English or Filipino?

         I have always believed that in order to understand your culture you must know the language. I feel that once you have lost your language, you have lost part of who you are as well. This week’s readings focused on education in the Philippines and it related to my belief of language. In this blog I will support my idea of abolishing English as the language of instruction in schools.

        To convey my claim that the Philippines should abolish English as the official language, I will support my claim by using the Filipino Constitution . Secondly, I will define what nationalism is and incorporate it into the education system. Thirdly, I will utilize Rizal’s speech to further support my claim. I will then talk about Americanization and Filipino Marital arts in education. I will finally conclude by refuting some objections that people may present against abolishing the English language.  

        From my experience of taking two classes at the University of Philippines I know that professors use English as the language of instruction.  English is taught in grade schools and spoken in Universities. Before leaving the United States I thought that I was going to have a difficult time communicating with people but I was wrong. The majority of the people that I have come across I have been able to communicate speaking in English. It was satisfying to know that I can communicate with people here because being able to communicate is very important especially in a foreign country. After I learned about America’s intentions of teaching English such as using it as a mechanism to inculcate American values through their thinking and actions I did not feel as satisfied knowing that Filipinos spoke English.  The Americans shaped the way of the Filipinos; they were seen as architects of their colonial education that really labored shrewdly and well (Constantino, 186).  Americans were seen as architects of the education of the Filipinos and through education the Americans were able to control the Filipinos, Philippine education was shaped by the overriding factor of preserving and expanding American control (Constantino, 181).  Americans wanted control and through education they obtained it.

        Constantino illustrates the importance of education when he says that “education is a vital weapon” (pg. 177), education is very important and it makes sense why the Constitution of the Philippines mentions it numerous of times. Article XIV, Section five informs us that “the state shall assign the highest budgetary priority to education”.  Even after the 1987 update of the Constitution, education has remained very important making it a priority. Not only does the Constitution mention the importance of education but it links it to nationalism and patriotism. Article II, Section thirteen notifies us that the State “shall inculcate in the youth patriotism and nationalism, and encourage their involvement in public and civic affairs”.  The Philippines strives for an educated, nationalist and patriotic population which is why they have made it part of the Constitution that those factors be taught in schools. But what is nationalism and patriotism?  Merriam-Webster defines nationalism as loyalty and devotion to a nation. It’s a sense of national consciousness exalting one nation above all others and placing primary emphasis on promotion of its culture and interests as opposed to those of other nations.  From my experience of attending the University of the Philippines, I do not see what is defined as nationalism by Merriam-Webster in the education system. English is put above all other Filipino languages, there is no promotion of its culture when the language of instruction is not a Filipino language. Filipinos are taught the history of the United States when in a nationalistic view they should put Filipino history above all country’s history.  Constantino says “we look at our prehistory and our past with the eyes of a visitor” (pg. 192).  When Filipinos take the time to view their own history they view it like I do, as a visitor which shows no nationalism. 

         Jose Rizal gave a speech about colonial education he said “He among you who talks that language neglects his own in such a way that he neither writes it nor understands it, and how many have I not seen who pretend not to know a single word of it” (187). Rizal knew about the dangers of adopting a foreign language, which would be losing nationality. Professor Jose said that when an individual loses his language not only does he lose his nationality but his culture and identity as well.  As stated in the Constitution, the education system should teach students nationalism and patriotism which is difficult when the language being spoken is not their own. Professor Jose agrees with my argument of having Filipino as the language of instruction. He informed me about the languages in the Philippines. He said that the official language of the Philippines is English along with other Filipino languages that are spoken in different provinces. The national language is Filipino as is the mother tongue. The language spoken in each province should be the language of instruction in schools rather than English. English is a foreign language; it is not of the Philippines and therefore should not be used for instruction especially when an objective is to teach students about nationalism. It does not make sense to teach a student about nationalism when the language they are being taught in schools is not of this country, they are taught a foreign language and foreign history.

        In previous blogs I have written about my view of Americanization in the Philippines and it is no surprise that it is present in the education system. In the Raferty reading we read about students who read books of “how Johnny and Jane played in the snow, ate apples or pears, or any number of everyday Americanisms aliens to Filipinos” (pg. 150).  Americans brought books about the American style of living to the Philippines which Americanized the educational system.  Paulet further explains that “the educational system adopted by the United States in the Philippine Islands thus functioned as an agent of Americanization” (pg. 192).  The educational system shows Americanization and not nationalism. Americanization is present not only in the books that students read but in the language that teachers teach the students in.  

        Some may oppose my position of abolishing English as the language of instruction because people from different provinces use English as a way to communicate amongst themselves. English is a language that is spoken by many around the world and it serves as a method of communicating with people outside of the Philippines.  But I refute that, the Filipino people should decide on a Filipino language that will serve the purpose that English does now, a language that people from different provinces will use to communicate amongst each other. Constantino states that “In every sovereign country, the use of its own language in education is so natural no one thinks it could be otherwise. But here, so great has been our disorientation caused by our colonial education that the use of our own language is a controversial issue, with more Filipinos against than in favor” (pg. 186).  If the country wants to fulfill the purpose of nationalism and patriotism, I strongly believe that a Filipino language should replace English. People can still learn English by taking English courses that will allow them to communicate with people outside of the Philippines.  .

