Culture Clash

So this post has been long overdue. I’m late as usual and I’m kickin’ my butt for it. However, tardiness aside, a couple months ago in class we watched a film titled The Learning. Basically, the film is about four Filipina women who leave their families to go to Baltimore to become teachers. Their prime obligation is to better their families lives back in the Philippines. Kind of similar to the Filipino value of Utang na Loob, which is simple put as "debt of prime obligation"(Charles Kaut). 

This documentary was powerful in displaying the need for a change in our American public school system. Being raised in a private school, my understanding of public school system was not until high school to which i was lucky to have some very dedicated teachers.the clash between cultures; and the difference between Filipino and American values and culture. To which there is a gap in learning that these women are trying to fill, and their drive to teach these students was amazing. However, these women were defiantly out of there comfort zone. For instance, one scene of the documentary shows one of the teachers at home speaking about how gloomy the day is in the rain and how lifeless Baltimore is compared to the Philippines. Recruiting teachers from a different country cannot be the only solution if the teachers themself go into depression. Something needs to be done in our communities’ values to change, before we allow our system of learning to continue.
That aside, there is another question this film holds, why the need to look overseas for migrant workers? Are there not enough American teachers? What happens to the displacement in American  teachers?

The Ikaw

Hello everybody welcome back to my blog. This week in my Bayan English class I read the poem "The Ikaw" by Kevin Nadal.

"Ikaw," which embodies the emotions of Nadal about his heritage, was written during Nadal's "angry period" in college. "Ikaw" explores everything from the incident at the world fair were 1,100 Filipinos were put up in an exhibit; to racism, rape, and oppression. Keep in mind this a very strong poem dealing with many strong words.



The poem was really insightful and moving. I could feel the anger and pain in "Ikaw" as Nadal's tone ripped into me. Especially the words, “Life is all right in American, if you’re a White in America.” I have never experienced any kind of oppression that was noticeable beyond the exception of being made fun of due to appearance when i was younger, yet Filipino men were beat for dancing with white and Mexican women. Filipino icons like Philip Vera Cruz and Joseph Illeto probable will never be mentioned in text books. Also, Filipinos were kicked out of public places and kept from entering neighborhoods.

This poem really puts into perspective how Filipinos were treated, but also a more underling theme. For instance, why am i just learning about this? How can so much history just go untold? What has been changed to current elementary to highschool text books?

Nadal said he wrote this in college, his "angry period." I too feel i am going through and angry period where i finally understand things and my mind is able to comprehend. I feel compelled to do over what was done wrong. Will you?

Salamat Dumating uli