Why do some Filipinos want to be like Americans?

tokyo_nikko_83 · February 2001

I've been wondering, why do Filipinos in the Philippines want to be Americanized? I mean, we're all Filipinos here, however, why do we have to emulate a different culture when we can have our own and work from there? I mean, the American culture is something that almost all other cultures in the world would want to emulate due to it's stereotype of being "Best Fit" or "superior".

I like the American culture personally, but I know I'm Filipino so I have to keep it balanced. I'm caught between two worlds here in the US. It's hard to cope with it sometimes. I just do my best to keep it well-balanced.

Funny Experience:

My twin and I went back to the PI last summer (00). We went to this one mall near BF. We saw a group of girls in their car and when they got off, they were all talking in ENGLISH. The funny part was that they had so heavy accents, and their grammars were wrong. They were somewhat boisterous when they were talking, and that's why we could hear them so clearly! One girl had to repeat her question to her friend (in English)over and over again because her friend couldn't hear (i guess understand) it. It was so hilarious! I was like "Why use English in your conversation if you can't carry out your point effectively"?

What can you say about this? Thanks and Later!

copperfrost · February 2001

that question of yours about filipinos wanting to be recognized as americanized hit me as i go through the forums. i have nothing against the point you raised, but i guess im more concern in getting the message across to you that english is a worldwide accepted (generally)language. it is almost impossible to go to a place all over the world without using this language to be able to communicate well, since people come from different places. in the philippines, it is a norm that people think that being able to converse well in english (i meant gramatically correct)is a strong asset to small and large group simply because there is almost 0% of people do not know how to speak english (atleast they understand when they're not able to speak it). i guess i've said enough but not really made a clear point here, anyway, we can only speak so much of that americanized idea of thinking, speaking and relating to people and things, but what is important is no matter how strong the influence maybe, we stil keep our values (filipino values i meant)in line with our principles in life.

freya · February 2001

colonial mentality

Eugene · February 2001

Filipinos want to be Americans? May isasagot si pareng Erap diyan:

"Huwag nyo akong subukan!"

At tungkol naman sa kanyang race, sabi ulit ni pareng Erap:

"I will not resign!"

Nakikihalobilo lang mula kanto... Eugene

stnickmt · February 2001

Hi Tokyo_nikko 83. I had the same experience when my family visited the PI in '99. Although you rarely see these scenarios back in the provinces,it's all over Manila. I kept asking myself at the time, why do these people act like westerners knowing that they're in their own country. I mean, c'mon I understand if they're here in the US, they can speak English (should I say tag-lish)all they want but my point is they're in their own country. PI has a very high literacy rate but still, there are people out there who didn't even reach high school so how are they supposed to understand their own people if everybody else speak different tounges.

olivertravel · March 2001

Because the women where I live don't find FOBs all that sexy

miss E! · March 2001

We Filifinos initially have our own identity. We have our own system of governance. One day, spaniards came in to the picture, then japanese, and then americans, of course chinese here and there. See,these people got us all messed up. We have to be honest thou, if you want to be someone you are not...who do you wanna be? Americans are the in- crowd in our life time, so we want to be like them. Ako pilipino inside out although I just bought puma shoes at nordstrom today.

JUST_JT · March 2010

tokyo_nikko_83 wrote: »

Funny Experience:

My twin and I went back to the PI last summer (00). We went to this one mall near BF. We saw a group of girls in their car and when they got off, they were all talking in ENGLISH. The funny part was that they had so heavy accents, and their grammars were wrong. They were somewhat boisterous when they were talking, and that's why we could hear them so clearly! One girl had to repeat her question to her friend (in English)over and over again because her friend couldn't hear (i guess understand) it. It was so hilarious! I was like "Why use English in your conversation if you can't carry out your point effectively"?

What can you say about this? Thanks and Later!

How will you improve your English if you don't PRACTICE IT?

-Just_JT
We.learn.from.our.mistakes.

TheClockworks8 · March 2010

kawawa naman si Just JT. naghuhukay ng mga lumang thread para maiwasan yung isang thread kung saan napahiya sya. bwahahahahahahaa. tanda ka na

JUST_JT · March 2010

TheClockworks8 wrote: »

kawawa naman si Just JT. naghuhukay ng mga lumang thread para maiwasan yung isang thread kung saan napahiya sya. bwahahahahahahaa. tanda ka na

Yes, TheClockworks, all my LIFE EFFORTS revolve around my reaction to you!!!

:rotfl: :grinroll: :bounce:

-Just_JT
You're.just.another.f*cktard.so.don't.flatter.yourself.too.much. :bungi:

creech · March 2010

parents who talk to their kids in english. lagi ako nakakakita nito sa mall.

speaking english doesnt make a nation great.

JUST_JT · March 2010

creech wrote: »

speaking english doesnt make a nation great.

It doesn't. But good command of English can put food on the table.

-Just_JT
There.are.many.benefits.to,having.good.English.skills

magales · March 2010

Your english is good, but we need cash

creech · March 2010

JUST_JT wrote: »

It doesn't. But good command of English can put food on the table.

if your talkin about call center industry, yes! but not all the time. look at koreans, japanese. both are rich countries but few or very few of them speaks nor understand english.

slim_chance79 · March 2010

JUST_JT wrote: »

It doesn't. But good command of English can put food on the table.

-Just_JT
There.are.many.benefits.to,having.good.English.skills

I agree *okay* but we also have to keep things in context. Kids learn better if they are taught in the vernacular, hence the recent DepEd campaign to teach elementary subjects in the vernacular. Not Tagalog, mind you, but in their first language (Ilocano, Bisaya, etc).

JUST_JT · March 2010

creech wrote: »

if your talkin about call center industry, yes! but not all the time. look at koreans, japanese. both are rich countries but few or very few of them speaks nor understand english.

Koreans and Japanese come to the PI to learn English. You should wonder why....

-Just_JT
English.is.part.of.Philippine.heritage.and.culture.

JUST_JT · March 2010

slim_chance79 wrote: »

I agree *okay* but we also have to keep things in context. Kids learn better if they are taught in the vernacular, hence the recent DepEd campaign to teach elementary subjects in the vernacular. Not Tagalog, mind you, but in their first language (Ilocano, Bisaya, etc).

If I ran the Education Department I would propose a policy of using a combination of the local vernacular and English as the MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION. English should be the UNITING LANGUAGE across the archipelago, NOT Tagalog.

-Just_JT
Tagalog.should.stay.in.the.Tagalog.regions.only.

clawed_out · March 2010

*yawn*

go back to your cave.

slim_chance79 · March 2010

JUST_JT wrote: »

If I ran the Education Department I would propose a policy of using a combination of the local vernacular and English as the MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION. English should be the UNITING LANGUAGE across the archipelago, NOT Tagalog.

-Just_JT
Tagalog.should.stay.in.the.Tagalog.regions.only.

Its already being done.