IVORY A.

ESTEVES
ANH-REM1A
Instructor: Prof. Raymart E. Cruz

REFLECTION PAPER (PHILIPPINE-AMERICAN CULTURAL INTERACTION CONCLUSION)

After the Spanish-American War was over and the United States of America gained its possession
over the Philippines. The Philippines was described to be naïve and innocent like a child, a
depiction of a noble savage. America being educated and civilized, they felt that they must
educate us Filipinos during those times.

For 48 years of being a colony of Americans, we were heavily influenced by them from the
language we speak, English became our secondary language, to food and clothing. American
culture became very popular, and TV shows and programs, and personalities were greatly
patterned to Americans. Yet we forgot our own identity and the phenomenon called Cultural
Imperialism and Cultural Satellization exist where weak culture is overpowered by a strong one,
in short, our culture became “Very American” in the pattern and its direction. We are apt to adapt
to what we see and observe in our surroundings.

I was saddened that our cultures can only be seen in textbooks and museums. Most of the kids
and the younger generation are more familiar with and hooked on Hollywood movies than those
of our Original movie showings. We listened mostly to American or English songs than those of
our original music. Our daily living was anchored to western influences. We tend to forget our own
identity and change our perceptions of beauty to fit a Eurocentric standard and preference for
values that area aligns with the colonizer country’s culture. Our colonial mentality is still evident
in our daily lives. This is what we thought to be where we belong, but NO, we have to put effort
into preserving our culture. Americans are very independent, but we Filipinos are really into family
evidenced are our extended family setup, we have strong ties to our family. We, Filipinos are
resilient in times of calamities and challenges, we always manage to rise above the challenge. In
the face of challenging situations, we are encouraged to look at the brighter side of things. We
are very respectful, respect is being taught from our home using “po” and “opo” when addressing
elders and doing “pagmamano” which is where they raise the backs of the hands of their elders
to their foreheads as a sign of respect, and these are some traits that still manage to keep until
now. We are also known for being helpful. We help one another without expecting anything in
return or what we called “Bayanihan”. There are so many things to mention about us being
Filipinos. Our value for traditions and culture, even our love for the arts and food are also things
we believe we are fond of.

I may not be in favor of the Cultural Revolution for I believed that we Filipinos are into preserving
our culture. Keeping these little traits and culture in our home is one way to preserve it. It is
important to preserve our cultural heritage because it keeps our integrity as a people. The
importance of intangible cultural heritage is not the cultural manifestation itself but rather the
wealth of knowledge and skills that is transmitted through it from one generation to the next. As
a source of identity, heritage is a valuable factor for empowering local communities and
enabling vulnerable groups to participate fully in social and cultural life. It can also provide
time-tested solutions for conflict prevention and reconciliation. As citizens of the 21st generation,
we have an obligation to protect the culture and heritage by keeping it relevant long after they
were made.