danielsfilipinolitblog

[danielsfilipinolitblog]

Reflections on a Year of Reading Filipino Literature

Titles Read:

Filipino American Lives by Yen Le Espiritu

America is Not the Heart by  Elaine Castillo

Dark on the Inside by Virginia Cantorna

Before the announcement of the assignment to select a country for independent reading, I already made up my mind in choosing to do the Philippines. The Philippines is my home country, and it is where my parents and ancestors are from. My older sister, who is now graduated from Everett High, also chose the Philippines. I intended to get a firmer grasp on the history of the Philippines since I haven’t learned much about it. However, over the course of 20 weeks, I have delved so deep into the Filipino perspective, which wasn’t just plain old history. The literature of the Philippines is a diverse and rich body of work that reflects the country's complex history, culture, and society. A common theme in Philippine literature is social inequality and poverty. Many writers address the issue of social injustice and portray the lives of the marginalized and disadvantaged sectors of society. They explore the struggles and hardships of the poor, the landless, and the working class. Family and community are also recurring themes in Philippine literature. Filipino culture places great importance on family relationships and community ties, and this is often reflected in literature. Many works depict the family as a source of strength, comfort, and support, and explore the complex dynamics of Filipino family life. Community is also portrayed as a vital aspect of Philippine society, with the bonds of friendship and shared experiences often being emphasized. Religion and spirituality are also important themes in Philippine literature. The Philippines is a predominantly Catholic country, and religion plays a significant role in the lives of many Filipinos. I have not only learned so much about Filipino history, but I’ve also learned more about Filipino culture, traditions, and the experience of immigrating and assimilating into American culture as a Filipino. The prominent authors of the exceptional books I have hand picked allowed me to better understand not only my country, but my people as well.

Filipino American Lives by Yen Le Espiritu is a compelling and insightful book that explores the experiences of Filipino Americans and their struggles for identity, acceptance, and representation in American society. One of the key takeaways from this book is the importance of understanding and acknowledging the complex intersections of race, ethnicity, and gender in shaping the experiences of Filipino Americans. The book highlights the ways in which Filipino Americans have been both marginalized and stereotyped in American society, facing discrimination and prejudice based on their racial and ethnic identity. At the same time, the book also portrays the resilience and strength of the Filipino American community, and their efforts to assert their identity and claim their place in American society. 

America is Not the Heart by Elaine Castillo is a poignant and moving novel that explores the experiences of Filipino immigrants in the United States, and the challenges they face as they navigate the complexities of cultural and sexual identity, family relationships, and personal growth. One of the key takeaways from this book is the importance of understanding your identity and who you truly are, who you choose to be, who you choose to love, and how you choose to live. Unlike the previous book which included many stories from many individuals, this story mostly centers its focus on one protagonist, Hero.

Dark on the Inside by Virginia Cantorna touches heavily on Filipino familial and traditional values. It is a tragic novel full of rollercoasters with lots of traumatic twists and turns. This novel taught me the cruelty of both war and tradition. Bound by poverty, rules, and beliefs, the author portrays the hardships from the perspective of a poor Filipino in the middle of World War 2 amazingly well. One of the key takeaways from this novel is the importance of perseverance along with the understanding of relationships. The author not only portrayed the struggles of relationships in a romantic sense, but she also focuses on family, religion, trauma, marriage, and again, tradition. Despite everything that holds you back, you must keep moving forward to find your happiness.

Filipino literature has taught me that there are countless stories and perspectives to be shared, and that these narratives can provide insight into the human experience. It has also highlighted the importance of finding and understanding who you are. In Filipino literature, I learned an incredible amount about the history, culture, and social issues of the Philippines. It has also helped me gain insights into the struggles and triumphs of the Filipino people, and the diversity of their experiences and perspectives. Moreover, reading Filipino literature inspired me to reflect on my own cultural identity and heritage. It prompted me to think deeply about who I am as a first generation Filipino American.

[danielsfilipinolitblog]

Week 20 Blog

Dark on the Inside - Virginia Cantorna (Pages 316-335)

Global Divas - Martin F. Manalansan (Pages 1-30)

Word Count: 405

Summary:

In the first two days of this week’s independent reading, ”Dark on the Inside” finished off with Liling and Pitong happily living their new life. After Pitong leaves Liling and Jaime for a while to earn his citizenship and tidy up his new house, he comes back for Liling and Jaime so they can all move to America. The story ends when Jaime sets foot into Hawaii. In my new book I’ve only read for three days, “Global Divas” by Martin F. Manalansan IV, the author interviews gay Filipino men about their experiences. The book so far has touched upon gay identity and harm done against gays. The book is a vivid ethnography of the global and transnational dimensions of gay identity as lived by Filipino immigrants in New York City.

