The Myth Education of the White American

This week I look at aspects of education and miseducation as it relates to Filipinos, Native Filipinos, and Native Americans and the deleterious and long term effects of these processes, as well the fabrications and constructions that White America had to create related to their “education” of other peoples as justification of economic exploitation and military rule. My Argument here is that these fabrications and constructions have had a deep rooted effect on the way in which once White America (and now all America) viewed (and now views) itself in relation to others. Furthermore I believe that for an American to start to break with his or her own part in the continuing cycle of neocolonialism he or she must abandon these myths regarding America’s place as the liberator and educator of the world.

Me and another American

The first argument shall be supported by evidence from the readings. The latter is a reflection of my personal experience and must be viewed through that lens. While I instinctively feel that there is most likely evidence out there to support this claim, I am currently at a place of introspective, exploratory, and reflective examination of the hypothesis. I do feel that without question that it is clear that if this cycle is not halted America will continue to absorb and destroy other cultures. “Exportation of American Indian education…allowed Americans…to conceive of themselves as unique and benevolent imperialists, but also, in the words of Iktome, ‘to [go] slowly ... eating up nations on [the] way, devouring the whole earth’ ” (Paulet, 2007 p. 202).

Some American Myths

Our first reading by Andresen (2012) examined the damaging effects the US educational system had on Filipino Americans related to Identity Formation. He used David and Okazaki’s Colonial Mentality Scale (CMS) and their five major ways in which Filipino Americans are impacted (Andresen, 2012, pp. 68-69; David & Okazaki, 241-242). He continued by examining Ethnic Identity and proposed real world educational solutions. David & Okazakio’s paper (2006) examined many of the same issues but instead did so through the lens of a psychological, statistical, and data analysis methodology. Furthermore, in that David & Okazaki’s article depended upon self-reporting measures in a psychology framework and a correlational study with self-avowed limitations (pp. 250-251), they are much more hesitant to examine solutions compared to Andresen (pp. 78-83). The flip side is that the “hard” statistical data gathered by David & Okazaki gives Andresen’s later article a very firm foundation from which to build upon.

Our reading of Constantino (1982) examined the American education system imposed upon the Filipinos after America’s invasion of the Philippines and looked at the perceived necessity of this system in regards to the military subjugation of the Filipino people. This paper looked at several key topics such as how the education system negatively affected the Filipino’s notion of National Identity and their connection to language, “a tool of the thinking process” (Constantino, 1982, p.190). Our final paper by Paulet (2007) looked at how the American Indian education system was essentially the blueprint for the educational policy in the Philippines as well as the creation of a concept of a unified non-differentiated “savage” applied to the two groups examined. But most germane to my initial argument were many examinations of the ways in which America had to create myths regarding its intentions and moral righteousness in order to justify its actions (Paulet, 2007, p. 182, p. 185, p. 188, p. 194, p. 196, p. 202). A glaring problem with this is that it gives Americans a sense of their own morality, superiority of intellect, and destiny to change others which is based upon deceptions and falsehoods. I feel it is clear that American Educational policies have wronged specific groups and peoples and that the colonial myths and mentalities held by Americans have twisted facts and history in order to serve purposes of self-justification.

A modern Ilustrado?

Next I will examine our week’s community engagement activities to explore the veracity of my second claim. We had a tour of the Intramuros District of Manila. Our main stops were the San Agustin Museum and the Rizal Shrine. At both we saw an example of the mythologizing of history people engage in in order to support their group identities. We also attended a lecture, Politics in the Wake of EDSA, (Abao, Bello, Curato, Heydarian, & Rafael, 2016) which discussed the current political state of affairs and the concept of populist politics. I could not help but draw parallels between the current intellectual elite and the creation of the Ilustrados (Constantino, p. 187), with education as the possession of a chosen few who still have a colonized identity and the effect that has on their world view. We also attended a group discussion and saw a film at Philippines Women’s University. The film, Slow Jam King (Mallorca, 2004), examined many of the issues of Group and Personal Identity Formation discussed by Andresen and David & Okazaki while the discussion focused a great deal on topics of race and the concept of what a “pure” American or Filipino was. Throughout these experiences I felt as if I was continually encountering colonized mindsets and in addition was viewing people through my own American neocolonial mindset in that I and my group were the bringers of truth based on a continuing neocolonial myth of American Educational Superiority.

A Filipino versus an American, the way it should be.

The rest of the week was training for the main event of the week. This was an Arnis (the Filipino national martial art) exhibition tournament with members of the Taguig City University team. There was great comradery on the sporting side but my most moving experience was talking to two members of the team and them relating their stories regarding their quest to learn English (and in one case Tagalog) in order to further their education. It felt that they were trying to prove that they were good citizens and students because of this acquisition of English. One of them discussed his issues with properly understanding what happened during marshal law under Marco’s. He seem to think that I, as an American, would be able to impart truth. In these experience I felt dearly how the wake of colonization had affected our view of the other. I felt that in these situations I had at least taken the first step to simply listen, not impart my world view, encourage them to find Identity and truth within their own culture, and let them know Americans do not have it all figured out. The question now arises, where to go from here?

A start?

References

Abao, C., Bello, W., Curato, N., Heydarian, R., & Rafael, V. (2016). Politics in the Wake of EDSA Round Table Discussion Presentation, Ateneo de Manila University

Andresen, T. (2012). Knowledge construction, transformative academic knowledge, and Filipino American identity and experience, In E. Bonus & D. Maramba, (Eds.) The “other“students: Filipino Americans, education, and power. (pp. 65-87). Charlotte, NC: IAP.

Constantino, R. (1982). Miseducation of Filipinos. In A.V. Shaw & L.H Francia, Vestiges of war. (pp. 177-192). New York: New York Press. Mangahas, M., & Perez, P. (2016). Indigenous Peoples. Presentation, University of the Philippines.

David, E.J.R., & Okazaki, S. (2006). The Colonial Mentality Scale (CMS) for Filipino Americans: Scale construction and psychological implications: A review and recommendation. Journal of Counseling Psychology 53 (1), pp. 1–16.Quimpo, S. (2016). Marshal Law. Presentation, University of the Philippines.

Mallorca, S. E. (Producer), & Mallorca, S. E. (Director). (2004). Slow Jam King [DVD]. USA: Woo Art International.

Paulet, A. (2007). To change the world: The use of American Indian education in the Philippines. History of Educational Quarterly, 47 (2), 173-202.