Leo, and Manay,
First and foremost, I would like to say that I was really touched by your reminiscent post, Leo. I think its really rare hearing and talking to Filipino-American youth that are very vocal about their Filipino pride, not to mention their gratefulness for their family's sacrifices in order to establish and provide for a better future for their children.
And as I read your blog in your site, as well as reading your post here, I couldn't help but think and ponder on the own sacrifices my own parents gave to establish the life that my siblings and I have now. And I will submit to the fact that, indeed, it was quite a risk in their part. On our parents' part to pick up their belongings, so to say, and move to foreign shores. For that promise of success and a stable life for them and their children.
Would I do it, had I been in their shoes? I ask myself that very same question. Though I can't answer that because I am not them, I will admit that such a decision--to move to distant lands--to accept the fact that you won't see family members as often as one did so previously--for the hope of a better future for one's offspring--is worthy of thanks and praise.
To think that there are thousands of Filipino families out there who thought of the very same thing--or close to the same things--as our parents did. Either they relocated to Canada, UK, US, Saudi, Japan, etc--their actions speaks a thousand words.
And as their children, the products of their sacrifices--I think we owe it to them to remember our roots as well as to re-connect back with our own distant relatives. To remember, to yearn to remember and to yearn to step back on the soil of our forefathers. The land that bore our parents.
I speak as a Filipino-American youth, but as one who was born in the Philippines--I do have a natural yearning to connect with my people. I do have friends who were born in the 'states but of Filipino decent, yet show a lack of interest in their cultural roots. Reading your blog and your statement in here actually brought a smile to my face. You are a second generation Filipino-American; born of the United States, American by all means. Red, White, and Blue. Yet at the same time, you hold such nostalgia for the Philippines and its people as if you were born there or living there. Not to mention your interest in the social situation in the RP presently.
I think this is something to be emulated by other Filipino-American youth. That we remember our cultural roots--to find our identity. And understand a little bit more about ourselves than what we originally thought.
For me, personally, it brings honor to our relatives for one to remember his or her roots. I was honored, 6 years ago to have hosted my Lolo Ciano, who came to live with us for 2 years in his stay in America. Mind I remind you I hadn't seen my Lolo since 1998 and had been back to the Philippines 2 times (1995, 1998) and both for funerals. So when Lolo came to live with us, he talked to us in English, thinking that we didnt' understand Bisaya or were limited in its understanding. I still speak a little bit of Bisaya (though not as well as I should), the response Lolo gave to hearing me and my siblings speaking in Bisaya to suit him brought such a wide smile to his face. Here we were, his Apos whom he hadn't seen in years--my younger siblings--hadn't even met him prior to his coming to the 'states in 2003. So for him to be greeted by his grandchildren in Bisaya was enough to make him cry. And I realized it how precious it was for him to see his family remembering their youth--even if we tried speaking in broken bisaya. I think for them, regarding our parents or our grandparents, titos, titas, etc, is reward enough that we remember our culture and keep it to our heart. It vindicates our parents, and our relatives whom sacrificed everything for us because it shows them that their dreams and aspirations were realized--and at the same time--brought a little bit of Philippines with them to their host countries. To see their own offspring and to hear them speak in the native tongue of the land where they came from and where they left to secure a more prosperous future for their children---it is total reward.
For me, the words of my mother and father will forever resound in my head, "Don't you ever forget where you came from."
I salute you, Leo, for your love of the Philippines. We need more of this. We must never forget of our Fatherland.
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