Introduction
After a while of going back and forth deciding between people, I chose to interview the very interesting, Don Miralles. With both of his parents having immigrated to America from the Philippines, he grew up in the San Francisco area as a second-generation Filipino American. During the interview, we discussed what life was like for his parents in the Philippines then America, then went on to talk about what being Filipino was like for him in the Bay Area and in the skating community.
Table of Contents
1. Meet Don Miralles
2. Being Filipino in America
3. Connections to Culture
4. Family Life in the Philippines
5. Family Life in America
6. Reflection
1. Meet Don Miralles
(0:00-1:01)
Don introduces himself in this segment. He mentions that he currently attends San Francisco State University and talks a bit about one of his favorite activities other than playing guitar, drawing or hanging out with friends: skateboarding. It's a huge part of his life, so much so that he's been skating for 8 years now. He never really got into basketball and instead felt more connected to the individual sport of skateboarding because of it's freedom, creativity, and community where he's made many friends.
2. Being Filipino in America
(1:02-6:54)
Born in Saint Luke's Hospital in San Francisco, Don was born a second-generation Filipino American to two parents who came to America from the Philippines. Growing up in the city nicknamed "Little Manila" because of it's abundance of Filipinos, Daly City, he made a lot of connections with various kinds of American-born Filipino youth who brought him closer to his roots. He sees the difference between Fil-Ams and those who immigrated here is perspective and assimilation. Growing up in different environments inevitably makes the other know more about where they grew up in. The difference between Fil-Ams and those who immigrated here become more apparent in terms of discrimination in America. While he just had to face petty name calling, he believes his aunt's heavy Filipino accent prevents her from moving up in her career because of discrimination.
3. Connections to Culture
(6:55-11:07)
Only having been to the Philippines once, Don has had very little exposure to the Filipino culture in the Philippines other than watching or reading Filipino media at home. However, he feels like although there is a bit of personal disconnection from the culture due to Americanization, he's stayed connected through his friends, the skating community, and family. Had it not been for his parents constantly speaking to him in Tagalog, he probably would have never understood as much as he does now, even if very little. Growing up, lot of his friends were Filipino, so through them and their families he was able to learn more about the culture and his heritage as well.
4. Family Life in the Philippines
(11:08-13:57)
Don's parents' experiences of being Filipino in the Philippines was a lot different than him being Filipino in America. He shares the story of how his father, born in Manila, sold newspapers to make money as kid to help out his parents. His meager earnings seemed to only be enough to share one egg with his brothers per meal. His mother on the other hand, had the duty to go to America to make money for her family in the Philippines and to work to bring them over once she got in. Both dreamed of the life they might have in America, and worked hard to get there.
5. Family Life in America
(13:58-19:33)
Each of his parents had some sort of goal once they arrived in America. For his dad, it was to live a better life than what he had back home. And for his mom, it was to work and make money to bring her family over to America with her. Once she brought them over, she managed to get a job in a Police Department. Back home, however, she was studying premed, but the degree couldn't transfer over here. Don's dad came here without a degree, and because he didn't continue his education like a lot of Filipino parents, he worked jobs like being a janitor or security guard. Life now for them in America is different from theirs in the Philippines in a good way. Although they're still working, they don't have to struggle by working so hard for so little, and they live a comfortable life with a big family.
6. Reflection
(19:33-21:38)
A white picket fence, a nice family, and a golden retriever is what defines the typical image of the American dream that his parents and many others who immigrated here sought for. Even though they don't have that fence or dog, they achieved the dream of having a nice family that they were able to raise with better lives than what they had back home through their hard work. Being Filipino American to Don is about telling the stories of the hard work of generations before and everything that shaped him and their paths. Realizing the core values, virtues and importance of family is something that he feels will stick with him for the rest of his life as a Filipino.
Conclusion
When talking about what being Filipino was like for his parents in the Philippines and for him as a Filipino American in the Bay Area, there's an obvious difference in hardships and struggles. From interviewing Don, I realized the true treasure of the American dream of Filipino immigrants is family. Passing down the knowledge and wealth to future generations and sharing the stories of parents and those before them to benefit their lives is the best thing they could do. The culture that was maybe lost through moving across countries can be found in that sharing and connections with others that aren't family, like the skating community for Don. What "being Filipino" is seems to change for each generation in any environment, but the core values and virtues seem to stay the same.
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