BENCHMARK CULTURAL IMMERSION PROJECT COUC 504
Benchmark Cultural Immersion Project: Research and Events Paper Assignment
Olga Saksonova
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BENCHMARK CULTURAL IMMERSION PROJECT COUC 504
Research Portion
4 key elements, describing
The selected group is part of the huge Asian ethnic group in the United States.
Philippines, like many Asians, were pushed out of their country of origin by political strife,
economic instability, and famine, according to Hays & Erford (2018). The Philippine economy
has historically been undermined by factors such as national debt, dependence on agricultural
exports, massive unemployment and huge income inequality (Caballero et al., 2021). Currently,
the reduction in poverty threshold is happening slowly, so US immigrants remain connected to
their homeland, as they are forced to support their families and send money back home. The
Philippines became a US territory in 1898.
When considering Philippine values, one should always consider age and generation,
since the younger a person is, the less attached to Philippine traditions he is and the more
acculturated he is to US values. “In the mid-1800s, immigration became a common theme for
most of the Asian ethnic groups. In addition to the fact that immigration was an opportunity to
earn a high income and provide for one's family back home, it was also a struggle for survival in
a foreign country, and various forms of hostility and discrimination were present” (Hays &
Erford, 2018). In 1934, for example, the Tydings-McDuffie Act was passed, which effectively
limited immigration from the Philippines. 1965 was a turning point for Asians with the passage
of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965. Because of this, “immigration began to be based
on family reunification rather than national origin quotas” (Hays & Erford, 2018). As a result,
the number of Asian immigrants increased dramatically. According to Hays & Erford (2018) in
the 1960s, Philippine student activists began informally using the term Asian-American, in
recognition of their commonality.
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One of the group differences between Philippines and other Asian communities is that 82%
speak fluent English, which makes it much easier to take advantage of immigrant assistance
resources or counseling services, for example by Hays & Erford (2018).
A feature of Philippines, like other Asian peoples, is the value of family and traditions.
Hays & Erford (2018) noted some differences in Philippines. A family may have several
generations and guardians who make or influence decisions. The needs of the family often come
first. The concept of personal space and individual identity are contrary to the Asian collectivist
value orientation. The Asian American family is all about filial piety, interdependence, and
family identity. Many adult children live with their parents even after marriage. Parental
education is dictatorial and authoritarian; methods such as deprivation of family support are used
to ensure discipline. The family structure can therefore be concluded to be patriarchal. Of course,
immigrants face difficulties while in the USA, so individualism is more preached here.
Philippines, who have lived in the United States for generations for many generations, often
exhibit different characteristics than in their home country, because of acculturation, for
example, “they are more egalitarian in their roles” (Hays & Erford, 2018). Virtues are non-
directiveness, non-conflict, silence, harmony, according to Hays & Erford (2018). The
Philippines are not very emotionally demonstrative in their relationships; showing strong
emotions is prohibited as it is seen as a sign of immaturity. Traditionally, parents chose partners
and entered arranged marriages. Depending on the level of acculturation, Filipinos adhere to
their traditions or are more Americanized and enter alliances and make decisions about a partner
on their own. The patriarchal emphasis of Asian culture allows men to experience less strict rules
regarding sexual behavior than women. Immigration has led to role reversals in some Philippines
immigrant families. According to Hays & Erford (2018) there has been a shift toward greater
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demand for dual-income families and greater recognition from women for achieving equal access
to resources. Asian cultures' norms have become stricter over the years and now place a strong
emphasis on silence surrounding issues of sexuality. This attitude is also seen in the context of
same-sex relationships, which is perceived as a purely Western trend. If a person becomes gay
due to contact with a foreigner, it is seen as a white disease, and is in no way a natural part of
Asian communities. While acculturation and exposure to US values may play a large role in
issues of sexuality and sexual identity, familial and cultural influences from Filipino traditions
may still be prominent.
The Philippines also have high expectations regarding education and professional
careers. So et al. (2022) state that confirms that the level of acculturation and generation of
parents influence children's linguistic and academic achievements, as well as the child's cultural
identity. Speaking of religion, Hays & Erford (2018) says that due to Spanish influence in the
Philippines, Filipino Americans are often Catholic. Essentially, due to bicultural influence,
Filipino Americans internalize two cultures that influence their lives.
