Kasaysayan 1 Constantino, Ana Beatrice V. Summer 2012 2011-42242 Prof. Jely A.

Galang

Charles Darwin, William McKinley, and the Filipino Identity Submitted on 16 May 2012 The Filipino identity is difficult to characterize, even for a Filipino. The fact is that our culture has become saturated with things we think are Filipino but really arent. If you were to ask someone what the Tagalog word for chair is, they would probably say upuan or silya, the Spanish word for chair. The real answer to that question is salumpuwet, which is a word not often heard spoken everyday. The reason for this is probably because of the Filipinos rich history as the subject of colonization. The Spanish had our nation in their grasp for more than three centuries, the Americans ruled over us for nearly five decades, we were shaded by the Japanese shadow for a few years, and even the British occupied our capital for a couple years when they waged war against the Spanish in the 18th century.1 All these experiences have contributed to the formation of our peoples colonial mentality. According to David and Okazaki as stated by Nadal, colonial mentality is: a form of internalized oppression, in which the colonizers values and beliefs are accepted by the colonized as beliefs and truths of their own; the colonized come to believe that the mores of the colonizer are superior to their own.2 This way of thinking could apply to all aspects of life: religion, social relations, politics, and many more. The existence of this notion, then, makes it easy to track, then, where exactly our obsession with fair, glowing skin comes from.

1 2

Class discussion and Lucas and Wyse, 2006 Nadal, 2011

Colonial mentality has become a frequently discussed issue among Filipinos, particularly nationalists. Jose Rizal provided his commentary on this issue a number of times in his famous duo, Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo. In the first novel, the Philippine national hero pokes fun at Doa Victorina de los Reyes de Espadaa, an elderly woman who pranced around town dressed in elaborate silk gowns with her face covered with road dust and rice powder and forced herself to speak Spanish, even if she was horrible at it. She had spent her youth among the poor Filipino fishermen and then jumped at the opportunity to marry a Spaniard, lame or not. She thought herself higher than the indios and refused to converse with them unless to order them around.3 It is clear that this type of perspective has greatly affected our sense of national identity. It would be unfair, however, to blame the Filipinos for going along with the trend. The seeds for this tree of thought were plenty, especially with the Americans. It could be argued that more were supplied by the Spaniards during their prolonged stay in the Philippines but if we take a look at our current situation and the current world situation, it is evident that the Americans have made themselves a much stronger presence. The Americans imposed themselves upon us in various ways and we had no choice but to follow; this paper will discuss how our present ability to choose (or lack thereof) comes down to the matter of natural selection. When the Americans came to our country in 1898 under the guise of helping us escape three hundred years of torment at the hands of the Spaniards, it didnt take long for them to realize what a chance the Philippines was. Then US President William McKinley had built his regime on the support of big corporations and he needed to stay within those corporations good graces. So when Senator Henry Cabot Lodge asked the President to seize control of the

Rizal, 1887; translated by Augenbraum, 2006

Philippines Islands and open it as a market to US goods, Mr. McKinley didnt object.4 Shortly after the Treaty of Paris was signed, William McKinley published the Benevolent Assimilation Proclamation on December 21, 1898. 5 The extent of the United States ownership of the Philippines was clearly stated: In performing this duty the military commander of the United States is enjoined to make known to the inhabitants of the Philippine Islands that in succeeding to the sovereignty of Spain, in severing the former political relations, and in establishing a new political power, the authority of the United States is to be exerted for the securing of the persons and property of the people of the islands and for the confirmation of all their private rights and relations All persons who, either by active aid or by honest submission co-operate with the Government of the United States to give effect to these beneficent purposes will receive the reward of its support and protection. All others will be brought within the lawful rule we have assumed, with firmness if need be, but without severity, so far as possible.6 The Filipino people were obligated to recognize the United States military government as the authority in their land. And to make sure that the Filipinos didnt try to pull anything like Bonifacio or Rizal did against the Spaniards, the Americans made sure to take preventive measures as specified in Act No. 292 of the Philippine Commission entitled, An act defining the

4 5

Schirmer and Shalom, 1987 Agoncillo, 1990 6 McKinley, 1898

crimes of treason, insurrection, sedition, conspiracies utterances, whether written or

to commit such crimes, seditious

spoken, the formation of secret political societies, the

administering or taking of oaths to commit crimes or to prevent the discovering of the same, and the violation of oaths of allegiance, and prescribing punishment therefor." 7 The Americans, for their part, worked to keep the Filipinos loyalty. They sold our predecessors the American experience and they proved that they were excellent salesmen. In a video summary of Stanley Karnows 1990 work called In Our Image: Americas Empire in the Philippines, the impact of the Americans occupation of the Philippines is shown through the Filipinos favor for American fashion, music, movies, and products. American ideals were forwarded through the public education system, something the Filipinos came to value considerably.8 The Filipinos were living what the Americans told them was the good life. Now, decades have past since the Americans let go of our reins but it seems we still typify the good life as something distinctively American. Whitening soaps still dominate the market, our contestants in local and international beauty pageants insist on answering their questions in English, and a coat and tie ensemble is considered more appropriate for a formal event than a Barong Tagalog. Why is this so? There is no longer anyone forcing our hand. Despite the numerous efforts of our forefathers to free us from the chains of colonialism and imperialism, why do we want to be like our former masters? Renato Constantino believed that the answer to this lies in our Miseducation.9 According to him, the Americans hit the jackpot in their establishment of a Philippine public educational

