I was dismayed this morning after meeting two nice Fil-American entrepreneur brothers. They have a thriving business in the US started by their father. I asked if they speak Tagalog. No, they don’t because they were born and raised here. So what’s that got to do with not knowing a sentence in Tagalog? They proudly declared, “We do know the bad words.” What’s to be proud of about that?
According to them their mother told them it’s not important to learn Tagalog because it would be weird anyway because they would sound like Chinese. ???
They address me ATE as a sign of respect according to them.
I like the Mexicans, Japanese, Koreans, Chinese. Anywhere they live, they carry with them their native tongue. When they speak their language, walang halong American accent. Authentic.
When I asked if they have ever been to the Philippines, the answer was no. Never. Oh my, I was disappointed. I asked if their parents ever went back. They visit every year. Oh there’s some strange thing happening here. The parents obviously still love our country evidenced by their yearly visits and yet they refused to introduce their native land to their children.
They have never brought them back there even once. Hmmm, bakit kaya?
Their parents were from a very poor place according to them, in Leyte. Growing up, they never had even the basic of necessities. They didn’t have a decent place to live and no toilet. They told their children they were embarrassed to show their children where they came from.
It was a picture of poverty and despair which they wanted to shelter their children from.
Where their parents came from is not something to be ashamed of. What’s important is what they have done to improve their lives. And look at them now, they are very successful, with a business now run by their children.
Their sons are mature adults and have their own families now (married to white Americans). They told me they do want to bring their respective families to the Philippines to visit.
That would be nice.
