Filipino Nationalism Essay

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Quirante, Susan Anne A. KAS 116 Analytical Essay October 16, 2009 Practical Manifestations of Filipino Nationalism From the Perspective of a Filipino Youth In its simple sense a claim to nationalism is a claim to feelings of patriotism, feelings that are often associated to love and pride. Or at least this is how nationalism is commonly understood—that being nationalist is having pride in the Filipino and being Filipino. If this were so then most of us would be nationalists united under the icons of national pride in the persons of Manny Pacquiao and Charisse Pempengco. This conception for me, however, is shallow, yet one often enough over used. For instance, here is an excerpt of an article published in the Philippine Daily Inquirer with the headline Nationalism Redefined: “Filipinos working abroad are living proof that we are indeed global citizens, competent and capable and equipped with the skills necessary to thrive in foreign places. As we witness fellow citizens climbing to the top of various industries and professions in New York, London and Paris, don’t we all beam with pride? More than just advancing their interests, they also serve as ambassadors proclaiming by their achievements the greatness of Filipinos and what they can contribute to society.” The excerpt raises issues, and yes, issues on nationalism, that are contingent to the Filipino Diaspora, and these issues are most relevant to Filipinos given the pervasiveness of the migrant labor phenomenon in present day Filipino society. The brain and brawn drain phenomenon the country is now going through makes it crucial that we question and qualify our definitions of nationalism, and what these entail. Is pride in one’s roots then enough to indicate nationalism? Can one claim to be nationalistic despite working abroad in behalf of family-centered interests because one is, in the

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