Filipino American

1900-1940

Filipino American Children’s

Games

Banog-Banog(The Hawk and The Chicken)

One child is chosen to be the Hen (girl) and one boy is the Hawk. The rest of the children are chicks. All of the chicks line up behind the Hen holding wrists. The Hawk tries to get passed the Hen and capture her chicks while the mother tries to protect them. The game ends when the Hawk captures all of the chicks.

Gagamba

Played by 2 children each with their own “Champion Spider.” The spiders are placed on a stick and the first spider to eat the other spider wins.

Tumbang Preso

3 or more players place an object that can be kicked around in the center of a playing field. An “it” has to defend the object (usually a can) from being knocked over. The other kids try to kick it over, or throw things to knock it down from a distance. The “it” can chase anyone who tries to kick it over. If he/she tags someone while the can is still upright, that child becomes “it”.

Other Games

Filipino Game American Equivalent

Taguan Hide and Seek

Agawan Base Capture the Flag

Habulan Estatwa Freeze Tag

Iring-Iring Duck Duck Goose

Piko Hopscotch

Filipino American

Values

Family• Loyalty– Helping others as well as oneself – Filipino Americans are their own best allies in the U.S. – Helping each other to find jobs housing or by sending

money back to the Philippines • Strong Women

– Women have been considered the equal of men for thousands of years

– Often more educated than the men– The woman decides how much money is spent and

on what• Children

– Communal affair, never alone.– Brought up knowing they owe their parents (especially

their mother) a debt of gratitude that can’t be repaid.• They are usually cared for at home in their old age

Education• Both sexes consider education to be

extremely important. • The history of Filipino Americans began

with students determined to benefit themselves of the educational opportunities not open to them in the Philippines

• Parents make every effort to educate the eldest child, in turn that child is expected to help their brothers and sisters obtain an education

Religion• Although many Filipino men are religious

it is traditionally the women who are most active in practicing the faith– The majority of Filipino’s are Roman

Catholic– Religious occasions are a reason for a large

party• Weddings, Confirmations, Anniversaries and

Baptisms

– The most joyous and ceremonial celebrations are important Holy days

• Holy Week, Easter Sunday, Christmas

Elderly• With the elderly and godparents children

show more respect by doing a blessing/mano – You do this by taking his or her hand to the child’s

forehead. In return the child receives a blessing or a gift.

• Saying po and apo– This is usually done with the elderly and people

who are of higher status. – It’s a more formal way of speaking to them

• Example : If a patient goes to see a doctor the patient would say “Magandang Gabi Po” (good evening) instead of “Magandang Gabi”

• Example 2: When your grandmother asks you some thing and the answer is no it would be “Hidi Po” instead of “Hidi”

Family Titles by Seniority

• Grandfather = Lolo• Grandmother = Lola • Mother = Nanay/Inay • Father = Tatay/Itay • Uncle = Tito • Aunt = Tita • Older brother or male cousin = Kuya• Older sister or female cousin = Ate

Filipino American

Food

FOOD• Philippine cuisine is a

reflection of history

• One can see the various influences of the foreigners who have passed through, as conquerors or traders, and who have played a part in forming the national identity of the Filipino

RICE

• For a Filipino, a meal is not a meal without rice

• Rice is eaten with pretty much all main dishes

• A rice cooker is essential for all Filipino households

LUMPIA

• Small spring rolls, rice pastry filled with ground beef or pork

• Deep fried to perfection• May be dipped in a sweet

and sour or spicy sauce• Children’s favorite

because it’s easy to eat and it’s delicious

PANCIT• bits of fresh vegetables• thinly sliced savory

sausage• tiny shrimps laced

throughout• Easy to prepare, and the

recipe is very flexible. • sautéed noodles

– types of noodles used: bihon (rice noodles), canton (flour noodles), sotanghon (soybean noodle) and mike (fresh egg noodles)

– Noodles represent long and healthy lives

• It is an essential at children’s birthday parties

LECHON

• Lechon baboy is a suckling pig, slowly roasted over live coals to make it crispy and tasty

• It is often served with a thick liver sauce, simmered with vinegar, sugar and herbs

• An important dish at many fiesta occasions

• Often served at a child’s birthday or baptism signifying an important event

HALO-HALO• Meaning: mix-mix

• cubed sweet potato, cut up bananas and jackfruit, some red beans, some ube jam (a glutinous yam), ice cream, whatever else you want to put in, shaved ice, milk, and sugar

• A great Filipino snack, ideal for hot summer days.

