Filipino-Americans & Colonial Mentality in the US Election

Roger Oriel publisher of Asian Journal opines that:

The Filipino American community is the second largest Asian American group in the United States. In 2007, the FilAm community was estimated to be at 4 million or 1.5 percent of the US population. With these numbers continuing to rise, the Filipino community is a force to be reckoned with.

Are they really? The numbers don’t lie but if we look at the number of Filipino-Americans which they saw or not see in the Republican National Convention (Asian Journal did not make it to the DNC) is a dismal if not invisible presence tells a whole lot on the state of Filipino-Americans political consciousness.

Where are some of the Filipino-Americans seen then in this electoral exercise? I see some of them so fixated on the black propaganda and lies being spread around to which I suspect was a hangover from the pathetic politics they see back in the country as a familiar environment where some of them seem to be so comfortably at home. You will not believe how some of the Filipino-Americans easily succumbed to lies and deception treating said non-issue as if it was the universal truth defending and spreading baseless innuendos only one with irrational mindset are capable of embracing like a long lost relative. Loida Nicholas Lewis the most prominent Filipino-American and I should say the richest in our community an avid supporter of Hillary Clinton now an Obama supporter has a very valid observation, to quote:

Change we can believe in for all

As explained in a recent article in the Inquirer “suspicions and mistrust of the African American community run deep, and the Filipino community is not immune to false impressions….As Filipinos migrate here, many bring with them some deep-seated prejudice against people of darker color, in itself a product of colonial mentality that dictates white is superior.”

I have witnessed this prejudice against other people of color in my community and we cannot deny that this elephant in the room—judging one by the color of their skin—unfortunately still exists and still serves as a determining factor for some Filipinos in their decision for whom to vote. We must rise above this bigoted perception. Whether we are Asian, Black, or Latino, we are ALL people of color and we are all fighting for change. This isn’t about unfounded ideology or lofty rhetoric; this hopefulness is about real change—change we can believe in for us, for our children, and for ALL communities.

One only has to look at the thriving industry of skin whitening solutions, cream or whatever concoction generating billions of dollar in Asia and recently even here in the US to see the validity of Lewis contention on colonial mentality. While the reason for the fixation of Asian brown people should not be construed as a desperate attempt to come close as possible to white America’s skin complexion it is basically a prejudice against darker skin color. One reason being is that in Asia having a darker skin connotes “low social status or class origin” with the darker skin looked down upon as manual laborers laboring under the sun as against those with fair complexion as those belonging to higher social strata confined in their air-conditioned working places or sheltered in their vast mansions pampered by servants. So when they migrate to the west these very people who has this colonial mentality of whites as superior brings along with them the same attitude and prejudice.

There is even one who prides himself as a “caretaker” of OFW (Overseas Filipinos Worldwide) solidarity who thinks he gets it when he spreads a youtube video that puts the blame on the Democrats on the Financial Crises, to quote:

Are you willing to honestly know who are responsible for the economic melt-down? Watch the video and let your mind absorb the truth...

Does he really know what “truth” is? Was it ignorance or does he really not just get it not realizing that when he points his accusatory finger on the CRA he does not realize that 3 of his fingers points back at him. The implication of spreading lies on the financial crises is that the blame is thrown in the blacks and minorities direction for the sub-prime meltdown without realizing that being a Filipino-American in case he forgets belongs to the minorities and are thus “guilty” of the “fraud” attributed to our communities of taking loans we cannot afford. Despite the fact that CRA according to Janet L. Yellen, president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco’s statement to the contrary they still persist on spins only gullible and incorrigible people will believe in, to quote:

There has been a tendency to conflate the current problems in the subprime market with CRA-motivated lending, or with lending to low-income families in general. I believe it is very important to make a distinction between the two. Most of the loans made by depository institutions examined under the CRA have not been higher-priced loans, and studies have shown that the CRA has increased the volume of responsible lending to low- and moderate-income households. We should not view the current foreclosure trends as justification to abandon the goal of expanding access to credit among low-income households, since access to credit, and the subsequent ability to buy a home, remains one of the most important mechanisms we have to help low-income families build wealth over the long term.

He then follows it up with innuendos on Obama’s “guilt by association” stunt and if he really wants to go there he should realize that McCain has his Keating 5. Instead of discussing the platforms of both parties to determine which of the 2 candidates can really make a difference in the Filipino-American Community and the nation in particular would rather stick to inconsequential non-issues. Indeed pathetic passing off an old line or rather lie implicating Barack Obama on William Ayer’s Weather Underground activities that has been dismissed by the courts when at the time of the alleged political crime committed was when Barack Obama was 8 years old. Yes, 8 years old and he is supposed to be answerable and accountable for the action of others is absurd if not dumb and stupid. I can only heave a sigh of relief that this people are not seating on the bench as people who may be charge of jaywalking might end up with treason if they happen to be dispensing justice in this very sophisticated and powerful nation is just unthinkable. If they are intent on going down that route how about the wonders of organized superstition errrr religion and the ignorant bliss it brings forth to the "faithful"....... just like this self professed witch doctor who is actually a witch hunter

America's landscape is changing and in diversity lies its strength. Filipino-Americans has the opportunity to contribute to its greatness or choose to lived up to its pathetic dysfunctional mindset honed by decades of pathetic political experience back home. Sadly numbers alone is not a determinant factor in contributing to progress and political empowerment unless we grow up and rise above our perception of politics beyond the likes of American idol standards. Filipino-Americans can opt to be on the gutter level of personality politics or join Barack Obama's change from the ground up that brings hope to minorities and even mainstream America towards political empowerment as an effective leverage against powerful lobbyist affording every individual in this nation desiring change a potent vehicle. A change that is clearly in partnership with the people working together that will bring us back to our former old glory of international respect that has been eroded by irrational policies of the Bush administration.


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