        Article II, section seventeen of the Constitution mentions education and nationalism once again, it says “The State shall give priority to education, science and technology, arts, culture, and sports to foster patriotism and nationalism, accelerate social progress, and promote total human liberation and development.”  Through education and sports Filipinos can show patriotism and nationalism; in my stay here I have learned Arnis, the Filipino martial arts. Arnis is a sport of the Philippines which embodies nationalism, we learned that last year it was decided that Arnis was going to be taught in schools. Students will learn the sport of Arnis and it will be a method show students nationalism and patriotism.

        Overall, I strongly believe that English should be abolished from the educational system as being the language of instruction. A Filipino language should be used in schools in order to teach nationalism and patriotism to students.  Students are not learning nationalism when they are being taught foreign history and language. They are putting a foreign language above their own which shows no nationalism.

Do you think that English should be abolished from the educational system?

P is for Perspicacious Part II

You should really read the first part before you delve into this one. P is for Perspicacious Part I. But if time isn't on your side then I guess you can skip over straight to the sequel. However, I must warn you the impact won't be the same. But I digress...


The foundation for the educational system in the Philippines after American occupation was not to help expand the intellect of the Filipino but rather to pacify him/her so they could become good colonials following the lead from America. 

General Macarthur is quoted as saying, "This appropriation is recommended primarily and exclusively as an adjunct to military operations calculated to pacify the people and to procure and expedite the restoration of tranquillity throughout the archipelago." (Constantino, Miseducation of the Filipino, 178pg).

This was a strategic execution on behave of the Americans to help subdue the Filipino masses during the time of war. Give them what they desired most, the chance for an education (mind you under the colonial rule of Spain, education was exclusively reserved for the wealthy elites). 

Only catch is that instead of an education system formed around expanding the mind of the Filipino academically and helping him/her to become a good citizen of the country, it was used as a method to pacify the people returning to a state of exploited captivity. 

Being taught the American way of life and expecting absolute compliance to a people that thought differently, lived differently, loved differently, raised families differently and ate differently was wrong to do. That's not right. They have their own culture innate to them that should be honored just as much. 

The echos of civilizing the savages rang throughout the States. White Man's burden strikes again, more people like Indians with their own way of life that doesn't resemble ours. Welp. Only way to save them from eternal damnation is to teach them to be like us. Because we know what to do. They don't.  

This resulted in having the Filipinos educated in a way that was foreign to their natural way of life. 

As time goes on this natural way of life gets diluted, altered in form. It's a slight detail but rather noticeable. The pride in ones natural state, within one's own country slowly evaporates from the hands that clutch on to it desperately. Slowly but surely amnesia sets in. An integral piece of the Filipino culture loses it's luster. National pride is replaced with international acknowledgment of the colonizer. A dependency develops. A false inferiority complex is once again presented. First it was Spain and now America. "Where is the personal sovereignty for the Filipino!" shouts the dissenting masses, holding on to the courageous belief of self-governance as being guaranteed to all people regardless of race, ethnicity, or culture. 

Fast forward to the present. 

And we're dealing with a slew of problems that plague the motherland. Dependency on foreign economies. Corruption. Third world poverty. 

My observations have led me to believe there is a connection between education of the people and the current condition that the country is in. 

In The Miseducation of the FIlipino, Constantino argues that a change in the education system can bring forth a nationalism that can help bring the Philippines out of its current state. 

If you were to ask me there's a distortion here. The message sub-consciously being conveyed is don't trust your heart or your instincts for that matter. They will betray you. Follow these rules. This way of life. Don't think like that, think like this! The confidence in deciding one's own fate begins to erode. Empowerment is gone. Lost is the essence that creates realities. 

I can relate. 

Prior to returning to school, I was a full-time resident of Lakewood, Washington. My mindset was completely different. I lived in a world where the emphasis was inebriation, debauchery, and figuring out who was coming through to kick it. Maybe a few of us went to community college but for the most part we were in our early 20's working 9 to 5's. Some of us raising kids of our own. Once our paycheck came, we jumped off and threw parties. We were young people growing up with limited guidance. So we made the best of it and trekked our own course, in hopes that it was in the right direction. 

During this time my perception of myself left me insecure.  I didn't believe in who I was. I concluded I would be destined to suffer limitations that would bring about a lifetime of unhappiness and disempowerment. I was the victim. Life had victimized me. I reacted with a facade of confidence, attempting to masked the uncertainty underneath. I found that by ignoring these fundamental beliefs that rendered me in a pitiful state, I could painfully trudge along with my life, killing my soul slowly by numbing my body through instant gratification and 24oz Coors Light cans. In my little world this was tough times. 50 cents above minimum wage, stuck in the system. College dropout. Worrying about rent. Giving my mom half of my paycheck. Depending on my dad. And all the while praying to become the best rapper in the world.   **God save me from this life I'm living… 

I was lost. Mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

And as I look back upon it now, I can see that by not believing in myself, my life manifested an impoverished state that was rare with joyous moments. I couldn't allow myself to enjoy myself. I was suppose to lose. That's how it was and that's how it would be. 