Historical and Current Oppression
According to Labador & Zhang (2023) then Philippines has historically been an occupied
country, so because of the colonial legacy, the concept of a Filipino identity crisis appears,
manifested in a lack of self-love and self-respect. The colonial mentality and internal oppression
are caused by historical events and have forever changed the Filipino psyche. Despite
assimilation into the dominant US society, Filipinos celebrate their cultural activities and resist
any homogeneous method of seeking cultural validation.
It should also be noted that since the 1760s, Filipinos came to the United States and New
Orleans, but remained strangers and experienced certain psychological experiences. In the hope
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of a better life, many left home and loved ones, finding themselves alone in a foreign country,
trampling their way through foreign rules and regulations, discrimination and racism. Examples
of institutional racism include English-only learning, income and educational inequality, and the
glass ceiling effect in career advancement. Individual racism - examples range from differential
treatment, verbal abuse to physical harassment, vandalism and murder. According to Hays &
Erford (2018) Covid-19 has largely intensified persecution and discrimination against Asian
Americans. The discrimination that Filipinos face is directly related to people's stereotyping and
attitudes towards them. For example, dragon ladies, martial artists, dog eaters, pagans.
Importance is given to the stereotype of the eternal foreigner (Hays & Erford, 2018).
The Asian American community is paying more attention and becoming more aware of
racism due to discrimination, and reports of increased anti-Asian sentiment since the 2001
terrorist attacks, Covid-19 highlight racial microaggressions that manifest as micro-insults,
micro-accusations, micro-attacks. All this constantly reminds Asian Americans that they are
eternal foreigners in this country, even if they have lived in the United States for many
generations.
Summary of information of addressed concerns, treatments utilized, and outcome
effectiveness
According to Nadal et al. (2022) racial microaggressions on social media have been on
the rise recently, for example because Asian Americans do not speak English. This aggression
and other forms of discrimination lead to immigrant problems such as anxiety, excessive
drinking, depression, suicidal thoughts, and traumatic symptoms. Filipino youth in particular
experience anxiety, anger and stress. Every day, scholars say, Filipinos face microaggressions
that lead to deterioration in health and life. Asian women face microaggressions and clichés:
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submissiveness, Asian fetishism, assumptions of a universal appearance. It is also noted that
Filipinos have darker skin color, which increases discrimination and a sense of difference even
from other Asians, which gives rise to loneliness syndrome and pushes them to use drugs or
alcohol. counselors also work with Filipinos regarding diagnoses such as post-traumatic
syndrome. When identity problems arise, there may be problems with a split personality and
finding oneself in a new society, different from one’s home country. Also, one of the difficulties
for Filipinos is the possible domestic violence that women face from intimate partners. This is
often not talked about due to the peculiarities of self-disclosure of Filipinos and their cultural
traditions.
Tuazon et al. (2019) states despite high risks of problems such as high rates of
depression, HIV, unwanted pregnancy and eating disorders, and drug use, high levels of colonial
mentality significantly predicted negative attitudes towards seeking mental health help. Also,
Filipino Americans, who are more religious, turn to church more often for help than to mental
health professionals. Social support, defined as psychological and material resources devoted to
coping with stress, is an important factor in the cultural experience of Filipino Americans due to
collectivism in a culture that encourages group harmony and focuses on relationships. Thus,
social support is very important for Filipinos. It should also be noted that in addition to
collectivism, Filipinos have a unique core value - a worldview in which I am not different from
others. It is important to note that social support is a protective factor against mental health
problems among Filipinos.
Events Portion
Description of 2 events
Event 1 - Independence Day Celebration
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Date - July 6. Venue – 1034 Hamlin Road, Durham, NC, USA. The main organizer and
person in charge is Pastor Denver Shelton. The organization hosting the event is Durham First
Assembly. The goal is to hold a joint Filipino event for all interested people of this community at
the church, where regular meetings of Filipinos take place, including family activities, games,
Filipino food and celebration, discussion
Event 2 – Recognition Dinner
Date – July 12. Venue – the Charlotte Museum of History (3500 Shamrock Dr, Charlotte,
NC, USA). The main organizer - Asian-American Chamber of Commerce. The Asian
Community leaders, sponsors, volunteers gathered for Recognition Dinner after 15th Asian
Festival. The event was lead by Dr. Chen and Dr, Nini Bautista. They presented Filipino
Maranaw fan dance, special food and the presentation from Filipino community.
