Filipino American Essay Example

to control the Philippines.

Unknown to Filipinos, through the Treaty of Paris (April 11, 1899), Spain sold the Philippines to the United States for $20 million, thus ending over 300 years of Spanish colonization. We celebrate our independence from Spain in July 12, 1898, and elected our new president Emilio Aguinaldo. However Philippines was not truly free, Americans took over and the new ruler, believing the Filipinos we were free. The Filipino American War begun shortly after the U. S colonization. Known in the U. S history book as the “Philippine Insurrection”, it was a bloody precursor with Vietnam.

The War lasted from 1898 to 1902, and in those 3 years as many as 70,000 Americans died and close to 2 million Filipinos were killed. American soldiers were ordered to shoot and kill every one over age 10. Filipinos over ten were considered "Criminals because they were born ten years before [America] we took the Philippines. " Filipino American History (1998) American educators taught Filipinos that "Aguinaldo and friends" was the enemy. They were taught American songs, and world history through American eyes. This is why so many of us speak such good English.

The elite class of rich Filipinos also known as "pensionados" were allowed to come to America to learn in American universities. In November 1903, 103 pensionados became the first Filipino students in American Universities and campuses. It was here in San Diego at State Normal School, now known as San Diego State University (SDSU), where the School Registrar's records show that there were a few Filipino students, ages 16- 25, who had attended SDSU, proof that we have been here in

San Diego since 1903. Borah E. (2004).

In early 1900’s other Filipinos came to Hawaii to work at the sugar plantation and seeking for a better life in America they were called “Sakadas”. They work long hours on farm and agriculture field like picking grapes other fruits and vegetables. In Alaska they work in the fish canneries they were called “Alaskeros. ” These Filipino pioneers were known as the “Manong Generation” since most of them came from Cavite, Ilocos Sur and Iloilo in the Philippines. Most of these Filipinos do not plan to reside in the U. S, they just plan to accumulate as much wealth as possible and return to the Island as rich men.

But due to low paying job, trip home became more and more remote as years went by. And during this time, particularly during the Great Depression, white Americans claimed that Filipinos "brought down the standard of living because they worked for low wages. " Borah E. (2004) Filipinos had to compete against other ethnic groups to earn a living. Tensions grew between white Americans and Filipinos. White Americans blamed Filipinos for taking their women and their jobs. For this reason, many hotels, restaurants, and even swimming pools had signs that read Sometimes they read, "NO DOGS ALLOWED! ” This was a time when Filipino was made to feel unwelcome and was even victims of racial violence Borah E. (2004). This eventually led to the passing of the Tyding-Mcduffie Act of 1934, which limit the Filipino immigration to enter the U. S to 50 per year. The main purpose is to exclude the Filipinos because they were perceived as social

problem, disease carrier, and an economical threat, but attitudes of Americans all changes towards Filipinos onset of the World War II.

These begun the 3rd wave of the Filipino immigration (1945-1965). Filipinos from the Philippines joined the U. S. Navy to fight against the Japanese. Filipinos were allowed to join the navy because they were so-called "Nationals". They were not U. S. citizens, nor were they illegal aliens. In the navy, many Filipinos were given the label of "Designated TN", which many of you know stood for "Stewards man". As stewards, Filipinos in the U. S. Navy cooked, cleaned, shined, washed, and swabbed the decks of naval ships and naval bases across America and the entire world.

Despite their status, Filipinos fought side-by-side with American soldiers for freedom against the Japanese, Filipino American History(1998). The 4th wave of Filipino Immigration began after the passing of the Immigration Act of 1965 and continues to the present day. This allowed the entry of as many as 20,000 immigrants annually. This wave of Filipinos was also called the "brain drain". It consisted mainly of professionals: doctors, lawyers, nurses, engineers, as well as the military, Filipinos who continued to join the navy off Sangeley Point in

Cavite City, Philippines. From the first to the fourth wave of Filipino Immigration, evidently Filipinos had been in America in quite some time. Some are pure Filipinos and some are half Filipinos but deep inside they are still part Filipino Americans. Each of us still reflects the Asian culture even we here in the U. S, we are proud of the heritage we came from and share our stories to generation to next

generation.