But something inside of me wouldn't quit. It refused to believe in the notion that I was inferior in accomplishing what my heart desired. 

After a painstakingly long process that lasted over four years of my adult life, I came to the realization that if I continue to focus on the limitations,  my reality will reflect that mindset. However, if I change how I thought, I can change what I see. The concept is easy to digest but developing the awareness to accept this belief is a discipline requiring a daily commitment. 

The conclusion I have arrived to, is that if I continue along with a belief of empowerment and devotional love for one's self, I can prevent from creating the circumstances and emotions intertwined in limitation-- a reality I frequently encountered in my past. 

If you were to ask me, that could be a possible first step to a solution resolving the Filipinos psychological plight in this day and age.  

John Eklof

"The U.S. Fears Ignorance" LOL

Throughout my life I have always been somewhat rebellious, though mostly internally. I have always had somewhat of an issue with whatever I deemed to be unnecessary authority and with a lot of things about the way our country works, though it has been a bit unfocused. Coming here to the Philippines and diving into all of this frightening truth has been extremely meaningful to me. It has been the most specific thing I have ever been able to direct my general dissatisfaction with our country towards and it feels more significant to be unhappy about something that is actually founded. I do not want that sound to as if I was seeking something to be upset about but now that it is in front of me I cannot help but be troubled by it. I shared the comic by Zinn from week one with a few people as it is a good place to start sharing the dark historical relationship of the the Philippines and America. One response I got was more or less, that yes it is indeed messed up but that's how history has gone forever. This is very true and it is the same camp I have always been in as well. Now that I am digging into something more precise, I am learning to not dismiss things as "just history".

All of that being said I have spent the first bit of this trip just being appalled and generally upset, though intrigued, with what I was, and am, learning. Now that the weeks are going by and I have read more readings from more perspectives I am trying to organize my thoughts more and evaluate things from more angles. Though I do not cease to be less blown away by the past, I am trying to be more focused and less blindly angry by what I am learning. For this week I wanted to start thinking more from the American historical perspective and try to think about why it was that the Americans felt justified in doing things they did and explore the contradictions that they displayed. I also wanted to think about why some Filipinos seemed to be okay with the American's presence. Of course since our readings this week are basically all about the control of education, I would hope to use that as a medium to explore these ideas.

It is hard to think that the American's could have had any good intentions when you hear things such as a quote from Rafferty's reading that says, "Kill the Indian in him and save the man". Reading this now it is obviously ignorant and straight up wrong, but for the sake of analyzation I want to think about where, if anywhere, the good intentions lie. It is well known that a lot of the colonization was based on the "white man's burden", as if we were doing them a favor. Although something this blatant would probably not happen now the same way, I have to wonder if a lot of Americans really did think that they were completely helpful and if some really did not have ulterior motives. It seems that some Americans were really torn on whether or not they should have been doing what they were doing. According to Rafferty the Americans claimed to be different than the colonizers from Europe because they said that they were teaching colonies to be independent rather than conditioning them to continued occupation. My thought is that mixed up in the whole mess there may have been people that really wanted to help the Filipino's (not that they needed it), but even if that was true, the powers that be managed to make of a mess of things.

Although they are obvious to most of us as we read these different articles, it is really wild to see the unconcealed contradictions that most Americans exercised. In the reading by Paulet he quotes an American as saying, "other countries fear the education and enlightenment of the people they rule over, the U.S. fears ignorance". With this thought the Americans continued to push their ways on the people of the Philippines. What is more ignorant than assuming so much about a people that you make no effort to learn the truths about them and then assume that they need your knowledge? It seems like America got so caught up in "knowledge" that they completely spaced out on morals. It seems as if Americans have perpetuated this sort of assumed obligation to share their "superior ways" for so long that some, and most in the days of colonization, truly think they are guilt free. One prominent American government official in the Philippines speaking about education in Paulet's reading said that he, "believes it to be the duty of the government in this hour of supreme opportunity to extend the system of education for the Indians, that has slowly grown to its present admirable proportions, to these other dependent people". Right off the bat you see that Americans had considered the Filipino's to be dependent. With this misconception all of the other follies follow. I just do not see how you can see a nation that was just about to win their revolution against Spain as they were proclaiming independence, and then consider them dependent, especially when it was not that long before that America had just gone through their own revolution. But going further into that quote it is seen that some Americans really thought they had done good by the Native Americans! To base the education of the Filipinos on one devastating suppression set it up for bad vibes right from the beginning.

On the other end of this I have been wondering why many Filipinos seemed to have been down with the American's presence throughout history. The primary conclusion I have come to is that it is a combination of the Americans putting on a front of course, but also their timing. The first instance is of course right after the Spanish revolution. Watching the documentary in Dr. Jose's class actually gave a little more insight into this. The Filipinos had just finished up with the Spanish and America had just defeated Spain in Cuba and then won the battle in Manila Bay (part of the front I spoke of, as we already know the battle was staged). The people of the Philippines were told to gather where they saw the American flag flying and had no reason not to be excited the American's entrance. The Americans had just stuck up for Cuba and just kicked the Spanish out of the Philippines, what was not to be excited about? Of course there were also plenty of Filipinos that knew better but it seems like America was just had really good timing. The second case of good timing that seemed to redeem America's occupation was after beating the Japanese. The Japanese were a little more aggressive and obvious about their intentions, so when the Americans defeated them, they once again came off as liberators. Another aspect of why so many Filipinos were down was maybe that the American indoctrination through the education system perhaps worked on some people.