7 8

United States Philippine Commission, 1902 The United States and the Philippines: In Our Image video based on Karnow, 1990 9 Constantino, 1966 in Schirmer and Shalom, 1987

system. Through their control over the teachers and curriculum, they made sure that the Philippines would always be their colonials. The pre-Spanish era ideals of our ancestors were washed away by the belief that Americanization was the key to success. Case in point: Constantino wrote The Miseducation of the Filipino in English10 and this paper is written in English. We live in a world where nations are categorized into two different groups: the first world or developed countries and the third world or developing countries. Coincidentally, the division follows the trend of the colonizers and the colonized. There are plenty of stories about how to colonize to go around among the G8 nations: the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, Germany, France, Russia, Italy, and Canada.11 In the 21st century, they have had greater success in keeping their countries afloat than those that they have colonized have. The United States of America is generally considered to be an international superpower. Despite their recent economic recession and present economic troubles, they are still the center of the world stage. The US is a member of the species that the theory of evolution would dub the fittest. Darwins voyage on the Beagle with Captain Robert FitzRoy came to a climax when they stopped at the Galapagos Islands where he found a number of specimens that were crucial in his formation of a theory regarding the development of life. His book, The Origin of Species, focused on two main concepts: adaptation and natural selection. By studying the different species of finches that he found on Galapagos, he determined that adaptation to the environment was essential to survival and, thus, to the evolution of new species. The reason for these adaptations
10 11

Class discussion: Galang, 2012 Lee and Silver, 2009

was, according to Darwin, a process called natural selection: a process in which the individuals that have certain heritable characteristics survive and reproduce at a higher rate than other individuals.12 This is what is commonly simplified into the survival of the fittest. Based on these evidences, the colonial mentality of Filipinos can be attributed (at least partly) to their desire to preserve their species. If discussed within the realm of natural selection, the Filipinos, once again, have no choice but to become like their former colonizers. In the world today, which is run by the countries that werent afraid to capitalize on the principles of capitalism, a simple, agricultural country like the Philippines has to find a way to survive and adapt like the Galapagos finches did. This is made more difficult by the fact that we were not on good economic footing by the Americans when they left. Yes, we are a country rich in natural resources. But raw materials can only do so much in a place where processed goods are the most useful and profitable. According to Constantino, the US did not teach us about the innovations that were being developed during the Industrial Revolution in the late 19th century. They encouraged our uncomplicated agricultural ways and didnt tell us about the disadvantages behind an industry solely focused on farming. 13 In addition, the damage that was done by the war with the Japanese had cost the Philippines dearly: about Php582,500,000 in the industries and Php798,767,595 in domestic assets. The amount loaned to us by the United States under the Rehabilitation Act was $620,000,000 but it came with strings attached: parity rights and free occupation of Filipino land for military bases.14

12 13

Campbell, et. al., 2008 Constantino, 1966 in Schirmer and Shalom, 1987 14 Agoncillo, 1990

With all this, it is easy to see why Filipinos often grasp at straws to even get an inch ahead. As a developing country, our journey to becoming a developed country is hindered by our apparent lack of resources and know how. That is not to say that Filipino do not know anything about business and the industries but it is obvious that we are nowhere near the levels of first world countries just like the US. Frank Schirmacher, a German newspaper publisher, once said: Its not that we are becoming more Anglo-Saxon. Its that we are having an encounter with reality. He was talking about German laborers.15 The same can be said of the Filipinos desire to be like those who have colonized us. This desire does not explicitly state that our Filipino ideals must die to make way for the American principles. In the editorial entitled, Birds of Prey, published by a group of Filipinos in the newspaper El Renacimiento, the authors took a shot at the US by comparing them to those named in the title: The eagle, symbolizing liberty and strength, is the bird that has found the most adepts [as an animal taken as the emblem of powerful nations]. And men, collectively and individually, have desired to copy and imitate the most rapacious bird in order to triumph in the plundering of their fellow-men.

There are men who, besides being eagles, have the characteristics of the vulture, the owl, and the vampire.16

In a sense, the US have done that same before. Though it may be spoken of in highly negative sense in the editorial, they had to imitate what they wanted to be in order to achieve

15 16

Friedman, p. 403 Aguilar, 1910

their success. They may have had to become like their British colonizers to start out but, in the end, they made their own success. The point is, their version of colonial mentality served as a springboard for their adaptation. The idealism presented by the principles of the Anti-Imperialist League in 1899 of the spirit of 177617 may have showcased the integrity of the US but when faced reality, idealism can only take you so far. The Philippines is a young nation and, if our current situation is any indication, we arent really ready for our rise to power yet. We can all work towards it as a nation but every job needs a place to start. Before savagely ripping at the colonial mentality of our nation, think of what role this has and continues to play in our development. Democracy and the fact that we have one is something we take great pride in; democracy did not originate in the Philippines. Our pambansang kamao, Manny Pacquiao, is a World Boxing Council champion; the World Boxing Council was not started in the Philippines. Jessica Sanchez is a notable Filipino-Mexican contestant on American Idol; American Idol, obviously, is not a Filipino reality show.

The Filipino colonial mentality is a choice but it is not an easy one. Not only does our history push us towards this mindset but we, as human beings, receive an extra nudge from our instinct for survival. What is most important is not to attack colonial mentality but to develop a balance between this, which has grown to be an aspect of our identity, and our true Filipino traits in our maturation as a people and a nation. This is, surely, the way we can achieve the triumph that we so sorely want and work for. After all, it is survival of the fittest.

17

Anti-Imperialist League, 1899 in Schirmer and Shalom, 1987