Critical Analysis:

At the end of “Dark on the Inside” by Virginia Cantorna, the most important quote I have chosen is, "God of Adversity. Please, no more misfortune and hardship in America. It's supposed to be the land of opportunity. Amen. Please?" (330) This quote demonstrates the hope and faith Liling has gotten back after so much hardship and trauma she has faced. She prays like she has done before. The pure amount of hope she has been given after being married to Pitong and moving to Hawaii is a great change in Liling’s life. Even if the author includes some foreshadowing elements that forebode possibly negative events, Liling has hope for her marriage, her happiness, and for Jaime.

Personal Response:

“Dark on the Inside” by Virginia Cantorna was a great read and an amazing book. This book informed us, the readers, the events of World War 2 from the perspective of a poor Filipino family who were greatly affected by the war. In the novel, the author adeptly portrays the various characters amidst the devastating effects of war. The story portrays both moments of internal family conflict and tender moments, particularly revolving around Liling and Glory's father. Despite his tendencies to abuse his wife and adult children, he gradually becomes more affectionate towards Glory's son. The novel is characterized by a mix of horror and hope, with some characters destroyed by the war and others finding a better life by immigrating to Hawaii. Those who survive the war often suffer from living nightmares that slowly erode their sanity, making the hope for a brighter future bittersweet. This book was a solid 9/10.

[danielsfilipinolitblog]

"More importantly, gay identity has become more than just homosexuality, same-sex desire, and sexual acts. In the three decades since Stonewall, it has become more evident that gay identity has meant all these things and more."

Martin F. Manalansan IV, Global Divas (23)

[danielsfilipinolitblog]

"I deploy the idioms biyuti and drama from Filipino gay men's language to encapsulate a self-conscious notion of performance that is embedded not only in general phenomena but in the exigencies of everyday life, [...] These idioms serve as a means of understanding the world, and, more importantly, assessing proper conduct and action."

Martin F. Manalansan IV, Global Divas (15)

[danielsfilipinolitblog]

"For this book, however, I draw on the contradictions, discomfort, and disparities between the three of us in the bar to complicate the popular and hegemonic tableau of a world turning gay or of queerness going global."

Martin F. Manalansan IV, Global Divas (4)

[danielsfilipinolitblog]

"God of Adversity. Please, no more misfortune and hardship in America. It's supposed to be the land of opportunity. Amen. Please?"

Virginia Cantorna, Dark on the Inside (330)

[danielsfilipinolitblog]

"Now that I had experienced it for the first time, I decided it was an unwelcome but necessary wifely duty. I knew I would have to surrender to Pitong if I wanted children, and I wanted children intensely. [...] Clumsy is the descriptor one might use for our wedding night."

Virginia Cantorna, Dark on the Inside (323-324)

[danielsfilipinolitblog]

Week 19 Blog

Dark on the Inside

Virginia Cantorna

Pages Read: 266-315

Word Count: 363

Summary:

This week’s independent reading was a good change of pace. A character introduced thirty-seven chapters ago is now reintroduced in the story. Agapito “Pitong” Macadangdang was sent off into the military to never be mentioned again until this week’s reading. He was betrothed to Salome, but their contract was canceled. He labored in Hawaii as an old bachelor. His parents back home sought out potential wives, and Liling was chosen. Despite Liling being “used goods” and wanting to adopt Jaime, who is Gloriana’s now orphaned son, Pitong still decided to marry her. They had a sweet introduction with each other and a nice simple wedding. After getting married, they plan to move to America.

Critical Analysis:

Out of the batch of quotes from this week’s reading, only one stood out to me. "Mother, Father, I will try. I am an old bachelor. You both say  she is good-looking and intelligent. Malicious gossip--I won't let that faze me. The Event affected every female in that village. If a woman was not raped in body, she was raped in mind. The Event--I'm sure Ligaya is a strong survivor because of it." (281) This quote portrays the open-mindedness of Pitong, which Liling falls in love with. It shows how he can look past all of Liling’s past to love her and raise Jaime with her. This quote gives me hope into a potential happier life for Liling, because she 100% deserves it.

Personal Response:

I really hope all of this happiness isn’t knocked down by some extremely tragic event like it has throughout this book. At the wedding, Liling dropped “her ring.” Dropping the ring on your wedding day means marital misery and bad luck in Filipino superstition. I swear if that is foreshadowing that Liling and Pitong’s marriage is going to be absolute garbage. The author really knows how to smoothly and suddenly change the atmosphere of the story from optimistic and positive to negative and depressing. My heart can’t take it anymore. I really want to see Liling happy in a happy life and a happy marriage with Jaime and Pitong. Poor Jaime has been through so much at his very young age.