As Constantino pointed out in The Miseducation of The Filipino, by the time the commonwealth rolled around it was already a "captive generation". This generation knew nothing but American occupation and many of them did not go through what their parents did and were perhaps more apathetic. This is obviously a more complex situation than what I have boiled it down to but these are just some of my thoughts. There is no question that the Americans were never and will never be justified for getting into the Filipino's business but since they did the least we can do is look at every aspect of it and question what people's intentions were and why things went down the way they did.

Arnis: Kicking Ass, the Filipino Way

“In the long run civilized man finds he can keep the peace only by subduing his barbarian neighbors; for the barbarians will yield only to force.” –Theodore Roosevelt

Block.

Strike.

Strike.

The 12 basic strikes of Arnis, the Filipino martial arts, begins with a block, followed by two strikes on the opponent’s shoulder and knee. The 21 basic strikes follow a similar formula: block, then strike, half strike, and another strike.

As a mere student of the art, I followed the system without question, emulating only what the Guro demonstrated. The sound of our synchronized strikes against the humid air was crisp and empowering. Each movement required dynamism in order to deliver the desired result in actual combat—to incapacitate the opponent. Everyday our training brought us one step closer to mastering the movements. By the end of our training, we were confident in our abilities to perform all of what we were taught from our 6-hour, first day of drilling.

Expectedly, the day of our competition against Taguig City University arrived. All that we were taught for three days must now be brought to the mat, and left there. We entered the gymnasium as underdogs, purely expecting to learn from our opponent while they smash our flesh to the color purple. But by no means did that entail our retraction from wildly cheering on for our classmates.

Matching up for competition

The men’s division preceded.

All but one lost.

Next, the women’s division.

All but 3 won.

University of Washington Winners, girls division.

The second time around, more and more of us won our matches. The sound of “Washington” echoing within the walls of TCU filled me with indescribable pride, an almost patriotic feeling for my own school. This time around, we were expecting to win, and so we did.

After the competition, our rivals in the sport came to us with unexpected kindness, even asking to be Facebook friends. Apparently, they were surprised that our performance was only an accumulation of three days of training. With that, we gained respect and maybe even friendships.

Taguig City University students

It’s been three days since the competition. The bruises on my thighs and arms are more purple than the day before. Despite the bruises and the soreness, I miss the sport. I miss everything that it taught me and the feelings that it formed inside of me. But now that I have officially ceased being a student of the art, I will discuss the parallels I observed between this sport in relation to the Americanization of the Philippines dominating at present.

Compare: Defense.

In Arnis, blocking is the principal movement. That’s no surprise. The Philippine history is filled with events after the other where Filipinos constantly found themselves having to protect their homeland—from the 300-year Spanish colonialism, to the still-present American imperialism and finally, against the Japanese terrorism. The false perception of Philippines as the runt in the world, easy to bully and manipulate, has infiltrated in the minds of most Filipinos. That is the reason why blocking is the first move in Arnis. We block because we are always first being attacked.

Anne Paulet’s article, “To Change the World: The Use of American Indian Education in the Philippines,” discusses the blueprints America had in mind for the Philippines—to “kill the Indian in him and save the man.” This particular quote is directed towards the Native Americans by Richard Pratt but upon further application, shortly became the motto in pacifying the “savage” and “barbaric” people of the Philippine islands. Lucky for the Igorrotes (native Filipinos), however, the Americans saw “no possibilities beyond,” and so they were left untouched.

The weapon of choice: Education. Renato Constantino, in his “Miseducation of the Filipinos” article, distinguished this when he stated: Education is the best weapon for colonial conquest. The Americans recognized this concept early on and utilized it in its full capacity. Therefore, the process of educating the young minds of the Filipinos was promptly implemented in the archipelago in 1901. But the Filipinos could not be “entrusted” with their own country’s educational system because of their “uncivilized” minds. This resulted with the Americans taking sole and ultimate control of the department of education under Article 23 of the Jones Act (Constantino).

Artillery: American teachers and textbooks. From 1901 to 1935, the head of the education department was an American (Constantino). By the time a Filipino was put in charge, a “captive generation” had been born. The educators were sent in “battalions” as “surely the most remarkable cargo ever carried to the Oriental colony,” (Constantino). That’s impressive considering the geographical location and size of the Philippines. Consequently the native language was subject to extermination as English became the required medium for teaching. Constantino articulates the consequences of native language impediment: inability to express innermost thoughts and cultural stagnation. One must not underestimate these consequences for it is the gateway to terminate a culture.

