One can meet a Filipino nearly anywhere on the globe. The Philippines remains a top source of migrants to over 100 destination countries; this year (2021), I am one of them. It has been two months since I arrived in “the City that Never Sleeps” or “the City of Dreams” or whatever moniker you assign it based on your worldview — the New York City.
It is difficult not to get allured to a place with mysterious qualities, forged by “strangers who have pulled up stakes somewhere and come to town, seeking sanctuary or fulfillment or some greater or lesser grail”, as E.B. White prosed. Depending on your luck, this city of art, commerce, sport, religion, entertainment, and finance (and hurried caffeine-nurtured people) may or may not have a place for you — “no one should come to New York unless he is willing to be lucky”, White continued.
As much as it welcomes immigrants (the melting pot of people, they call it too) obvious with the tenements scattered in each borough, New York City experience can vary depending on one’s ethnicity. As such, in this COVID-19 pandemic, Filipinos among other Asian American Pacific Islanders (AAPI) in the United States have been experiencing heightened xenophobia following a long American history of using diseases to justify hate and false blame.
With this into account, I interviewed three 20’s something Filipino Immigrants in New York to share their acculturation narratives — may they include or exclude experiences of discrimination. Including my own, some 6 truths have emerged on being a young adult Filipino Immigrant in New York:
1. You might have aced your English from elementary to high school and be proud of it as a Filipino but you’ll still probably ask “What is it again?” — a whooole lot — in your first few months
“When I first came here, ang hirap talaga. Kahit alam mo sa sarili mo na nakakapag-English ka, na-naexperience ko kasi ‘pag ‘yong kausap ko ang bilis, ang bilis talaga. ‘Yong unang years ko dito, nakakatakot makipag usap sa phone, kasi ang bilis nila mag salita na hindi mo maintindihan…Palagi nalang akong nagsasabi sa telepono na, “I’m sorry, what is it again? I’m sorry. [When I first came here, it was really difficult. Regardless of your English ability, I have experienced talking to those with American accents. I became scared with phone calls on my first years because they talk quick and I cannot understand. I usually say ‘I’m sorry, what is it again?’]” — Participant A.
Being a communication major in the Philippines, I used to be poised in English speaking. Yet, when I came here, I discerned how far the Filipino English accent is from American. More so, formally learning English would separate your expressions from those who were born to converse with it.
Fast-talking Americans tend to squish multiple words into one “Don’t you think” becomes /dontchuhtheen’/ “want to” becomes /wanna/ and some would probably despise talking to you for being a bit slower and fuller.
2. The transport system will overwhelm you and you’ll have a better appreciation for the convenience of tricycles and jeepneys
Don’t get me wrong — it’s remarkable and it makes every inch of this huge city accessible for 2.75$ per bus/train ride compared to other states that would necessitate you having a car, but that’s the same reason it might overwhelm a newcomer:
Signs will be there, but you gotta be familiar with the train letters and numbers and bus numbers to know their routes, streets, and avenues. Oh, a strong pair of legs for walking is also a must.
3. You’ll probably know where other Filipinos are — Queens!
“May certain place dito na maraming itim, may certain place na maraming puti, may certain place na maraming Korean, may certain place na maraming Filipino. [There is a certain place that have lots of Black American, a certain place with mainly White Americans, a certain place with mostly Koreans, and certain place that have lots of Filipinos.]” — Participant A
The geographic concentration of specific ethnicities would be obvious once you come to the city. The Filipino population ranks as the fourth largest Asian ethnic group in the city (amounting to 85,065). The majority (54%) live in Queens, and others are dispersed in Manhattan (17%), Brooklyn (14%), Staten Island (8%), and the Bronx (7%).
4. You experience the insidious effects of AAPI hate
Just this early 2021, cases of Filipino AAPI hate victims stirred outrage in the media. A 65-year-old Filipino woman on her way to the church identified as Vilma Kari was kicked, stomped, and was yelled “you don’t belong here” on a sidewalk near Times Square. Three men were watching inside the apartment building near the incident, and its security guard closed the front door while the woman struggled to stand up. Kari suffered a fractured pelvis afterward.
Then in February, a 61-year-old Filipino American who works as an administrative assistant in New York was attacked during a subway ride going to Manhattan. The suspect first started kicking his bag, which he could not get away from due to the lack of space. When he moved towards the aisle, he asked the man what was wrong. As soon as the train stopped and the door opened, the man came over to Noel, who thought he would get punched but received more than that: “he slashed me…I realized that he was holding a box cutter, and the reaction of the people sitting on the train, so I realized that he has slashed me. So I put my hands on my face, and I saw the blood.” Despite his panic, nobody helped him but a transit worker when he got off. Noel, who never thought this would happen to him, is now still months away from feeling his face normally again “Sometimes I drool, and sometimes it affects my appetite…I taste food differently now.”
Filipino-Americans along with the AAPI community share mutual agony following these events. Christine Liwag told Rappler: “every time someone approaches me from now on…am I going to be terrified that they’re about to attack me?” Liwag is among other Filipinos whose worries are heightened after the incidents mentioned earlier. She furthered, “My first thought [about the mask] wasn’t ‘Okay, good, this is going to help flatten the curve’ my first thought was, ‘Okay, good, they’re not going to be able to see much of my face It’s going to be harder to identify me as an Asian.”
As much as I want to explore the city, even I — who used to stay late in Manila before, could not help but be afraid and stay alarmed when outside during whatever time it is in NYC. Who knows what’s gonna happen to me while waiting for the train? I can get kicked off the platform straight to the tracks, be punched, or be randomly yelled at.
“Minsan natatakot ako kasi kahit dito nadadaan ako. Kagaya nga nung may nadaanan ako na hindi ko naman siya nabunggo, nimura na agad ako…or tulad ng experience ng tita ko, nagdo-doorbell lang samin bigla ng sinapak. [Sometimes, I get scared even on my way to work. For instance, I just passed through someone — I did not even bump into him/her, yet I received curse words. Or like my aunt’s experience, someone doorbelled and punched her.]” — Participant V
Filipinos (among other Asian American communities) have been historically maltreated despite their contributions to America. Scholars have stated that the violence that Asians used to face and now increasingly face once more is a result of workers seeking someone to blame for their financial hardships (e.g. COVID-19 economic consequences). Given this, we as immigrants must have the critical consciousness to understand our experiences and internalized thoughts, and ultimately speak for our rights!
5. In a city where you have to be independent, you’ll miss home and being watched over by everyone (which you used to loathe the feeling of)
“In the Philippines, you have your grandma, you have your mom watching over you, your dad, your whole barangay is watching over you.” — Participant H
The price of your newfound freedom and independence is that you gotta learn and do (almost) everything by yourself. Enjoy it anyway!
“I think mas naging free ako dito. Alam mo ‘yong mas naeexpress mo ‘yong sarili mo dito… Kahit anong gawin mo sa sarili mo, kahit anong damit mo ganon ganon. Wala, wala silang pake. [I think I became freer here. I can express myself more. Whatever you wish to do with yourself, with your clothing, they do not care.]” — Participant A
6. But you’ll barely miss the food — We’re Filipinos, and we naturally bring our food wherever we go!
