More alike than we are different: Final Blog

Final Blog

On July 23^rd, 2014, Catalina, Christian, and I sat in the only café we could access passed airport security at the Manila airport. The café was a little busy but we were starving. Much to our surprise, it became a challenge for us to have our order taken or to be served. Our time in the Philippines had taught me to be critical and observant. I was always asking questions about the things I saw and experienced. As I looked around, I noticed many European and Caucasian looking people. All of these people either had food or drinks on their table. Catalina and I had attempted to dine at this café earlier in the day but walked out frustrated after fifteen minutes of waiting for someone to greet our table. As we sat in the café during our second attempt, I noticed an older white man walk in, sit down, and immediately be greeted by the waitress. This was extremely frustrating to see because it was yet another encounter with the colonial mentality that cripples many people living in the Philippines. It may be due to their internalized oppression about the way that they see themselves that triggers oppressive and mostly unconscious prejudices against other people of color (David and Okazaki, 2006, pp. 241). This colonial presence was so strong in the Philippines for me and I feel as if I vividly experienced it until the very last day I was there.

When describing my trip, I have said time and time again that I feel as if I grew and learned more from my one month in the Philippines than I did in my three months in Brazil. I can attribute to my professors, group leaders, and the students that I share this study abroad experience with. The diverse perspectives that were available to me, greatly contributed to my learning. For example, almost half of the students on the trip identified as Pilipino American. For many, this trip drastically altered their perspective of their selves and of their culture. “In interpreting Philippine history, ‘they reversed the colonizer’s perspective and degraded the colonized which they viewed Spanish and American as good’” (Andresen, 2012, pp. 76). Many students on this trip grew up with this same colonized mentality and beliefs handed down from their parents, only to have them deconstructed during our study in the Philippines. To be able to experience this process alongside them was impactful for me. It motivated me to look at my cultural identities and how this same colonial mentality affects Indigenous people of North America. I began to realize that I have succumbed to many of these colonized constructions of identity that I saw present in Pilipino people.

In the United States, I am so used to this way of thinking and have been taught to think this way from a young age that it has become normalized and not easily detected. This led to empathy and understanding I feel with Filipino’s. I have learned that the path to colonization in the United States is very similar to the one in the Philippines. It was harder for me to realize it in the US because I am numb to it but travelling to the Philippines opened my eyes and broadened my awareness. My short time back in the United States has been a difficult one as I observe my family and members of the Native community as they unknowingly participate in colonial ideologies. For example, my grandfather was discussing with me his concern about the large amount of Latino children that are “illegally” crossing the boarder right now. Who created those borders? Who has labeled them as foreign or illegal? The indigenous people of North American did not create a border, the colonizers did.

Through the critical lens I have gained, I have concluded that the more I learn, the less I realize I know. Life is really a continuous learning process. I cannot recount the number of times I have heard this being said, but it became bluntly real for me on this trip.

The more I learned, the more I was able to unpack the “American savior” concept I have been conditioned to believe all of my life. The comic strip by Zinn (2008), Benevolent Assimilation, was instrumental in this unpacking. It illustrated a different perspective behind American occupation in the Philippines. The United States is always painted in a heroic light. I know now that this is because the victors get to write the histories. Reading ‘Benevolent Assimilation’ made it clear to me that, at the end of the day, the reason behind the Philippine- American war was because of race and power. This led to me thinking about other wars and concluding that most wars, especially in the history of the US, were fought because of race and power. All other explanations are cover-ups to make the reasoning for the war legitimate and to shine the US in a heroic light.

Religion is something I have learned to be critical of as well. I began questioning my own beliefs after witnessing the abundant and influential presence of Catholicism in the Philippines. In this way I witnessed the strong affects of colonization that are still very prominent. Dr. Shaw’s documentary has stuck with me. I am still trying to digest it and what it meant. I am still curios to know if she found the answers she was looking for in her spiritual journey. To me, it has been hard to identify with the religious practices or rituals that are common in the Philippines, even though I am supposed to identify with the same religion of Christianity. Over all, my experiences have reiterated a belief I have always carried. That is that what works for me works for me and it is okay if what works for someone else is different. Witnessing a woman be nailed to a cross with claims that she is a prophet, does not work for me, but it is not my place to say this is right or wrong. When it comes to religion, I am not sure if there can ever be “right” or “wrong.”