With this entire struggle to educate the Philippines, I wonder what direct gains America could possibly have from this little country composed of 7,107 islands. Aside from being the stepping stone to China and providing a naval base for the U.S., the effort in transforming the Philippines into a mini-America really is quite remarkable. Unless America has further ulterior motives, the cost outweighs the gain. We know that American gain continues to this day—economically, politically and socially. Unfortunately, the cost is a holistic oblivion to evaporating nationalism and cultural identification in our own country. It is apparent in the media, our government, and our spoken language; in our educational system even our dreams. Filipinos are consumed by America and live for America. This is the result of our weak defense against our oppressors. This is why we constantly find ourselves having to block first.

Contrast: Offense.

In Arnis, blocking may be the principal movement but the eleven strikes come immediately after. As a country, we have attempted to block every strike from the super powers only to be beaten down to the ground. But when have we ever initiated a strike against our opponents?

Behind my red suit, representing the University of Washington, I stepped on to the mat knowing full well that my expertise on the sport does not compare to my opponent. She practices everyday for five hours while I practiced for 3 days. On the mat, her movements were intimidating. I was intimidated. That didn’t stop me from giving it my best. Instead of following the 12 basic strikes, I found myself initiating the attacks and carefully dodging hers. I thought to myself, “If you’re going down, you better look like you did something.”

That’s when I won.

With Master Rey in my Arnis sparring gear

The lesson to be learned is that experience and power does not dictate the outcome of the game. Philippines may not have both but if it has the heart and mind, it can do wondrous things—become David against Golliath. The secret though is first to do something.

Preparing for battle against TCU

I should have lost; but I was representing the UW. The Filipinos need the same pride and love for their own country.

Retaliate.

The weapon of choice: Education. In the Arnis competition, my opponent and I had the same weapon, a baston. No one had an advantage or a disadvantage because we were using the same defensive/offensive tool. It’s not too late. If the Americans used education to subjugate our people, we, in turn, must use education to restore our nation, our culture, our identity. Retaliation doesn’t always mean violence, sometimes, retaliation is simply in the form of silence. We are done with being silent. We must voice out, in our own native dialects, our desire for freedom; to be our independent nation and free of American control.

Artillery: Filipino teachers and textbooks. Our teachers today are victims of Americanization so how can we ever fully achieve Filipino education? It’s never too late to learn. Our country must implement a law requiring at least all history teachers to re-learn what they have been taught. Textbooks must be replaced, re-written from our own perspectives with our own language. It is only after these changes are made that the children are able to start with a clean slate—discover their history with pride. It is not to say that English should be completely exiled from our education system. Rather, it should be an option instead of a requirement, second and not the first.

Today I toured another Ivy League school, Ateneo de Manila. I have to admit, I was not all that impressed. You may think that some of the things I’m saying on this blog are exaggerations but no. Most of our tour guides were “pures” (non-mixed Filipinos) but they literally could not speak any Philippine dialect. All they could speak was English. Granted it made it easier to talk to them but the Philippine experience was robbed from me. I felt like I was back in University of Washington, hanging out with my friends. This is exactly what I’m speaking against: Filipinos who have no excuse not to know their native language. It’s appalling. When I spoke to the freshmen during lunch, they informed me that many of their friends in high school would only speak English because speaking the Philippine dialect was considered low-class. Where did these beliefs come from? And why is no one stopping it?

Ateneo de Manila and our tour guides

The freshman girls I spoke to during lunch

In any martial arts, we are taught to respect our opponent but above all we are trained to win. In combat, winning means you spared your life, preserved your existence. It is time to preserve our nationality by striking first and win the battle.

During our pre-departure orientation, one of our leaders specifically went out of their way to thank those who were non-Filipinos for going on this study abroad program. The teachers are appreciative of them learning the history of the Filipinos in the Philippines. But when I think about my eight years of education in America, not one teacher has ever expressed to me their appreciation of me going all the way to America and learning their history. That, I believe, is an illustration of how we, Filipinos, feel inferior to the white-Americans or how the white-Americans feel superior to everyone else. It is 2011, as our American president would say, “We need change.”

With all these Americanization and Arnis training, I ask where I find myself in the middle of all this.

Back in Seattle I informed my friend that this summer I would go to the Philippines to study. He asked why with a disgusted look on his face. He reminded me that I lived there for eleven years and that there is no point in going. “Why not explore Europe and its amazing sites; why not Africa?” I didn’t have an answer at the moment but now it is all clear to me. Today I would simply tell him this: Because I’m proud of the Philippines.

I don’t ever want to be disconnected or become a foreigner in my own home. But one day, I will marry and we will eventually produce half Filipino, half Chamorro children. The only thing I can hope for is for them to find their way back to their home countries, embrace their culture and have pride in who they are. But there can be no pride found in their country if the Philippines is no more. The existence of our people rests upon the children. Our job, then, is to be their guide. Let’s strike first, stop the blocking mentality. Educate the children, the Filipino way.

