realization and frustration
My mom told me a story about something that happened at her work a few days ago. She took a break from work, was having a conversation with her Pinoy co-workers:
Mama: "My kids are going home soon."
Co-worker 1 (looking really incredulous): "Ah, ganun? BAKIT PA?"
Mang Roger (Co-worker 2): "Bakit hindi? Doon, magaganda ang hanap-buhay nila. They were able to study and finish from the best schools in the country. Maganda ang buhay nila doon."
I was kind of stumped when Mama told me about it. And I thought, " Oh yeah. I guess I never really thought about it like that." Not a lot of people really think about it like that.
***
My sister just started kindergarten a couple of weeks ago. Initially, Mama was kind of worried about her being a Fil-Am kid in a school that's like 99% white. Then she saw that there were two other Asian kids in Angel's class--one Japanese kid and (Thank heavens!) a Pinoy kid. Now Angel wouldn't have to stick out like a sore thumb amidst those snobby white kids.
Boy, was Mama wrong.
The Japanese kid's folks are super nice, despite the huge language barrier (they don't speak english that well, having just moved from Japan). The Pinoy kid--he's cute, but I sure hope to God he doesn't grow up as snotty and as ignorant as his Pinoy parents. Man, they're like the snottiest people there--they don't smile, don't say hi to anyone, have their pango (not that there's anything wrong with it) noses high up in the air, and act as if they'd get like AIDS from saying hi to their kapwa-Pinoys. Man, what crappy attitude.
Angel's better off hanging out with the white kids who are completely bowled over by how cute and bright she is. In fact, they're the ones who's always running after her and saying bye-bye when we pick her up.
I hate to say this, I really do, but soooo many Pinoys here act like that. Somehow their being able to live and work in the US just seems to them as their license to act all snotty and snobby towards other Pinoys. Kinda gives me the idea why we Pinoys are moving backwards instead of forward (well, of course, aside from our so-called political leaders).
Don't get me wrong--I love my country and I love being Pinoy. I just don't like it when other Pinoys don't seem to.
Mama: "My kids are going home soon."
Co-worker 1 (looking really incredulous): "Ah, ganun? BAKIT PA?"
Mang Roger (Co-worker 2): "Bakit hindi? Doon, magaganda ang hanap-buhay nila. They were able to study and finish from the best schools in the country. Maganda ang buhay nila doon."
I was kind of stumped when Mama told me about it. And I thought, " Oh yeah. I guess I never really thought about it like that." Not a lot of people really think about it like that.
***
My sister just started kindergarten a couple of weeks ago. Initially, Mama was kind of worried about her being a Fil-Am kid in a school that's like 99% white. Then she saw that there were two other Asian kids in Angel's class--one Japanese kid and (Thank heavens!) a Pinoy kid. Now Angel wouldn't have to stick out like a sore thumb amidst those snobby white kids.
Boy, was Mama wrong.
The Japanese kid's folks are super nice, despite the huge language barrier (they don't speak english that well, having just moved from Japan). The Pinoy kid--he's cute, but I sure hope to God he doesn't grow up as snotty and as ignorant as his Pinoy parents. Man, they're like the snottiest people there--they don't smile, don't say hi to anyone, have their pango (not that there's anything wrong with it) noses high up in the air, and act as if they'd get like AIDS from saying hi to their kapwa-Pinoys. Man, what crappy attitude.
Angel's better off hanging out with the white kids who are completely bowled over by how cute and bright she is. In fact, they're the ones who's always running after her and saying bye-bye when we pick her up.
I hate to say this, I really do, but soooo many Pinoys here act like that. Somehow their being able to live and work in the US just seems to them as their license to act all snotty and snobby towards other Pinoys. Kinda gives me the idea why we Pinoys are moving backwards instead of forward (well, of course, aside from our so-called political leaders).
Don't get me wrong--I love my country and I love being Pinoy. I just don't like it when other Pinoys don't seem to.
posted by anj at 8:39 PM
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