America

Simeon Dumdum Jr.

Source: (2014). Reading Simeon Dumdum’s “America”. Retrieved August 9,

2016, from Kanlaon:
https://anthropologist.wordpress.com/2014/03/11/reading-simeon-
dumdums-america/

Understanding the Text

1. What aspiration is expressed by the persona in the poem?

2. What are the reasons of the persona for wanting to go to another country?

3. Why do many Filipinos aspire to see or go to America (U.S.A.)?

4. Explain the line “in West Virginia, or New York, or San Francisco, because cousin says everything there

is big and cheap – big chickens, big eggs, big buildings, and big flowers?’’

5. What does America have that other countries don’t?

6. Why is moving or working to a different country a part of a Filipino’s mentality?

What does this say about our situation in our own country?

Responding as a Reader
Responding as a Reader

Aside from America, what other countries is a destination for Filipinos? List down 5 countries and identify
reasons why those countries are preferred by Filipinos. Provide information regarding the country:
economic status, job opportunities, cost of living, and culture.

1.
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2.
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3.
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4.
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5.
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