Ready to Retaliate

Learning What's of Importance

Filipino Pride, Pinoy Pride, Pinay Pride, American Pride, Husky Pride. These are all words to me, and also to many that hear them. I am beginning to deconstruct my identity or lack thereof, and realizing what’s of importance to me. By doing so, those two word expressions that end with “Pride” add a deeper level of symbolism to my life. What I appreciate now at this point is a greater understanding of my identity. Though it’s still a work in progress I am relearning and will continue to learn my Filipino heritage. An old Filipino proverb says, “ Ang hindi marunong lumingon sa pinanggalingan ay hindi makararating sa paroroonan.” The translation of this says, “He who does not know how to look back and know where he came from will never get to his destination”. When I was younger living in the US I was more so inclined to vocalizing my pride of being Filipino. I would wear clothes with the national flag on them; I would write my “about me” section on MySpace all about how I’m pinoy and breakdance. Then as I grew older I realized it was a fad, I didn’t acknowledge this pride I had of being Filipino. What does it even mean to me? Why acknowledge a pride for my heritage that I’ve been disconnected with for so long?

What does having ethnic pride entail? I sit down and draw a blank mind when I ask myself this because I am a coconut. Have you ever heard of that saying? A coconut is brown on the outside white on the inside. Therefore I am a coconut. Actually I disagree. My mannerisms are a mixture of Filipino and American, which is a product of living in Washington State and being exposed regularly to both my Filipino family as well as non-Filipino people I interact with on a daily basis. The only person that has ever jokingly called me a coconut is my girlfriend. That’s beside the point. The point is, that ethnic pride is recognizing the importance of the heritage in which you come from.

Ethnic Pride, in my opinion, is synonymous with nationalism. In simple terms, Nationalism is the acknowledgement of great loyalty an individual has for her/his country. I argue that they are synonymous because ethnic pride almost always relates to one’s loyalty to their country. From the standpoint of an immigrant I recognize the importance of my heritage, and where my nationalism lies is both within the Philippines as well as my adopted country, the U.S.

So what does Filipino Pride mean to me? To me it means acceptance of my distinct difference from non-Filipino’s. It is not hatred towards people of different backgrounds. It is love of my family, love of my culture, and love of my people.

In an article by Renato Constantino entitled “The Miseducation of the Filipino” he goes into great depth about nationalism which should be more overtly expressed and taught in the arena of education in the Philippines. “The system and philosophy that Philippine education is founded on is that of American colonialism”. The power to mold the minds of an oppressed people generation after generation is the most effective means of spreading the foreign agenda. An American military commander named General Ortis valiantly believed this and helped open more colonial schools, the schools at that time were headed by American military personnel. To this day, education in the Philippines, Constantino argues, is a product of American colonialism and continues to promote American interests.

"The Tire Dummy Workout" "Stix Arnis Filipino Martial Arts Equipment"

Last week us huskies embarked on a three-day intensive Arnis training session with Master Rey and his pupils Roni and Paul culminating in a full day tournament against the Taguig City University Arnis team. From beginning to end we were thrown into the fighter’s life, the Filipino fighter’s life. Arnis is a Filipino Martial Arts form. It is the action of using an individual or double stick to cause pain to an enemy. In organized Arnis competitions there are two opponents pitted against each other each armed with a single Arnis stick. The first one to strike the other gains a point. The fighter with the most points at the end of two rounds wins the match.

"Arnis Equipment"

The ideas Constantino presents in his article “The Miseducation of the Filipino” magnifies the sense of nationalism Arnis encapsulates as a national sport. Though I am no expert at Arnis history, or philosophy I gained valuable insights to the sport many Filipino’s take pride in as being authentically Filipino. Rey Dominguez is a world renowned Arnis Grand Master, and taking us under his guidance showed us the way of Arnis. He as well as his wife Lori Dominguez are two very proud Filipino’s. They have a happy family, a profitable air conditioning business, and are world class Arnis champions. Through simple conversations their sense of nationalism was evident. One of the things he brought up was how Germany claims to have started Arnis, but from his perspective it’s obviously untrue. Rey and Lori also expressed their great interest in the ethnic make-up of the members of our group. When Rey introduced us to another Arnis Grand Master he mentioned (incorrectly) that we were comprised of Filipino-Americans, Americans, and “2 pures”. (Had he correctly introduced us he would have said there were 6 pures) Their evident ethnic pride relates to their nationalism because Arnis is a Philippine Sport. Because of this connection I argue that the two terms are synonymous.

"Master Rey intoduction of the ethnic make-up of the group"

In Constantino’s article he states that the educational system in the Philippines requires reform. The image of the ideal Philippines is imprinted in the minds of the people and it has negative effects. The ideal Philippine country is portrayed as an agricultural heaven. “This in turn presents the belief that the Philippines can never be more than an agricultural country. It also hinders progress for agricultural life because it fantasizes the hard life of farmers making it a place where people would rather vacation in rather than take care of.” To invoke Philippine nationalism in the minds of the youth is to turn away from the colonial mindset, or the American agenda. The example of the image of the ideal Philippines needs to dissipate. Constantino argues that there are things in the Philippines that promote foreign expansion or agendas such as the “idealized picture of rural Philippines”, and such things stunt the progress of the country.

Education is not an institution for simply learning the motions, its definitive goal should be to empower and motivate the people of a nation to better the lives of their country and countrymen. Constantino’s ideas about education are not new. (In no way am I placing myself on par with Renato Constantino) In my personal statement applying to UW in 2008 I wrote that my purpose of applying was to become a productive member of society. I had this idea that education is a tool to becoming an informed model citizen. I know I am not the only one to feel this way, and it’s uncanny to see an article that mentions the same argument.

