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

Welcome!

"If you understood everything I said, you'd be me." -Miles Davis


 Kinda starting over to make this blog a little more personalized to my writing style and personality. For which of you that do not know me, that's being adventurous with a hint of sarcasm.

For starters, names Michael Justus. I can get a bit crazy and misunderstood in my writing. Why? Because I think a billion times faster then i type. So pleaseeee comment me if you get lost. I am better at talking one on one. And yes the picture of is with my shirt up doing what i do  best which is adventuring.





See part of shirts up





check out his blog at http://takarag.blogspot.com/



So recently, i joined this class called English 114 which is my very first college class. Side note, kudos to Mr. Aronson he is an impeccable professor (still getting use to saying that... professor)



Filipino dance. interesting?

I know the feathers are!



Anyways I quickly found out that it is not only a English class, but a Filipino-American cultural class as well, and to add on to that i must keep up a blog. Which is alien to me like the feathers of this Filipino dancer.





 I have never kept a blog before so lets see how this goes peace! By the way street arts my favorite so get read to see alot of it.

This is the best kind of art.
The streets of Manila