Manuel 1

Madeline Manuel

Hon 1000

Dr. Marin DeNicolo

11 October 2016

Who Are We?

A wave of emotions drowned me as soon as I stepped into the United States. A new life

was just ahead of me. At 18, I felt anxious but excited and fortunate. I have never traveled

outside of the Philippines and knew no one in America. However, I felt confident that I could fit

in, as I knew the American culture, spoke English well, and wore their clothing, all because the

Philippines was U.S. territory.1 In addition, I was filled with great pride getting an education in

America. Selection for this program was challenging, as I was to be chosen based on natural

ability, mental and physical fitness and promise, and moral character.2 So, just getting chosen

excited me for the challenges that awaited me. The primary purpose of my journey was to get an

education in medicine and then return to the Philippines to work in a bureaucratic job.3 But, I

was also thinking that if I could, I could stay in America a little longer and eventually work there.

Because the University of Michigan is renowned, the tuition was quite pricy, but I was,

fortunately, born privileged, so I was able to pay for that and even the housing expenses.3 Ann

Arbor was a small and quiet city, with at least 20,000 residents, so it was a favorable studying

environment.4 I stayed in a resident building in Superior township, a house both ancient and

pleasant. It did not take long for me to adjust to the city, as I knew English very well, kept up

with their fashion, and understood their culture. Despite not knowing anyone, I was able to care

for myself. Still, I was perhaps the one of the few Asian immigrants living in Ann Arbor, so I was
 Manuel 2

quite intimidated. As I stayed, people were acting strangely around me. I have heard that lately,

they were afraid Filipinos were going to taint white racial purity, and I was often harassed for

this.1 Though I was hurt by it in the beginning and sometimes fearing to go out, I became more

and more immune to their unfair behavior, and learned to just avoid them. I guess that even

though I dressed formally and neatly to satisfy their culture, they still showed some animosity

towards me.6 I must not let these obstacles distract me from reaching my purpose.

To get to school, I took the bus every day, and I often observed all buildings that passed

by, drug stores, markets, butcher shops, brewing factories, wondering how drastically different

life is from the Philippines.4 When I got to the campus and into the classes, I remember how

small yet stuffed the rooms were, with so many mouths moving at once as one professor slowly

arrives before giving the lesson.7 It took me a while to adjust to this setting, and I was able to

befriend some people. Unfortunately, no one was a pensionado like me, so I felt quite lonely.

Despite knowing about the American way of living, I was still discriminated and mocked by

many students just for being the minority. Still, I just avoided them and continued on with my

daily life.

A friend that I made in one of my classes wanted to work as an engineer for the

automobile industry. He told me that millions of people, immigrants and U.S. citizens alike, have

flocked in Detroit looking for jobs and thus begin a new life. And it was from him that I learned

of the successful Ford Motor company. He even gave me a manual that taught the companys

employees how to care for themselves, which I thought was very nice of them. As I read it, I was

concerned with the health conditions of the workers. Though they work so hard, many of them

have accidents, and I wish I can help them treat and prevent them. However, I know that I cannot

since I must return soon, but when I return to my homeland, I will find a way to help them. Thus,
 Manuel 3

I felt more motivation to succeed in my studies. Not only did I want to make my family happy

for success in the Philippines, but I also wanted to help all American workers, not just the

automobile workers, stay safe and healthy.

I continued my education, completing my first 4 years and then went onto medical

school. There, the coursework was more intense, and I participated in clinical rotations.7

Unfortunately, I experienced discrimination once again by some students and some did not want

to work with me, but many were impressed by my journey.

After staying in America for over 4 years, I finally earned my degree in medicine.

Though I felt accomplished, I was feeling empty, as if I was still missing something, something

important that I needed while I still have the chance in America. It would take me a few more

weeks until I realized what it was.