[danielsfilipinolitblog]

"The ring fell to the Spanish tile floor and rolled under the baptismal font. I hissed and Ligaya's eyes grew wide with horror. According to Filipino superstition, a dropped wedding ring means marital misery. I glared at the woman, unconvinced she was my former betrothed. I decided that since the ring did not belong to us, the bad luck was not our either."

Virginia Cantorna, Dark on the Inside (313)

[danielsfilipinolitblog]

"Papang and I hugged. He kissed my forehead. I do not remember him being this affectionate with me. I was touched. It was his roundabout way of saying I love you. I would treasure this moment; he rarely shared his sentiments."

Virginia Cantorna, Dark on the Inside (302)

[danielsfilipinolitblog]

"I could not help comparing Agapito with Raul. [...] Whereas my match with Raul was made in heaven, the couple consisting of Agapito and me was a match made on earth."

Virginia Cantorna, Dark on the Inside (292)

[danielsfilipinolitblog]

"Mother, Father, I will try. I am an old bachelor. You both say she is good-looking and intelligent. Malicious gossip--I won't let that faze me. The Event affected every female in that village. If a woman was not raped in body, she was raped in mind. The Event--I'm sure Ligaya is a strong survivor because of it."

Virginia Cantorna, Dark on the Inside (281)

[danielsfilipinolitblog]

"'Pitong, that poster is a hoax. It sounds nice, but I bet they will make you a plantation slave,' one said hesitantly. [...] 'I don't care. This flyer says sixty-five cents per day. We will be rich. I'm ready for golden pineapples, golden beaches, and golden hula dancers.'"

Virginia Cantorna, Dark on the Inside (274)

[danielsfilipinolitblog]

Week 18 Blog

Dark on the Inside

Virginia Cantorna

Pages Read: 216-265

Word Count: 372

Summary:

This week’s independent reading was a rollercoaster yet again. After Berto left the army for psychological reasons, he got married to Glory. They were a happy couple and I was happy for them since life got a lot better. After some time, Berto got drunk and abusive, eventually murdering his own wife, the sister of Liling and the mother of Jaime. Between those saddening events, Santiago saw Glory and met Jaime, his biological son. Cora and Bartolome had a daughter, but she resembled a Japanese. This led to Bart resenting his wife and daughter, but it is not stated whether or not the baby is actually Japanese.

Critical Analysis:

The quote out of the batch of five that I’ve posted, one really stood out to me. "I declared myself the saddest of all, but I was not tearful. I stood stoically, as I once used to when punished by my father. Except now I believed I was being punished by God, the Father. My sister, who was my best friend and confidante, had been murdered. How could you? God of... How could you? I had turned my anger from Gilberto to God." (260) Liling, obsessed with prayer and the Gods, always prayed for her and her loved ones. Her mom already gave up hope in God, for he has taken so much away from her. It is sad to see more and more lose faith, for even the pastor is a giant jerk who has no empathy or compassion for the villagers and their hardships.

Personal Response:

I swear this book just builds this happy hopeful atmosphere and just knocks it all down with the most tragic events. It just keeps happening and the author is killing me. I thought that things were looking up for everybody. Bart and Cora were having a good time, but the birth of the newborn was like a gunshot to their relationship and Bart focused solely on war. I should have figured that Berto would end up worse than Papang. Both lost their loved ones and turned into drunken violent husbands. Although Papang healed, I was heartbroken when Berto murdered Glory after Glory said her goodbyes to Jaime as she left her son to Liling.

[danielsfilipinolitblog]

"I declared myself the saddest of all, but I was not tearful. I stood stoically, as I once used to when punished by my father. Except now I believed I was being punished by God, the Father. My sister, who was my best friend and confidante, had been murdered. How could you? God of... How could you? I had turned my anger from Gilberto to God."

Virginia Cantorna, Dark on the Inside (260)

[danielsfilipinolitblog]

"I immediately suspected Berto. Troubling memories besieged my brain--images of Glory's bruises and scratches. His nighttime attacks upon my sister; in his delusion she was the Japanese enemy. Memories of verbal vomit spewing forth from his twisted tongue. I rushed to the constabulary to report my sister's murder."

Virginia Cantorna, Dark on the Inside (253)

[danielsfilipinolitblog]

"The loss of his best friend, Raul, was expressed as rage, which he tried to quell with liquor. His newfound thirst for alcohol turned him into an intimidating and abusive drunk."

Virginia Cantorna, Dark on the Inside (242)