October 06, 2023

Critical Convo on Filipino American History Month: Diaspora vs Homeland Lens, Sugarcoated Culture & Decolonization, Expanding our Capacity to Hold

57 minutes

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We have back on, Gabes Torres, regarding her latest post that has us a bit more awakened

"This Filipino-American History Month,
can we stop romanticizing
the decolonization process?

I've seen ‘decolonization' done in such uncritical ways: idealizing pre-colonial cultures and present governmental structures, to the point of overlooking the issues that existed before colonization (hyper-masculinity, social disunity and hierarchy, etc.) and after (f*scism, class struggle, hyper-militarism, etc.).

Pre-colonial period was not
a utopia, untouched by tyranny.

Another potential issue is found in diasporic Filipinos’ choice to reconnect with their roots by visiting the homeland.
This is not a problem per se, but diasporic folks must know how they implicate themselves in the horrors of the tourism industry and climate catastrophes in the colonized nation state.

Most people would rather focus on the fact that the Philippines is a paradise than assess how an international visit will maintain labor and land exploitation.

After living in the States for 10 years,
I have ideas on what it's like to navigate
in-between spaces, holding discussions on de/colonization and the increasing tension between diasporic and homeland folks.

And honestly, I've seen the issues and
the point from both sides..

I've seen the prideful rigidity, lack of curiosity, and gatekeeping by most homeland folks
I've also seen most of diasporic folks' sugarcoated and sanitized versions of Philippine colonial history, as well as the IG posts/reels that showcase their Philippine island vacations spots, while the other side of town will likely have
poor neighborhoods, where most hospitality workers (who serve them) live."