So Much For Filipino Pride


In many conversations and arguments I had with my smartest confidante and lover, we have repeatedly talked about how most (I said most, not all) Filipinos get easily star struck. Don't get me started with how crazy and obsessed Filipino fans can be. I mean who doesn't get glued on celebrities' porcelain skin, pearly whites and faces as small as my right palm? And our awe never stops with their perfectly sculpted figures, full breasts and insanely flat abs.

But the point of this post is the more common dilemma of Juans and Marias. WE GET INTIMIDATED WITH WHITE PEOPLE. Yes, engraved in our history are years of being under their control, and we got so used to it, that we feel inferior that we are smaller and darker. Why else would whitening products be so lucrative in the Philippines?

Just this morning, as I make my arabica coffee in the office, a really tall white guy was swinging cabinet doors one by one, and yes, because I was still sleepy, and because I'm not very helpful today, I didn't bother asking first and just went on with my business. We have a pantry lady anyways, so I just listened to their conversation which is really brief and one sided.


TALL WHITE GUY: "Hi, I wonder if you know where the glasses or cups or anything for water are?"

PANTRY LADY: (Mouth half open staring blankly at the white guy) "Ahhh, eehh."


I decided to intervene since I swear I heard a flat line. And it's not because she can't understand English, but merely because he's super tall, and super white with super pointed nose. Had it been a Filipino who asked her, it'll be a totally different story.

Is it just me, but why do we always get all clumsy and stuttered in the presence of foreigners? Why do we always treat them first class and be so apologetic about our country all the time? I remember how John Gokongwei Sr. asked a white guy to leave the country when he saw him insulting a female cabin crew. Why can't we be that assertive, protective and proud?

We live in a third world country, and we lack in so many things, but if we want to gain respect and equality, then it's high time we revisit our confidence and regard our nation and ourselves with a little more pride.


Your NeuroChiq,
Dang

Comments

  1. I was like that early on, but I guess when you're surrounded with a lot of them most of the time, we'll get used to them. I guess it's just one factor that we're afraid we make mistakes with our English although we are all good English speakers compared to other neighboring countries.

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  2. LOL on the pantry lady, happened to our messenger, too when I asked him to deliver my money to you know who. But as for me, let's just say I never get intimated LOL.

    Miss ya, BFF!

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  3. @ AMW: We're too brutal with our English, when a Pinoy makes mistakes, people laugh about it, not realizing that those from English speaking countries make LOOOTTTS of grammatical errors, it just sounds okay with the twang. I hope we can be more proud of ourselves sometimes, and not always feel inferior as a nation. =)

    @ Teeyah: That's exactly what I want to see, Filipinos not being intimidated, and talking on same grounds, fair & square.

    Miss you, too!

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  4. I never understood it as well. A lot of Filipinos have high regards for foreigners specifically Caucasians but have so much disrespect for their fellow Filipinos. No wonder we can't get all the respect we deserve from the rest of the world. Tsss. What annoys me even more is how a lot of Pinoys stutter and can barely compose a decent answer when asked something by a foreigner because of awe and getting starstruck. They look different from us but they're still human. :P

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  5. LOL. that reminds me when I was living in a dorm like residence there was this really sketchy black dude that always knock on my door and ask me for things, like MONEY and kitchen utencils... and I didn't even know him! It was creepy, I thought he was going to mug me in my sleep one day hahaha

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  6. Hay nako, I'm so with you here. I am so annoyed when people like receptionists (lalo na mga 'to!!!) for example, would brusquely address visitors who come in and the continue filing her nails...then when a white guy comes in, she practically falls all over herself to help him. It's so annoying not to mention so embarrassing to see these countrymen fawn over people who hardly even notice their adoration and even when they do, it's usually because they find it amusing.

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  7. @ Pammy: Yes, that's the worse part. Having so much respect for foreigners and less for fellow Pinoys, so bad!

    @ PC: That sure is creepy!!! I would have freaked out. Whew!

    @ RS: That's true, they just find it amusing. I work with so many foreigners and I make sure to make a different impression naman. Sana we can have more pride in our being Pinoys no? Happy weekend Alex! =)

    @ Tetet: Thank you!

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  8. I love this post of yours. I totally agree with you. It just shows that most Filipinos are not proud of their country and race. Sigh.

    Lots of love,

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