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| National Identity (What are you really?) |
Who is a Filipino? Thats the question my teacher in identity politics asked our class for one writing assignment. And I answered it with one enlightening experience that goes like this:
Sitting in my History of East Asia class, my Prof. showed to us the ancestral race of the Chinese people. I was sitting next to a Chinese looking friend who is a history major. And I asked her which one she belongs to and she said that she doesn't know. Curiously, I asked her is she is part or full Chinese and she answered, "Im full blood Chinese". I was surpired but her answer to my next question sent me into a deep re-evaluation of my knowledge on national identity. Knowing she speaks our language, I asked her if what she is, 'Are you Chinese or Filipino then?'. She enthusiastically said, 'Of course, Im Filipino!"
I was stunned and gave her a second glance. And it dawned to me that I was sitting next to a full blood Chinese yet she claims that she is like me, a Filipino.
If bloodlines, language, culture and traditions doesn't define who or what is Filipino, then who are we? Its possible for a person who doesn't have the objective qualifications to belong to one race. It only needs that one should feel like he'she belongs to one - that makes him'her one of them. Its the attachment and feeling that transcends bloodlines, language, culture traditions that makes a person identify to one nation.
This is the subjective criterion on defining what is national identity - that one person identifies himself with one nation that makes him/her belong in it.
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Posted by HazeGem on 2009-07-11 23:32:32 | Rating: | Views: 17
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