Group Project Reflection

            Working on our final group project was one of the highlights of my study abroad experience. My only regret is that we didn’t start earlier so that we could have increased the conversations we had and the amount of people we met. I benefitted in working in a group because the members contributed different perspectives and interests. For example, Monica’s interest in graffiti art propelled the idea of our own project. This is probably something I would not have chosen to pursue had I been working independently. I am grateful that I wasn’t and that we did our project on street art. I learned an abundance about what I believe to be an influential and growing part of Filipino culture and resistance.

             The only conflict I encountered was my frustration with the lack of cultural competence one of the members in my group seemed to have. Some of the things they said were almost offensive but I had to remind myself that not everyone has had the proper cultural education; in fact many of us have not. This is something that is the fault of the education system and not always the individual. I also had to acknowledge that I do not know everything either, I am far from that. Having humility and grace helped me to side step the frustrations I had and instead find positive ways to contribute my experiences and knowledge’s to change their frame work.

            Decision-making was a collective action. I acknowledge the fact that I often give my opinion of decisions. I felt as if I made an effort to seek the opinions of the other group members that did not necessarily contribute their opinion on their own. Our group made a conscious effort to make sure the decision-making process, tasks, and work, were split up as evenly as possible.

Who did what:

Bryan- In charge of the physical representations. He made the slide show and edited and put together the video.  He researched the history of Hip-hop and street art in the United States. Along with Louie, Bryan transcribed and translated the whole interview with JR from Taglog to English, which was time consuming and challenging.

Me- I came up with the Thesis for the group project. I research the history of hip-hop and street art in the Philippines. Connected what I found to the article by Third Andresen that we read in class. Created the activities and significance for both presentations, which included the step back circle and the mock graffiti mural.

Monica- suggested the idea of focusing on street art. Connected us with our interviewee’s. Filmed our interviews and documented street art in the Metro Manila area. Connected our presentation to the Baguio Street Art reading that we read in class.

Desiree- researched the history of street art and hip-hop in the Philippines. She also looked at Pilipino street art groups and organizations who seek to promote the street art movement. She created the slide show of street art that we showed in our presentation.

Louie- related our findings, interviews, and thesis to the class readings. Transcribed and translated the interview with JR along. She was a big part when it came to our interview process since many people wanted to speak in Taglog. She filmed these interviews.

Conclusion

            In the end I have realized that identity is a layered and complicated matter, not just for Pilipino people, but for all people. We now live in a world that is highly influenced by the “western world,” a world that is ever growing in globalization and connectivity. A world that is ran by the few that have the power to influence the many. I am not sure how I feel about this process yet. I see it even now, as I travel Europe. The American corporate influence here is undeniable. Slowly, cultures are losing the ways in which they are different to embrace a culture that makes us all the same. In a way this can be seen as another mode of colonization. Not to say that this is what is happening in Europe because the circumstances are quite different and there is a lot of power to be held here, but they are still influenced by the United States just as the Philippines still is. Although the Philippines have gained their independence, I have seen the colonial influence a country can still have on a formally occupied country and I hate it. All I want to see is an organic Pilipino identity to be rediscovered and celebrated, for it to be known among its people. I want the same for Native American people, but like I said, identity is a complicated matter and I am not sure if it can ever be fully restored.

 The biggest take away I can embrace from this trip is the realization that through different cultures, religions, races, and whatever differences may separate us, at the end of the day, we are more alike than we are different. The more people that realize that, the better off our world will be.

Citations

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.

Constantino, R. (1982). Miseducation of Pilipinos. In A.V. Shaw & L.H Francis, 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: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Z8rOTGAafpg/U8eIJXtoXXI/AAAAAAAAARM/_SE4mpy60LE/s1600/IMG_4125.jpg Scale construction and psychological implications: A review and recommendation. Journal of Counseling Psychology 53 (1), pp. 1-16.

Zinn, H. (2008). Invasion of the Philippines. In A people’s history of American empire. (pp.53-

72) NY: Metropolitan Books.