FILIPINO AMERICAN

MAJOR EVENTS

1898

• The Philippines become an American colony and remain under American jurisdiction until after WWII.

• Filipinos are recognized as United States nationals, just below full citizenship.

• Filipinos are not allowed to vote, own real estate, or businesses.

1898 Con’t

• Filipino’s are allowed to migrate anywhere in the United States.

• Filipino’s can travel to the Philippine Islands and back to the United States.

1901 - 1903

• The United States introduced a new public education system on the Philippine Islands.

• American teachers were imported to teach English and American values to the Filipino children.

• Opened vocational schools.

1903 Pensionado program

• 100 young Filipinos arrived in California to attend college at the government’s expense.

• 209 Filipinos obtained their degrees or advanced training in the US by 1912.

• More students came to the US, but most ended up working in low paying jobs in West Coast farms, Hawaii plantations and in Alaskan canneries.

1934 Tydings-McDuffie Act

• Changed Philippine Islands to a commonwealth.

• Changed Filipino immigrants from nationals to aliens.

• Imposed a limit of 50 immigrants per year.

• Family reunification was halted.

• Young men remained in the US

Celebrations

• Family, including grandparents was important to Filipino Americans.

• The compadrazzo system, based on the selection of godparents for a newborn, established close lifelong relationships.

Schooling for Filipino-

American Children

Americanization

• Began in the Philippines-Thomasites(white teachers)-revamped the Philippine educational system and curriculum using English as language of instruction.

• The system was a way to bring Americanization because it de-Phillipinezed the youth and taught them to regard the American culture as superior to any other.

First Filipinos in America

• Students on government scholarship-predominately male

• In an attempt to acculturate the Filipinos and win their devotion to the U.S., the government sent several hundred individuals to study in the U.S.

Pensionados

Pensionados

• Highly selected children of prominent Filipino families sent to study in the U.S. (usually ages 10-15)

• They sailed in 1903 in hopes of being Americanized

• By the 1920’s, many of the original Pensionados went back to the Philippines to well-paying positions in agriculture, business, education, engineering and government,

Next wave of Pensionados

• 1910-1938-about 14,000 Filipino children migrated to the U.S. and nonsponsered students.

• They came as laborers to earn money and go to school.

• Filipinos had a great expectation for higher education. They believed in success through education.

Filipino American

Children Gender Roles

Gender Related Expectations• It is reported that in Filipino homes, boys

and girls are treated alike until 5 or 6 yrs of age.

• Furthermore, physically close-knit Filipino household, there is no inflexible gender segregation until children reach school age.

• Children can no longer wander around without underwear, and some decree of privacy between the sexes is observer.

Adolescence • Adolescent yrs: are a time when differential treatment of

sons and daughters become more dramatic and pronounced.

• The onset of puberty defines girls and boys. • For example; Menarche or menstrual cycle is a major event

that earns her the “Sobriquet of Dalaga”.(she has now become a women).

• Rituals: A girl must jump from the 3rd step of the staircase to limit her menstrual cycle to only three days. Also, poor water over herself to strengthen and protect her.

• Boys: the boy-child circumcision is the counter partite-of-passage for boys or Menses (this event signifies coming of manhood.

Freedoms vs. Restrictions

• Girls: are kept closer to home. Parents believe she is needed to help out in the running of the household. Also she needs to be protected for her own safety and welfare.

• Boys: However, boys are allowed to go out and mix with other young adults.

• Lastly, the majority of Filipino families aspirations for their children are to grow up humble, considerate, hardworking and courteous.

Study Questions1) How do you play Banog-Banog?2) How does a player win Gagamba?3) What are 3 other games that American children and Filipino children both have

in common?4) What is Tumbang Preso played with?5) Who decides how much money is spent and on what?6) Which gender considers education to be extremely important?7) Which child receives the most education?8) According to the “Family Titles by Seniority” who has the highest rank?

Lowest?9) What does noodles represent?10) What does halo-halo mean? 11) What did the Tydings-McDuffie Act do?12) Where did the young men that came to the US work?13) As a National, where could you travel? Who were the Pensionados?14) Why did the U.S. Government send the Pensionados to the U.S. On

scholarship? . 15) Is Menarche a the start of a girls menstrual cycle?16) Is there a ritual that is performed for the boy-child’s Menses?17) Regardless of gender do parents want there children to be humble,

considerate, and hardworking?

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