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My Turnby Maileen Hamto |
 |
"My Turn," The Asian Reporter’s new opinion column,
will feature contributions on current affairs, Asian-American life, and other
topics
by Maileen Hamto and other recurring and guest commentators.
From The Asian Reporter, V17, #4 (January 23, 2007), page 6.
Exploring a filtered voice: Introductions
When I took on the challenge of writing opinion pieces for The Asian Reporter, I knew I had my work cut out for me. Asian communities in the Pacific Northwest are as rich, varied, and diverse as they come. I recognized that there are vast differences in religious beliefs, colonial histories, modes of entry into the United States, current socio-economic status. Not to mention cross-generational differences in attitudes and values.
I’m honored and eager to share my perspective on issues that are relevant to our collective experience as Asians in America. Here’s the fine print: Opinions featured herein are from the vantage point of a 30-something immigrant Filipina woman — feminist/activist at heart — who spent most of her adult life in a Southern Red State.
Borrowing a page from Polo’s famed "Expanding American Lexicon," let me explain the terms.
30-something: I was born in the Year of the Dragon, when the United States celebrated the bicentennial anniversary of the signing of her Declaration of Independence. Like many Americans, I am an immigrant, and like most immigrants, I still get homesick. The Internet is a great cure for this malady. To stay in touch, many of my friends and cousins rely upon social networking sites like Friendster — widely popular among global Filipinos. When I missed our recent high school reunion, I was with my friends in spirit. Poring over photos of 30-something Pinoys and Pinays — friends I grew up with — provided a potent dose of warmth and belongingness, something I needed to weather the winter rains.
Immigrant Filipina woman: My family moved to Houston from Manila in 1992. It was a long, hard road for my parents, but they managed to bring us to the United States. We grew up poor. My father worked various jobs in Manila to support the family while my Mom finished nursing school on a full scholarship at the University of the Philippines. She was the only woman in her class who had two young children at home, but she persevered. In the 1980s and 1990s, the shortage of health-care workers in the United States provided a way for many Filipina nurses to apply for working visas. After living and working in the U.S. for a little over three years, my Mom was able to secure immigrant visas for us to join her in Houston.
Feminist/activist at heart: My parents were in college in the early 1970s when the air was thick with nationalistic Pinoy pride. I grew up in a society where brown people made important decisions — and I had strong female role models. Scarcity of resources is a major equalizer, especially in developing countries where everyone — regardless of age and gender — must contribute to the family’s economy.
When I was eight years old, I helped distribute flyers for my father’s candidacy for a baranggay post — a chance to influence local politics at the grassroots level. I was 10 years old when the People Power revolt overthrew the Marcos regime in 1986. Witnessing my people’s successes, near-misses, and failures, I learned that creativity and passion are required in preserving social justice, equality, and freedom. Inspired by the example of Filipino activist journalists who did much to expose government corruption, I decided to study journalism in college.
Southern Red State. I lived in Houston for 11 years and revelled in opportunities to explore the cultures of other immigrants. It was great to be able to get fried rice and chicken for a cheap lunch, then go down the block to get a bowl of pho. There are as many taquerias and halal grocery stores as there are places to get Texas barbecue.
Despite its political reality as a Republican southern town, over the past 20 years Houston has blossomed into one of the most ethnically diverse large cities in the U.S. Latinos represent about one-third of Houston’s population, while blacks and Asians account for 18 percent and seven percent of population totals, respectively. About 63 percent of all Hispanics and 86 percent of all Asian adults in Houston are first-generation immigrants.
Moving from Houston to Portland in 2003, I suffered a bit of culture shock due to the rather racially homogeneous makeup of this city. I had to make an extra effort to seek out people of color to connect with. In 2006 I started Oregon Minority Business, <www.oregonminoritybusiness.com>, an online ’zine that highlights the success stories of ethnic minorities in business and civic life. I’m delighted with the opportunity to illustrate how people of color are making a positive impact in this region’s economy. My own brand of storytelling.
Maraming salamat for reading this far. That’s me in a nutshell. My opinions will almost surely be "filtered" by my experiences and history as an émigré who is part activist and part free-market economist — yet unapologetically Filipina. I look forward to writing more in the coming issues.