Why acknowledge a pride for my heritage that I’ve been disconnected with for so long? Though I was not raised with the conventional Filipino culture I happily and proudly represent my heritage. Learning Philippine history through articles, and then seeing the things I read about embed my deep love for the Philippines that I never had to this extent before. I was called a foreigner the other day at Taguig City University as I was buying water at the local store, and in a lot of ways it’s true. It offended me and shamed me at the same time because I am Filipino, I look Filipino, both my parents are Filipino, but I speak differently, act differently and probably think differently. It’s up to me to use what I’ve learned to either help or hinder the progress of my nation/s. There is no doubt in my mind that I will pursue the former.

The Challenge of Educating Young Filipinos Truthfully but Also Practically

Our readings for this week focused on the ways the Filipino's have been miseducated due to Colonial influence and these readings culminated with a trip to likely the nicest and highest ranked school in the Philippines: Ateneo University. The legend of Iktome, that is referenced by Paulet at the beginning of his article "The Use of American Indian Education in the Philippines" has spread to everyone in our culture and essentially everyone in the world. Iktome says to his Native American people "that the white man will try to make you like himself, he will try to tame you" (p. 173) . I see this happening, not in, necessarily a blatant way, but in a more "invisible" way today in commercials and in advertisements. There is almost always an ideal looking white man or woman, selling a product that should supposedly make you look like them and be like them. In the way that colonialists tried to make those whose lands they conquered like them, those who are on top of the economic system likewise are projected as something that should be aspired too. Due to this I believe that colonialism will always exist in the United States and abroad if the same messages that defined the imperialist era correlate with messages that are used to market products. Consider skin powder that is sold in the Philippines and the quote from Iktome.

This to me is part of a constant reciprocated illusion of "progress". Doesn't it seem odd that educating savages in order to progress them but ultimately oppress them is a lot like selling a product only to replace with it a better one a year later? It happened before to the American "indians" then again to "indians" over seas and it is still happening today in mass media. Does it really make a difference whether one drives an Audi to work or a Honda? For some reason we are led to believe that driving a certain type of car or buying a big house will make us happier even though we all have to sit in the same traffic and follow the same speed limits. I can understand why someone would want a nice house in a nice location, its simply more pleasurable to be around those things but that is simply an illusion of personal progress. Ultimately personal progress, in my opinion comes from how happy one is, but we are led to believe that what we have will make us happy. What needs to be looked at is the difference between personal progress and social progress and how the two affect each other. I think personal progress comes from obtaining happiness and much of that happiness comes from the products that make life easier, but what comes with this mentality is an excess of those products in certain areas of the globe which will lead to a shortage in other areas. Perhaps if the idea of progress had been reexamined at the turn of the century some of the problems that the world needs to address wouldn't be here right now:

The quote that Paulet references by Dr. Lucien Warner, which essentially says that the Native Americans had a lack of thrift, of industry, of foresight and of a habit of saving, is simply perspective (p. 180). In terms of saving, Native Americans saved the land that they used much more so than Europeans or early Americans who industrialized it. Native Americans used it as a respected resource necessary for survival. Now consider the irony of the what the modern day world is struggling to save: resources such as the quality of the Earth's air, water and land. All of a sudden it is progressive to clean up the land and save it instead of using it for its resources. Take a look at the Pasig River that our class visited. Apparently the Philippine "Indians" were unfit to have this river as a resource.

The general theme of this week's readings has been the affect of colonial education on Filipinos because they were thought to be unable to educate themselves and do what the United States considered proper with their resources (Constantino, Paulet). The Miseducation of the Filipino by Constantino explains that during colonial rule and on the path to Philippine independence the education system was completely in control of the colonizers. This meant that Filipino's were no longer learning as Filipinos but as Colonials and that they learned of their ancestors as if "they were tourists in a foreign land" (p. 182). Obviously this would tear away their connection to their heritage. This was accomplished with military physical influence that led to systemized schooling but also with due to the influence of supporters of the American Indian educational system and other prominent individuals (Paulet). Such a fact exposes the way in which the power of the few can affect the lives of the many.

I personally find myself in slight divergence with Constantino, but I say "slight" because I do agree with what he is saying almost entirely, however I wanted to make some alternative discourse towards some of his statements. While, yes the Philippine education system has become Americanized and celebrates America's history just as much if not more than Filipino history I believe that the potential of education has held its resilience. Just look at the civil rights movement and how minorities in the United States who were marginalized used education to change their world and also look at the many groups who are striving to create change in the Philippines right now. By explaining the harms that come when Filipinos learn in English, Constantino does make a good counter to the suggestion that I have just made when he explains that within this Americanized educational system students have become "mechanical" and in doing so do sacrifice the ability to express thoughts and likewise engage in thought related to the betterment of social welfare (p. 190). However, here at the University of the Philippines I see classes that are just as liberal and just as open minded as those in the United States and generally speaking it is these types of classes that encourage refection on modern day society and well being.

