Filipino Identity PDF

James Araneta  Filipino Identity █ Filipino █ A Roman Catholic, English- speaking Malay with a Spanish name and a predilection for Chinese food…? █ As a “modern”, American- educated nation, the Filipino people should face forwards and be...

James Araneta  Filipino Identity █ Filipino █ A Roman Catholic, English- speaking Malay with a Spanish name and a predilection for Chinese food…? █ As a “modern”, American- educated nation, the Filipino people should face forwards and be progress-oriented  Problem of Nationhood █ American imperialism penetrated Philippine culture, institutions and social life. █ No sympathy for government █ Values formation/education?  Filipino Way The lack of enthusiasm for celebrating the nation state contrasts with the enthusiasm that greets days that express “Filipinoness” and exemplify Pinoy civilization Filipinoness is expressed in its “little-traditional” forms in the home and local community  Middle Class █ Middle class not immune to focus on wealth, status and power. No space for nation building █ There are activities to spur nationalism however education is both lacking and packaged with disconnects  Civil Society and the Public █ Citizens strong enough to face the oligarchy? – Individual worlds, public life – In the public space one has both to “give in and to take care of oneself” – Philippine society is hemorrhaging from emigration, mostly to the United States  Individual Centeredness The focus of public life is on outstanding individuals, rather than on the impersonal “generalized other” or on something as intangible as “the public interest” Other factors: Globalization Technology Status, Wealth and Power  School – History - Identity ACTIVITY: Talk to your partner 1) How did my elementary or high school help me learn to be a Filipino? 2) What is your favorite Filipino event? 3) Why are you proud of being a Filipino? Does this mean you won’t change citizenship if given the opportunity?  Thought Because of the chasm between cultural and political life, the state resolutely fails to express the nation. After all, the idea of “nation” is cultural; it is about the feeling of belonging together in a country of staggering diversity. The tedious uniformity that the school curriculum is expected to instill is so unconvincing as to be ultimately self-defeating.