|
For the past 17 years, The Filipino Express has provided the Filipino American community the best news, arts and entertainment coverage from around the United States and the Philippines.
|
|
This website includes selected articles from this week's edition of the Filipino Express. Not all the stories published in the printed version appear on this site.
|
|
|
|
To tell us what you think about Filipino Express Online or to comment on the stories published here, E-mail us at Filexpress@aol.com
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
What would the world be without women?
|
|
|
|
NEW YORK --- A colleague sent an e-mail recently sharing an anecdote about an English professor who directed his students to punctuate a phrase correctly. The professor wrote on a blackboard the phrase: "Woman without her man is nothing."
The men wrote: "Woman, without her man, is nothing." On the other hand, the women's response was: "Woman!! Without her, man is nothing."
The responses were similar to a question I heard years ago about which gender was "more brainy." I will not venture into repeating what the answers were as it would only create gender discrimination, which is no longer the norm after women won their rights a long time ago and earned their place in history.
I feel negligent at not having written this piece in March when it was Women's History Month. I was overtaken by a news item in our community about the on-going feud between Nena Kaufman and, Lolita Gillberg and Nanette Sering-Wright – all women who have earned their rights as community leaders.
To some people, they say that no offense was made since the parties involved are women anyway. But they asked: "Why in the hell is Philip Carreon involved?" Carreon, as you know, was also charged together with Gillberg and Wright in the complaint of Kaufman. To which question, somebody else responded jokingly: "Well, he's the odd ball and you can't let those women fight all by themselves."
But more to the point about women and their importance in a world where men insist that they were the first born and that woman exist because she was pricked from a man's rib. I will not elaborate on this further as this may only invite a great debate.
To me, there is no great divide between man and woman. Both should respect each other regardless of who brings in more food to the table. I must say, however, that men are the head of the family.
In the U.S., Susan B. Anthony is considered as having paved women's rights. She was a "primary organizer, speaker, and writer for the 19th century women's rights movement, especially the first phases of the long struggle for women's vote, the women's suffrage movement or woman suffrage movement."
She was born in 1820 and her family moved to Battensville, N.Y., when she was six. She learned to read and write at the age of three. It was in Rochester, N.Y. where she began her "first public crusade on behalf of temperance."
She was guided by her desire to end to all laws and practices that discriminated against women and called for divorce law reform, equal pay, access to higher education and the professions, reform of organized religion, and a total rethinking of what constituted 'woman's sphere."
In 1872, she was arrested for illegally casting a ballot in the presidential election. Her arrest, however, sparked a cause, which later paved the way to allowing women nationwide the right to vote.
In our own history as a nation, we've read about the heroic exploits of women like Gabriela Silang and others who fought alongside men to gain freedom and advance their own cause. Today, we see women in the halls of Congress and in big corporations occupying top leadership positions.
Women have gone a long way and in our community here in the New York metropolitan area, we see women outnumber the ranks of men in community and professional organizations as well as in corporate and government offices.
In celebrating International Women's Day, the Women Consuls General in New York honored twelve Filipino Americans "for their outstanding professional achievements and contributions to community empowerment." They were among the 73 women from the home countries of 11 consuls general who were tendered a reception at the Consulate General of Venezuela last Mar. 9.
The twelve honorees were: Lolita Compas, Lourdes Corrales, Nina Elgo, Jessica Hagedorn, Ludi de Asis-Hughes, Jean Lobell, Nina Pineda, Potri Rankamanis, Hazel Sanchez, Elma Santander, Constancia Uy, and Ching Valdes-Aran.
All of them are familiar to us. They are fine individuals who continue to make us proud as a Filipino and have earned their place in history in this area. And regardless of what some women or men have to say about any of them, it's just envy driving their mind.
The same could be said to two Filipino Americans in Jersey City who were likewise honored last Tuesday, Mar. 29, at the City Hall Council Chambers. They were the recipients of "Women of Action" Awards in recognition of their outstanding community service.
Honored with 24 other women were Rose Javier and Mely Corpuz. Despite their dedicated community service all these years, I haven't heard of them receiving recognition aside from their own organizations. Jersey City Councilwomen Kathleen Curran and Mary Donnelly, who nominated the two Filipino Americans, must have known of their work and earned their respect.
As I look back to the long struggle which women fought for to put them equal to men, I ask myself: What would the world be without women? Or perhaps, recalling the English professor's instruction, the question could be: What would the world be without men and women? That question, at least, is being on the safe side.
Here's a salute to all women of the world!
Send comments to rickyxpres@aol.com
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Process of Being Filipino Part I
|
|
|
|
I haven’t seen her in years but I know that somewhere in Annette’s baul there lies evidence of the height of my colonial mentality. It was an autograph book (aka slum book) that asked: What do you want most in life? And there was the answer of an angst-ridden 13 year old Manila girl – “To not be Filipino” more exactly, “To Be British.” Of course this was also the time I was crazy about British music, the New Wave era and all the cute Brit lads that came with it. I adopted British spelling i.e. colour not color and a faux accent. It would take a year or two for me to get over this phase. But it would take even longer for me to truly appreciate being Filipino. Ironically, the reason Annette had us fill the slum book was because she was off to study in England for a year.
Now I am in the US, with my Sesame Street-honed American twang and half-American baby boys. And here I am more Filipino than ever. But what does it mean to be Filipino anyway? Is it the color of my skin? Does it mean speaking the language? Being born in the islands? Wearing barongs and sayas? Eating dinuguan?
You’d think after 30 something years on this planet, I would’ve figured it but it is only now that I am beginning to understand that “Being Filipino” is something in your soul – it is who you are and where you are from. Furthermore, for me it includes the whole colonial experience – we can’t help it – we were a colony of Spain first, and then America. There have been countless articles written about our so-called search for an identity, our damaged culture etcetera but anyone who is Filipino simply knows.
If you are still at that point of “searching” however, or if you enjoy a good anthology, you must get a copy of “Growing Up Filipino – Stories for Young Adults,” edited by Cecilia Manguerra Brainard (PAHL Books, 2003). It is an anthology with 29 stories about what it means to be young and Filipino, written by emerging and established Filipino authors, based in the Philippines and in the diaspora.
The book is divided into five themes: family, angst, friendship, love and home. I haven’t read everything though I have thoroughly enjoyed the selections in the Family, Home and Friendship sections. In every story, you read, being Filipino means different things to different people. Being Filipino American is quite another thing. But the book is a great read – I understand it is being used as a textbook now – and rightly so!!! The selections are so seamless – even non Filipinos can benefit from reading them, hey, and so can not-so-young adults!
Slum books may be obsolete, but there are many blogs out there with similar questions/surveys – What is love? Describe your first kiss? Your favorite color? And of course, that perennial stumper: What do you want most in life? Me? To be happy. To be comfortable in my skin. To be able to pass this wisdom off to my children so that they too may be happy and comfortable in their skin.
END.
E-mail comments to manilagirl01@hotmail.com
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
