels in the densely foliaged and volcanic slopes of Mount Arayat, and his new life as an "insurrecto." In the guerrilla base camp, he immediately accepted a first lieutenant's commission in Brigada Lacuna, the feared battalion under the command of Gen. Urbano Lacuna” (Ontal, 2002, pp. 125). The reason Fagen, along with other African American’s decided to do this was because they saw that their struggle and the struggle of the Filipino’s was one in their own. At this time, they utilized black newspapers, back in the US, to convey this message to the greater African American population. For example, the Helena reporter in Helena Arkansas published the following:

 “Every colored soldier who goes to the Philippine Islands to fight the brave men there who are fighting and dying for their freedom.. is fighting to curse the country with color-phobia, lynching’s, Jim Crow (train) cars, and everything else that white prejudice can do to blight the darker races… and since the Filipinos belong to the darker human variety, it is the Negro fighting against himself” (Ontal, 2002, pp. 123)

African American’s identified with Pilipino struggle and some chose to stand with them instead of fight against them. That is powerful. That history brings hope and motivation for all people of color to stand in resistance, together.

More than ever have I realized that many wars that have been fought in the name of “honorable American” have been wars that, when you strip them down, are based on race and the fundamental ideology that if your skin is lighter, you are superior and need to “conquer” people with darker skin because they are uncivilized and need guidance. As many of them have shown me, Pilipino people have the responsibility to continue to struggle to find their identity and resist the affects of colonization. It is the responsibility of everyone else, especially people of color, who can identify with the affects of racism, to stand in solidarity with Pilipino people. When it comes to people of color around the world, there seems to be more connections than there are differences. We need to embrace these connections instead of succumbing to all the ways in which the enemy tries to divide and conquer us. Once we realize this, then substantial progress will be made.

Citations

Abinales, P. (2002) An American colonial state: Authority and structure in Southern Mindanao. In A.V. Shaw & L.H Francia, Vestiges of war. (pp. 89-117). New York: New York Press.

Ontal, R.G., (2002). Fagen and other ghosts: African-Americans and the Philippine-American war. In A.V. Shaw & L.H Francia, Vestiges of war. (pp. 118-133). New York: New York Press.