My friend, the one who wanted to become an engineer, and I visited Detroit the day

before I was to depart for the Philippines to show me around what he thought of as the greatest

city in the United States. The moment we entered the city, I was instantly astonished. The city

was the complete opposite of Ann Arbor: Detroit was huge, busy, and filled with nothing but

automobiles and crowds of people. Seeing this kind of environment made me nervous yet

excited, since I have never seen a city as lively as that one. Everywhere I turned, black lines of

automobiles turned corners and waves of people went in and out of various stores.8 Eventually,

we came to see the factory of the famous Henry Ford company. He led me everywhere in

Detroit, where I saw the theatres, rode the automobiles, and experienced the adrenaline of

walking through the busy streets.8 This was what I was missing my whole life here. The

Philippines has never had any city like this. This citys atmosphere certainly is an experience no

country like America can create.

 Manuel 4

Now, as Im about to depart for the Philippines, after staying in America for over 4 years,

I look back when I first arrived. Anxious. Excited. Fortunate. These are the same emotions that I

feel as Im stepping out of the United States. I certainly have experienced fear from the

discrimination and the, but I am glad I have lived through it. However, perhaps the most life-

changing experience, besides getting an education in America, was seeing Detroit. It has shown

me a way of seeing that I have never seen, and now I desire to go back. And in return for that, I

wish that I can pay that city back by taking care of the employees of the citys most important

industry.
 Manuel 5

Endnotes
1
Haiming Liu, "Reception of Asians to the United States."
2
"THE FIRST PENSIONADOS TO THE U.S" 74-75
3
"Today's Estudyante and the Legacy of Pensionados."
4
"1900-1919 | Making of Ann Arbor."
5
Ann Arbor and Superior Township (Mich.) Residences, Ca. 1874.
6
Fanhsmny, "Filipino Americans in New York: Proof of Our Existence Prior to 1965."
7
"History." Medicin.umich.
8
David Lee Poremba, "Chapter 12. The Motor City" 95+
 Manuel 6

Works Cited

"1900-1919 | Making of Ann Arbor." 1900-1919 | Making of Ann Arbor. Creative Commons, 24

Oct. 2006. Web. 09 Oct. 2016.

<http://moaa.aadl.org/moaa/pictorial_history/1900-1919pg1>.

Ann Arbor and Superior Township (Mich.) Residences, Ca. 1874. 1874. Combination Atlas Map

of Washtenaw County, Michigan, Ann Arbor. Making of Ann Arbor. Comp. Everts &

Stewart. Web. 10 Oct. 2016.

<http://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/moaa/xbl001556/BL001556?

g=moaaic;lasttype=boolean;lastview=thumbnail;med=1;resnum=41;size=20;sort=moaa_

ky;start=41;subview=detail;view=entry;xc=1;rgn1=moaa_ky;q1=home>.

Fanhsmny. "Filipino Americans in New York: Proof of Our Existence Prior to 1965." Filipino

Americans in New York: Proof of Our... FANHS Metro New York Chapter, n.d. Web. 10

Oct. 2016.

<http://fanhsmny.tumblr.com/post/4814594816/filipino-americans-in-new-york-proof-of-

our>.

"History." Medicin.umich. Universty of Michigan, n.d. Web. 10 Oct. 2016.

<https://medicine.umich.edu/medschool/about/history>.
 Manuel 7

Liu, Haiming. "Reception of Asians to the United States." New Dictionary of the History of

Ideas. Ed. Maryanne Cline Horowitz. Vol. 5. Detroit: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2005.

1999-2001. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 9 Oct. 2016.

<http://go.galegroup.com.proxy.lib.wayne.edu/ps/i.do?

p=GVRL&sw=w&u=lom_waynesu&v=2.1&it=r&id=GALE

%7CCX3424300656&asid=8e84ee02bb5a90c7ec64c3f453edbeeb>.

Poremba, David Lee. "Chapter 12. The Motor City." Detroit: A Motor City History. Moutn

Pleasant: Arcadia, 2003. 95+. Print.

"THE FIRST PENSIONADOS TO THE U.S." Bulletin of the American Historical

Collection 39.1/2 (n.d.): 74-75. Sterling Memorial Library. Web. 9 Oct. 2016.

"Today's Estudyante and the Legacy of Pensionados." Bakit Why. Bakit Why, 9 Dec. 2008. Web.

9 Oct. 2016.

<http://bakitwhy.com/articles/todays-estudyante-and-legacy-pensionados>.