Now that it’s Independence Day, a day when it’s almost mandatory to exhibit “Pinoy Pride,” it’s an opportune time to examine our nationalism and the ways we demonstrate how we are proud to be Pinoys.
We Filipinos are notoriously known for being onion-skinned when foreigners make any comment or action that can be interpreted as an insult towards our people.
Granted, most of the time, it is warranted to be offended by racist slurs directed at us, but there are also times when our vitriolic responses to our injured national pride crosses the line as well. And with Filipinos being some of the most active social media users in the world, the bitterness can simmer online and spiral out of control. Last month, we even got a Thai national deported for calling us “pignoys” and saying that our food tasted “stupid.”
If there’s one thing you shouldn’t do to a Filipino, it’s insult our cuisine. We like our lechon and sisig, thank you very much. But to actually kick him out of the country for exercising his right to free speech? That doesn’t sound right.
And when Floyd Mayweather unanimously beat Manny Pacquiao—a sporting event that had nothing to do with the athletes’ nationalities—my Facebook feed was awash with memes where the comments had blatantly racist undertones, as if we had been spoiled with Pacquiao’s previous victories and that by losing, our national pride was hurt. If we don’t like other people making fun of us, why do we do the same?
I believe that a certain level of nationalism among countrymen is healthy—it gives people a sense of purpose beyond themselves, and it has the potential to unite communities from disparate backgrounds for a common cause. It is when nationalism is taken to the extreme that’s problematic, which is the case when we fight others’ racism with racism of our own.
But another kind of oppressive nationalism is when we claim others’ achievements as ours just because they have Filipino blood, regardless of their international address and knowledge of the culture. How many times do we hear local media outlets sing praises of stars in foreign reality TV shows just because they’re part Filipino? Why did we even make a big deal of Robin Williams’ daughter being half-Filipino during the days after his death?
I say it’s oppressive because it betrays the idea of nationalism. Nationalism is a means for people to collectivise themselves and form an identity that anyone can aspire to be a part of because we share the same values and ideals. But why should we stake ownership over individuals who don’t have any affinity to our imagined community?
If we want to validate ourselves by pointing to successful people who just happen to have Filipino blood, we’re cheapening ourselves. We don’t need to insist on them being Filipino just because they were born to a Filipino parent; that’s just a historical accident. It’s nice trivia to know that the finalist of Australia’s X-Factor is part Filipino, but until they acknowledge and recognize themselves to be part of the Filipino community, I think we should tone down our enthusiasm and reserve it for individuals who are truly proud of being Filipino.
Maybe the need to be recognized by others (especially the West) is engrained in the diaspora. We constantly need to feel that we have some value that’s underappreciated by the rest of the world. We send out teachers, domestic helpers, caretakers, seamen, nurses, and other professionals ABROAD, yet we still seem to be regarded poorly. Maybe one step to correct this is to give value to those people ourselves, and to start by seeing the value that our countrymen abroad bring to their families and everyone else they’ve left behind here on our shores.
To me, that’s a healthier manifestation of nationalism—to be truly proud of our countrymen who toil endlessly to give their children a better future. Maybe that’s better than the celebrity worship of part-Filipino entertainers.
Featured image by Chana Garcia
Memes by Dorothy Guya