Colonial Mentality

I am going to write about something I heard from one of Filipino friends that troubled me. I was saying that the Philippines is pretty awesome because there is all the fast food from America; from Taco Bell to McDonald's to even Dairy Queen and Crispy Cream. I've been to Japan, across Europe and Israel but I have only seen T Bell and Dairy Queen in America and the Philippines. My friend's response to this surprised me.

“Yeah well that's because Filipinos have a colonial mentality.” He told me. I couldn't help but get the impression that he was slightly embarrassed that the Philippines had opened its doors to all of these American franchises. It was as if the extreme economic protectionism and reluctance of the Japanese to buy foreign products was a sign a strength. Now it is probably true that the Philippines does suffer from a weak central government that does not try hard enough to keep foreign multinational corporations in check. You could see this as a downside of globalization but it is definitely not inherently bad to open the doors to foreign companies and investment. The economy of Japan has been stagnating now for almost twenty years and I would point to their overly-strict immigration requirements and a lack of flexibility in the government's economic policies.

My landlord was explaining to me his opinion on Philippine history since the war. By the late fifties and sixties, the economy of the Philippines was actually quite strong. He told me it was the third economy of Asia and had far more prospects than Japan at the time. When I was growing up and went to school, I took it for granted that Japan was always a powerful economy and country but back in 1960's and 70s it was not obvious that Japan would rise to almost rival the United States. The problem was that during and after Marcos' time as dictator of the Philippines the government became so corrupt that the economy stagnated and did not grow to its potential. Interestingly, I would say that the rise and fall of the Philippines can be attributed to Ferdinand Marcos but I will write about that another time.

The Philippines was transformed by Western colonialism and imperialism and that could contribute to the notion that Filipinos have a colonial mentality. The Philippines does have a very long colonial past. Before the arrival of the Spanish the Philippines was largely Muslim and ruled by various sultanates. The Spanish arrived in the sixteenth century in waves but eventually came to control the northern and central Philippines. The primarily Islamic southern island of Mindanao was never under control by the Spanish but the name “Philippines” comes from the King Philip II of Spain.

I have been to Intramuros a few times now. Intramuros is the old Spanish walled city right by Manila Bay and was their original seat of power during the colonial period. At this time the Spanish were the first Europeans to really consolidate a position of power in Asia. Manila was the center of European power far before Singapore, Saigon, or Dutch East Indies. But if you go now, the past glory of the place has almost completely faded. I remember walking toward the entrance of one of the famous gates where Spanish aristocrats used to promenade and parade their wealth and influence. But while I was there, there was a homeless woman bathing her daughter in a rain puddle and Filipino guys wearing cowboy outfits sporting shotguns who were supposedly security guards. Needless to say, it has changed a lot. The buildings inside the walls were largely destroyed during the Second World War. Before the Japanese military occupied the Philippines they were under American control and their fight for independence against the Spanish and then eventually the Americans is actually quite interesting. The national heroes of the Philippines, such as Jose Rizal, Aguinaldo, and Andres Bonifacio were fascinating people. They all have different stories and backgrounds but if you have the opportunity to study Philippine history, these guys are the ones you should check out. They are founding fathers of the Republic of the Philippines and resemble Thomas Jefferson and other American founding fahters with their insight and struggle. Now Jose Rizal is the most famous of the national heroes. He was a novelist and a revolutionary who was eve ntually executed by the Spanish colonial government for political dissent. I have read some stuff from him and I have to admit he is inspiring, but what I did not know was that the reason he became the most important hero was largely manufactured by the American colonial government. I only heard this from one guy but supposedly when the American officials determined the public education system for the Filipinos they chose Rizal as the symbol of Filipino patriotism. The reason is that first, he was killed by the Spanish colonial government before the United States ousted the Spanish and then decided not to leave so he never fought against America. The Philippine-American war was quite brutal to Filipinos so the American officials at the time thought it would be best to promote someone inspirational but also benign. Now during the Second World War the Japanese invaded the Philippines so they could “liberate” them from Western colonialism but quickly became just another imperialist occupier. Towards the end of the war the Philippines became a major theater for the Pacific war.

The Japanese officer at the time disobeyed General Yamashita's orders and took defensive positions against the approaching American Army in the city itself. I think that Yamashita had hoped to spare the city but either way the result was a terrible siege where the Japanese committed atrocities against Filipino civilians while the US Army turned the entire city into a parking lot.

So what does all of this say about Filipinos? The country is named after a Spanish king, their national hero was carefully chosen by American bureaucrats to discourage resistance against the new colonial government, and their supposed “liberators” from Western imperialism committed crimes against humanity against them. The corruption of the Philippine government is a major problem as well and Filipino politicians do seem to sell out their fellow citizens for a quick buck often. Filipino culture does seem to be a hybrid; especially the food. It is true that there is fast-food everywhere and sometimes it reminds me too much of the US but I have had a few home-cooked meals with Filipinos. The usual fare is some sort of soup that is either very oily or sour, grilled fish, rice, and fried chicken. I have to say, I like it a lot. You might think the fried chicken is out of place but even the Japanese and Chinese eat fried chicken. What's funny is that here you can order rice and spaghetti from KFC and McDonald's while in Japan you have almost the same menu as the US.

In today's world what cultures are not a hybrid? American culture is pretty much the definition of a hybrid culture and European cultures are transforming as well. The Japanese have a lot of pride in their traditional culture but Japan has demonstrated so much cultural dynamism and a will to adapt that the Japan of today is miles from the past. It is unfair to denigrate Filipino culture as merely a colonial construct. The Philippines has a fascinating history and people here are very proud of their country. Classifying Filipinos as having a cultural inferiority complex stemming from a colonial mentality is just wrong. I want to avoid the politically correct euphemism that “we are different but equal” but I honestly do not hold Filipino culture in any less esteem than the “high culture” of the Europeans. When “academic” anthropologists or sociologists try to analyze and elevate certain cultures over others, I think of the racism of nineteenth century philology. Some people point to works of literature or art as cultural achievements that can be used to evaluate one culture to another but I find this to be a fools errand. I believe that a work of art is essentially an individual accomplishment and the appreciation of that work is inherently culturally biased. The reason why Asian works of literature and art are not respected in the West is not because of a lack of quality but of a difference in taste and interpretation. Just as the pervasiveness of American music and movies across the world is not an inherent proof that they are definitely great quality. Anyway, the Filipinos are trying to get by and enjoy life just as much as anyone else and I am impressed by the grace in which they conduct their lives in tough conditions.
Sweet are the hours in ones native land,
Where all is dear, the sunbeams bless;
Life-giving breezes sweep the strand,
And death is softened by love's caress.
Jose Rizal