Response about my participation
Participation in these events was interesting, since I knew about the existence of the
Philippines in our state, but I had never been surrounded by them, felt their energy and did not
communicate with them about cultural values. I noted that they are very active, cheerful, positive
people. We can say that positivity wells up from within and there is no doubt that this is sincere
joy, like that of a child. Many people like to joke and smile. On the other hand, I noted that they
quickly move on to serious topics and can talk for a long time on a given topic and philosophize
a lot. They tend to dive into the essence and try to understand the full scope of the problem and
the topic of discussion. She also noted that she did not see any raising of voices or loud
discussions, everything was very peaceful and fun. Some of the younger people seemed unaware
of what was happening or were invited, but do not often attend such events. This confirmed what
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I was trying to see with my own eyes, that the older generation shows traditions through clothes,
dances and songs, and the younger generation takes a more observant position.
Kew things about their culture from my opinion
Thanks to the material I studied, I was more observant and could see with my own eyes
some of the features of Philippine culture. Firstly, I saw that they were trying to follow traditions
and be quite good-natured, calm, and non-conflicting. Women were often the first to not enter
into dialogue and took a wait-and-see attitude. I also noted that there was a generational divide.
The old generation was quite sociable about traditions, but the younger generation was more
acculturated to the USA and often did not know the answers to my questions about the features
or even gave contacts of their elderly loved ones, saying that they knew more. It was also
interesting for me that everyone tried to stick to the family and knew the families and did not try
to show the individualism inherent in Americans. She also noted that there was modesty in
clothing, and in communication it was noticeable that the level of education was quite above
average. She also noted the peculiarity that older and middle-aged Filipinos tend to maintain
community and live closer to each other, for example, there is a large community in Durham.
Young Filipinos generally do not think much about being closer to each other and live without
even knowing that there are meetings in Concord and other cities.
During the events, of course, I noted a lot of new and interesting things for myself, as I
rarely did at such events. I always thought that Filipinos were vegetarians, but they told me that
they love pork very much and often eat it, and after one of the events they showed me their
famous dish, which they constantly prepare for the holidays from pork. The second point I noted
is that to a large extent religion is not so totalitarian, but more at the discretion, they are open to
religion and treat it more as a place of meeting and communication, and not a place only of
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communication with God. I also noted that they no longer mention God, Jesus, but the Virgin
Mary. Many people revere and worship her and perform certain rituals.
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References
1. Caballero, J., Dayne, N., Reiboldt, W., & Tran, L. (2021). "it's the filipino way": Remittance
practices of filipino american families.NJournal of Family and Consumer
Sciences,N113(1), 40-47.Nhttps://doi.org/10.14307/JFCSl13.1.40
2. Hays, P. A., & Erford, B. T. (2018).NDeveloping multicultural counseling competence: A
systems approach. Pearson.
3. Labador, A., & Zhang, D. (2023). The "american dream" for whom? contouring filipinos' and
Filipino/a/x americans' discursive negotiation of postcolonial identities.NJournal of
International and Intercultural Communication,N16(1), 19-
35.Nhttps://doi.org/10.1080/17513057.2021.1945129
4. Nadal, K. L. Y., Corpus, G., & Hufana, A. (2022). The forgotten asian americans: Filipino
americans' experiences with racial microaggressions and trauma.NAsian American Journal
of Psychology,N13(1), 51-61.Nhttps://doi.org/10.1037/aap0000261
5. So, S., Coffey, D. M., & Javier, J. R. (2023). Parental enculturation and youth mental health
functioning among Filipino American families. Cultural Diversity & Ethnic Minority
Psychology., 29(2), 279–288. https://doi.org/10.1037/cdp0000552
6. Tuazon, V. E., Gonzalez, E., Gutierrez, D., & Nelson, L. (2019). Colonial mentality and
mental health Help‐Seeking of Filipino Americans.NJournal of Counseling and
Development,N97(4), 352-363.Nhttps://doi.org/10.1002/jcad.12284
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