When we visited Ateneo on July 22nd I saw a very different educational institution than that of the University of the Philippines. I learned that the smallest department at Ateneo was the liberal arts department. This would be relevant to Constantino's reflection on the type of education that Filipino's are receiving because the students at Ateneo are the privileged and well off and therefore are separated from the largely poor bulk of this nation. Liberal arts discourse tends to encourage the type of thought that would develop into consideration for social welfare and the lack of students taking those courses could correspond with their economic statuses. Even with this being said I think it is important to remember that Che Guevara and Joseph Rizal were both premed students from well off families who both became revolutionaries.

Also, while I totally agree with Constantino that students should be educated in the native tongue first and in English second I believe that learning English is not all that bad (p. 186). Likewise I believe that Paulet is correct when he says that the use of English in school served "as a conduit for transmission of ideas" that American life and products were superior and should be worked towards (p. 197, 98). I was recently reading an article on CNN about the future of globalization - honestly it is an unstoppable phenomenon and it has been for a long time. So it might be in the best interest of Filipinos and other developing countries to learn English. I intend in no way to be condescending when saying this, I'm only trying to make an observation. Yet I do still agree with Constantino that the history of the Philippines should be rewritten in a Filipino version that will properly educate students about the development and history of their country.

The trouble of Filipino identity still remains afoot. Just as Constantino, Paulet and other writers we have read have said; the constant flow of American products and the education that American life is superior leads to Filipino's cutting off from their national and historic identity. What I see are invisible legacies of colonialism within the advertisements and the billboards and the malls. While it is altogether possible to rewrite Filipino history within a proper and justified perspective I can't see how it will be possible to cut off these invisible ties to colonial created thought until the Philippines can remove these invisible ties by creating billboards with their own messages - messages that uplift the Filipino and instill pride in him and what he is doing. Without doing this there will always be a lasting impact of colonialism on the Philippines. For the purpose of increasing nationalism the solution has to be in not only in rewriting history as it should be told, but also by improving the economic conditions of this country. In the immediate situation and with impeding and increasing globalization it is only natural for a person to find pride in their personal wealth and concordantly the wealth of their country. It is a sad reality but also a true one. Thus there is a challenge in retaining identity whilst being economically competitive - at the individual level and the world economic level. I imagine the ideal accomplishment in regards to retaining Filipino identity and national pride while remaining competitive would be for the Philippines to see their own industries, their own small businesses and their own people rise up and succeed and be placed on billboards while their school books are rewritten.

To continue with the theme of education we read an article by Rick Bonus about the educational experience for students with Pacific Islander and South East Asian Descent whom are attending the University of Washington. The section we read explained that the communities that many of these minority students come from placed little value on education. I came from a similar community so it was personally interesting for me to read how others, although from different backgrounds, have had a similar experience finding value in education as I have. I'm interested in learning what Bonus proposes to be a solution to courses that are irrelevant and not connected to many of minority student's lives. One way that I could see accounting, finance or pre-med courses as personally relevant to someone's life is if they grew up in a household or community in which many people held jobs in law, business or medicine. I didn't so I can sympathize, however I feel for the most part and realistically, that most peoples lives are not relevant to an accounting or premed course regardless of where they are from and that is why I would be interested in learning what Bonus' ideas are to address this issue.

The commonality I have seen within all these readings is the challenge of creating educational policy that does not sever ties with one's ethnic lineage but is also practical enough that it will benefit them in a way that they can enhance their own lives and eventually the lives of others around them in the modern world-economy. The historic root of all this however is the inhumane treatment by colonialist white Americans and Europeans of people from different lands and this has to stopped because to a degree that I fully do not understand, it still exists. I like to look to the future but with the current state of the economy, people have to look out for themselves and do what is practical before they do what is truthfully right. It is unfortunate but people have to eat and so do their kids and so they have to work before they can work for others. Perhaps education should be geared towards encouraging people to establish their lives financially and socially and then give back by helping those less privileged. Or there could even be a system where you are allowed to work and given a the chance to live a nice life but as part of the conditions you have to perform volunteer work abroad. This wouldn't solve the overall problem but what would could come with this is that those who have the potential to help others but cannot because they have to take care of themselves will have the opportunity to do both. Such a proposal, aside from being more ideological than applicable, would be met with fierce opposition because it would require a large amount of government involvement, but, I don't see a government that helps people establish their lives and asks that those people help others in return such a bad thing. As I said, this is idealistic and getting to a point where such a system could be realized is a long way off, but if the many of world problems are systemic, then changing the system is essentially the answer.

Since this is a blog, I would like to put a little personal section in this. Much of what I've been talking about above is based off ideologies and I would like to focus on my own experience a little more. I've thought a lot about living modestly and how if the bulk of the world had less of a competition first view point and instead a ""one for all and all for one" viewpoint I truly believe the world would be a better place. In the end I have realized that just like the Native American who lives on a barren wasteland in Arizona the Filipino who lives on the street are there due in part to United States imperialism. I also believe that what makes many of these people feel oppressed in the United States and in the Philippines are the advertisements of products they cannot afford and pictures of a life that seems unaccessible. As Paulet writes, education was a way of ingraining the indigenous with American values (193). Now it has be a way to make those values seem less relevant.

I can't recall seeing a picture of the Filipino President since I've been here, perhaps I did and didn't notice. These pictures of American Presidents however were not hard to notice.