Initially appeared on doktorko.com 3/6/2006.
A few days ago i watched a spot on Good Morning America (the American version of Alas Singko y Media and Unang Hirit) entitled "India Rising." In essence, it was about how the country of India is clambering its way up the world economy and - interestingly - how Indians don't even view themselves as "catching up" with first-world nations, but rather - as running beside (or with) them.
Watching that little segment gave me a feeling of profound sorrow. Not because i don't want the Indians to succeed, but because i knew that except for a few - well, quite a few - quirks of our of people, that we could be right up there with them.
A question that i posed to a friend of mine this weekend: "Bakit sa dinami-dami ng Pilipino dito, walang 'Pinoy Town?' Kahit saan ka pumunta na may Intsik - kahit kaunti lang sila, parating may Chinatown? Bakit tayo walang ganun? "
His reply (with a sarcastic chuckle): "Kasi mag-aaway-away lang."
This is disheartening because it is ultimately TRUE. In West Michigan, cripes - in Grand Rapids alone! - there are at least three different Filipino groups, each with its own different vision-mission statement, each with its own constitution and by-laws (or at least general rules to live by), and each with its own set of officers and/or board members. Ordinarily this would be well and good - except for the fact that there should be ONE GROUP LESS - if a certain faction had not at one point decided that they wanted to be in charge. Not able to push their agenda in the exant group, they decided to SECEDE and form their own organization.
Is this desire to be bida inherent to our race? I've seen this time and again; near presidential elections - when a certain politico is in danger of not being nominated to be his party's standard bearer, he simply establishes his own party and smears the old one with questions of legitimacy, moral ascendancy, etc. The end result is at least five different candidates espousing five incoherent plans for nation-building; incoherent most likely because nation-building was not the objective in the first place, but rather being bida.
Consider: the US is essentially a commonwealth made of of fifty different countries united under a single flag. They have their own infighting and disagreements, but when push comes to shove - they form a unified front to show to the world ("U-S-A! U-S-A!"), give no quarter, and get things done (right or wrong) THEIR way.
Consider also: the Chinese came to our country not as a rich and elite group, but as blue collar workers taking odd-jobs, derided as "Intsik beho" who stewed cats to make siopao. Through tight-knit networking and hard work, they make their way up through the ranks become big bosses, corporate giants, and the richest of the rich.
Thirdly: India - a third world country without much financial capital but loads of intellect, guts, and pride, considering themselves to be co-equal to Americans, working hard to close the gap in economies - and actually succeeding.
Lastly: Filipinos, left to their own devices in the little city of Grand Rapids, not getting along, bickering with each other, pulling each other down, and fracturing relationships into a million tiny shards of apathy and hate.
I love my country and i love my countrymen. But sometimes it just gets tiring.
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