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The Psychological Study of Colonial Mentality Among Filipino Americans HOW IS IT MANIFESTED BY FILIPINO AMERICANS? David and Okazaki (2006a) conceptualized Colonial Mentality (CM) among Filipino Americans as a form of internalized oppression, characterized by a perception of ethnic or cultural inferiority that is believed to be a consequence of centuries of colonization under Spain and the U.S. It involves an automatic and uncritical rejection of anything Filipino and an automatic and uncritical preference for anything American. CM is conceptualized as an individual differences variable on which Filipino Americans likely vary in the levels of their endorsement. It is a multifaceted construct that may be manifested in a variety of ways by Filipino Americans. Based on existing accounts, there appear to be at least four different ways in which CM are thought to be manifested in Filipino American individuals: (a) denigration of the Filipino self, (b) denigration of Filipino culture and body, (c) discrimination against less acculturated Filipino Americans, and (d) tolerance and acceptance of historical and contemporary oppression of Filipinos and Filipino Americans. Below, I illustrate each type of manifestation with narrative excerpts from previously published works. Denigration of the Filipino self. According to the theories of Memmi (1965), Fanon (1965), and Freire (1970), a salient effect of colonization is the internalization of the inferior perception that is imposed on him/her by the colonizer. Such internalization may lead to feelings of inferiority about oneself and one’s ethnic or cultural group, and feelings of shame, embarrassment, or resentment about being a person of his/her ethnicity or culture. The following narrative provides an example of how a Filipina American describes her negative self-concept: "Throughout my days at elementary school I had an acute fear that someone would discover that I was Filipino. It was open season on Filipinos. There were the “buk-buk” (sic) jokes, other derisive nicknames created by students, and a large number of stereotypes expounded and attributed to Filipinos. They were labeled as being stupid, backwards, and capable of only the most menial jobs available…In my own experiences, I knew that these generalizations were false, but still I feared association with them. These images and stereotypes persisted in the consciousness of the student body for so long that I began to look at being Filipino as a curse. It embarrassed me that I should be a part of a race so disregarded and dehumanized by society" (as quoted by Revilla, 1997, p. 101). Denigration of the Filipino culture and body. This dimension involves the perception that anything Filipino is inferior to anything White, European, or American. These judgments apply to, but are not limited to, culture or lifestyles, physical characteristics, socioeconomic opportunities, language, material products, and leadership or government. Such a global negative regard of Filipino culture is thought to extend from preferences for American-made products to judgment of White physical features as more attractive and desirable. "(Among Filipinos,)…white skin is considered better. I cannot tell you how many products are advertised and sold (in the Philippines) to “whiten” our skin. Marrying a white man…is a step up…socially and economically. Mixed children by white men…are thought of as more valuable, precious, and better prepared for…society. This mentality isn’t new. Many of the elders… believe “White is right.” All white boyfriends, husbands, and mixed children are shown off…as trophies" (expressed by a young Filipina American, as quoted by Bergano & Bergano-Kinney, 1997, p. 202). Another narrative by a young Filipino illustrates the psychological effects of the pervasive American influence in the Philippines: "My ambition as a kid was to be like an American. We’d been taught in school that the Americans were our saviors, that they brought us democracy. When I saw cowboy-and-Indian movies, I always rooted for the cowboys. I preferred American-style clothes. Americans were rich, handsome and superior. Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary looked like Americans, with their white skins and long noses" (as quoted by Karnow, 1989, p. 17). Discrimination against less-Americanized Filipinos. Another manifestation of CM is the discriminating attitudes some Filipino Americans hold against members of Filipino American communities they perceive to display negative Filipino (and non-American) characteristics (Root, 1997). Allport (1979) asserted that discriminatory attitudes toward one’s own co-ethnics may in large part be due to the minority individuals’ strong desire to conform to the values, attitudes, and beliefs of the dominant group, which may include the dominant group’s discriminatory attitudes and practices. Freire (1970) also theorized that due to the feelings of inferiority about themselves or their heritage, oppressed persons may feel uncomfortable with, and thus choose not to associate with, others who remind them of such a perceived inferiority. Filipino American community newsletters, student essays, and a few interviews indicate that some Filipino Americans prefer to not associate with Filipinos whom they perceive as less Americanized or with those who are perceived to be too much of a Filipino (e.g., Revilla, 1997; Strobel, 1997). Some Filipino Americans may ridicule less-Americanized Filipino Americans by tagging them with labels such as “FOB” (fresh-off-the-boat), “stupid”, and “backwards” (Revilla, 1997). Such a discriminatory attitude may reflect the belief that the only ways for Filipino Americans improve themselves is to Americanize (Rodriguez, 1997) and to associate only with American or Americanized people. A 26-year old Filipina American stated: "My idea…of Filipino culture and identity is split into two forms: the FOB…and the Filipino American. I didn’t associate with “FOBs.” They were backward, had accents, and just acted weird…Then there was me, the non-“FOB,” who spoke perfect English, born and raised here, had only white friends…I was “white” in every way except for the color of my skin, my nose, and eyes…I hate to admit but I have been an accomplice to the cruel acts that have been perpetrated against Filipinos" (as quoted by Strobel, 1997, p.67). Another example of discrimination against less acculturated Filipino Americans is the perception that English proficiency reflects higher status and intelligence. Those who speak English with a Filipino accent are reported to be given the subjugating labels mentioned above and be discriminated against by highly Americanized Filipinos “because the former’s language is often associated with inferiority, lack of intelligence, and ‘otherness.’ This arrogant perception is based on the assumption that ‘standard’ English is a universal norm and…marker of intelligence” (Strobel, 1997, p.74). Tolerance of Oppression. When an individual has adopted the belief that the colonizer is superior to one’s heritage, and when one has already begun emulating the colonizer because of their alleged superiority, the colonized might begin to view the colonizer in a positive light. More specifically, the colonized may begin to view the colonizer as well-intentioned, civilizing, freedom-giving, unselfish, liberating, noble, or sanctified “heroes.” Such a belief might then lead to the normalization of the maltreatments such as discrimination from the dominant group, because such maltreatments might be perceived as the natural cost for progress or civilization, the price they have to pay in order to become as much like the dominant group as possible (Memmi, 1965). Rimonte (1997) referred to this aspect of CM as the colonial debt. For example, when writing about his experiences and observations of other Filipino Americans, Dario Villa (1995) illustrates how colonial debt (as insisted by the “Golden Legend”) may be displayed by Filipino Americans: "I know many Filipinos (in America who) would deny that they have been discriminated against. Too many are so thankful to be (in America) that they shut their eyes to avoid seeing the injustices, political and economic injustices. Then there are those who simply don’t care. This type of attitude stifles our community" (p. 179). Connie Tirona (1995), narrating one of her experiences with discrimination at a hospital in San Diego in which she stood up for herself, provides another support for the existence of colonial debt: "So after that incident, they started sensitivity courses there at the hospital. So you have to complain. If you sit back and don’t say anything, they tend to walk all over you. And I think for the most part, Filipinos have a colonial mentality. They tend to not do anything" (p. 79). Suggested Readings: David, E.J.R. & Okazaki, S. (2006a). Colonial Mentality: A review and recommendation for Filipino American psychology. Cultural Diversity & Ethnic Minority Psychology, 12(1), 1-16. David, E.J.R., & Okazaki, S. (2006b). The Colonial Mentality Scale (CMS) for Filipino Americans: Scale construction and psychological implications. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 53 (2), 241-252. |
