While watching Russell Peter's new DVD, he made an interesting comment that made me think about my heritage and what it meant to be Pinoy. He said that racially he was Indian but he was culturally Canadian. This really got me thinking about my heritage as a Filipino-Canadian. Heritage has a lot of importance to me because although my son will be born and raised here, he is still ½ Filipino (his mother is Canadian) and it is important to me that he knows and understands what Pinoy pride is about, the values that accompany it and the importance of maintaining that heritage.
The other day I caught all the Pacquiao/DeLa Hoya 24/7 episodes to date and I really don't know what to think of this fight. So much of it seems fabricated and superficial and at the end of the day, I've realized that this fight is all about money…DeLa Hoya is saying the same stuff he says before all his fights, clips of Manny and his "entourage" and how much he means to the Philippines and how much money he generates for American promoters, trainers etc. It's all a win-win situation for both fighters and their camps regardless of the outcome…they will all walk away richer than all of the Philippines and then some. But there are deeper questions & cultural issues I see when it comes to Manny.
This sounds bad, but I find it amusing that our current national hero is an uneducated guy from General Santos City who makes a living beating people up…you always hear "Manny unites Filipinos" or "crime rate drops in the P.I. (Philippine Islands) when Manny fights" It makes me wonder why leaders in my motherland can't do what Manny does for my people. As I sit back and watch casual boxing fans, if fans at all, jump on the Pacquiao bandwagon, I wonder if any of these people understand what it truly means to be Filipino…what it means to overcome poverty and political corruption like our parents did before Manny. Don't get me wrong, I am indeed a proud Pinoy but I am in no way an Encyclopedia of the Philippines and I often ask myself "do I know enough about my heritage?" Being raised in Canada, everything I do know about our motherland and our culture are things passed on to me from my parents, grandparents, aunts & uncles. Although I am "Canadian", I still feel VERY Filipino in my values, my beliefs, my accent and vocabulary that sometimes comes out of nowhere and of course the food I eat! In spite of all that, there is still an overwhelming desire for me to go to the Philippines (I've only been there once when I was 6 years old!) and experience and witness life there firsthand. As I get older, I even feel a need to read up on the history of the motherland just so that I can have the satisfaction of knowing where I came from….knowledge of self that I can pass on to my son.
I also wonder if Manny's in the back pocket of the politicians. Being uneducated and knowing how people are in the P.I., is he being exploited for his fame & fortune as well? Everyone praises him and adores him in the P.I. but how many of them just want a piece of his money and fame? Should I be embarrassed that he actually ran for office with no political qualifications, education & experience? Or should I be proud that someone who basically had the same upbringing as my parents has achieved success in western society? He is very patriotic and appears to be helping a lot of the poor "back home". Handing out money is one thing, using your influence and power to encourage education & development in the P.I is another. Hopefully, when Manny decides to hang the gloves up, he uses his new found power to push development in the Philippines.
It is sad that in a 3rd world country where poverty, corruption, starvation, homelessness and lack of good leadership runs rampant, the only salvation and hope our people have is NOT in educated professionals, NOT in the political system, NOT in heroes like Dr. Jose Rizal but in a fighter. Sure, Manny embodies so much that is Filipino: his work ethic, his never quit attitude, his pride, his love for music, cock-fighting and basketball LOL. But aside from his profession/career, how different is he from the many Filipinos that have left the motherland to better themselves? How different is Manny Pacquiao from my Dad who, like many of our parents, went through all the hardships in the P.I., came to Canada went through hardship AGAIN, endured racism & prejudice only to become a success, raise a family and make contributions to charities in the Filipino Community? Well, he isn't that much different and I think THAT is where and why our people love Manny. Throw away his high profile status and he looks like someone who can pass for a family member…a cousin or Uncle. Based on the way many "proud Filipino's" (seriously, how many western raised Filipinos know what it really means to be "Pinoy" and the history of our people?) are calling him a hero and the way our people are defining "hero", it's obvious that all OUR parents who immigrated are heroes. Our parents endured poverty & corruption and continually send money back to those less fortunate in the P.I…my Dad has gone as far as to preach and lecture about the importance of education to students at schools he attended in the P.I. If Filipino's are looking for a hero, then they need to look no further than their own homes and families. But in the meantime, MABUHAY ANG PILIPINAS, LABAN NATIN TO…GO MANNY!
Here's a pic of my Lola with 2 of her Great Grandchildren. She'll be 95 years old in 2009 and has outlived 2 of her 9 children. She is the epitomy of Filipino toughness and is still devoted to my Lolo who passed away before I was even born (R.I.P. Lolo). Now THAT is a Filipino Hero!
No comments:
Post a Comment