Running Head: CULTURAL IMMERSION, FILIPINO

Kerstin Eshelman
Cultural Immersion, Filipino
Georgia State University

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Conducting a phone interview with Ces will be the simplest of the four immersions. Ces
is a Filipino immigrant in her early thirties who is married to an African American man. They
live in Downtown Atlanta, are middle-income, and have no children. Certainly there are multiple
cultural identities involved though not quite as many as other immersions. Areas of interest
include learning about misconceptions and misidentifications about her heritage and how that
impacts her. Though aware of the country and some if its history, the Pilipino culture is not a
common or prevalent culture so the insight will be enlightening.
Having preconceived notions or prejudices about Filipino people or their culture is
unlikely due to lack of exposure. Other than childhood interactions a Filipino girl from an upper
middle-class family who was popular and highly Americanized I have not interacted with other
Filipino people. Moreover, other than the first timid explorations of difference in elementary
school there was no further discussion of race or culture. When compared to the volume of other
minority groups, there are not very many Filipino people in the U.S. Exposure to this group has
been minimal. Because of the global economy the media has weighed in on the Philippines and
its people.
The majority of portrayals of Filipino people in the media imply that they work in call
centers or are domestic laborers. However, my perception is that the Filipino people are lumped
in with other Asian cultures. They are not singled out, likely due to their comparatively small
numbers. There has been no influence regarding my perspective due to the smattering of Filipino
portraits in the media.
I have a curiosity regarding religions and how they impact a countrys culture,
particularly how it impacts collective vs. individualistic societies. The Philippines, being an
Asian country, is uncharacteristically Catholic. This is not surprising once the history of the
Philippines is considered. Spain colonized the Philippines in the 1500s. The Filipino people
have an interesting heritage and amalgam culture that is intriguing.
Speaking with Ces helped bring a small portion of the immigrant experience from
abstract to reality. She spoke of the frustrations of not being able to visit family because of visas
or finances. Ces has only returned to the Philippines 3 times in 9 years. We talked of culture
shock and the similarities and differences between cultures. When speaking of her experience in
the U.S., Ces explained that though she has experienced prejudice it has been predominantly
because of her marriage to an African American man. She continued that most people she has
encountered in Georgia assume that she is Mexican. Because of the misidentification she
experiences prejudice because of cultural misidentification. The Filipino culture is different than
American culture in many respects, but they have their own prejudices and marginalized people.
Family is very important in Filipino culture, much more so than in the United States. Ces
commented that the atmosphere the culture in the U.S. is very isolating. Everyone here isolated.
Ces explained that when she came to the United States, she was very lonely. Ces spoke briefly of

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the view of skin color in the Philippines, lighter is better. Skin color is not, from her accounting,
the main determinant of social stratification. In the U.S. education is important but not always
necessary. Education is highly prized in the Philippines, to an extent that is not seen in the U.S. It
is not possible to work ones way up the ladder in the Philippines. Uneducated or under-educated
people in the Philippines are marginalized and treated like second or third-class citizens. Her
descriptions were reminiscent of Jim Crow policies but directed at education instead of race. The
culture Ces described was an interesting juxtaposition of family organization as community
identity and individual achievement. Its a blend between a cohesive and individualistic culture
with its own social hierarchy.
It is important to consider Filipino cultural priorities when working with this group. They
may want to act or interact as a group. They may differ to family members. And they surely have
challenges, desires, and ideals that were not touched upon in the interview. Though the Filipino
culture is the result of the blending of predominantly Chinese and Spanish cultures, they are a
unique people who have developed their own separate identities and culture. Learning about
Chinese and other Asian Cultures in addition to Latino, Hispanic, and Spanish cultures will
inform my practice with Filipino people it is important that I continue to learn more about the
Philippines, its people, and what is unique about them.