ASA 4
4/18/17
Betrayal, Class Fantasies, and the Filipino Nation in Daly City
This reading was primarily focused on the immigration of Filipinos to Daly City from 1965 onward. Many of the incoming immigrants were professional and skilled workers (medical services, nurses, etc) who left the Philippines due to the corruption and inefficiency of the government. Considering that the immigration laws were revised in 1965, Filipinos were easily able to migrate to the United States, which led to a fivefold increase in the Filipino immigrant population in just a matter of five years. Unfortunately, these immigrants were seen as people who betrayed their country by their countryfolk back in the Philippines in order to pursue more money. I think it's pretty sad how leaving the Philippines for more opportunity and a potentially better life was considered an act of betrayal, which probably even discouraged some people from migrating to other countries. If anything, the people who migrate could potentially even send remittances to their family and community back home to help foster growth and contribute to their nation.
The movie, Home Sic Home, which was mentioned in the reading resonated with me because it reminded me of how I wasn't really able to properly communicate with my grandpa when he came to the United States from India. My grandpa only spoke Punjabi, but I primarily spoke English at home and wasn't fluent in Punjabi, which mades things pretty difficult. In addition, I felt a bit disconnected with my Punjabi culture and heritage similarly to how 2nd generation Filipinos were described in the reading. Similarly to how The Filipino Channel helped immigrant Filipino kids learn more about their culture and heritage, so too did Indian channels like Zee TV, which I used to watch with my grandpa and parents from time to time.
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