Unbelievable, but true
by Rudy Arizala
There are many complaints about the Filipinos - at home and abroad. At home, it is claimed our educational system is deteriorating, especially our knowledge of the English language; Pepe and Pilar could not only add and subtract nowadays but could not even read. And worse, Pepe and Pilar´s playmate and former classmate who immigrated to Canada or the U.S. is reportedly being ostracized - consigned to a lone table at a corner of the school canteen because he allegedly "eats like a pig" or has "disgusting" table manners because the Pinoy-born child eats with fork and spoon instead of with fork and knife.
by Rudy Arizala
There are many complaints about the Filipinos - at home and abroad. At home, it is claimed our educational system is deteriorating, especially our knowledge of the English language; Pepe and Pilar could not only add and subtract nowadays but could not even read. And worse, Pepe and Pilar´s playmate and former classmate who immigrated to Canada or the U.S. is reportedly being ostracized - consigned to a lone table at a corner of the school canteen because he allegedly "eats like a pig" or has "disgusting" table manners because the Pinoy-born child eats with fork and spoon instead of with fork and knife.
Filipino youth might be classified as "good table manners illiterate" for unable to use the fork and knife while eating, however, according to a Cable TV CNN Report this morning, most American Youth are "geographically illiterate.". They could not locate on the map where Iraq, Iran or Afghanistan is. And to think that day and night, said countries are being mentioned and shown in TV news reports because of U.S. military and foreign policy with respect to said countries and even recently waged war against Iraq and American forces are still occupying said country - called Iraq.
Then the interviewer asked the American youth to locate the State of Ohio on the map. Many could not locate where Ohio is. And the State of New York? Many Americans could not also locate where the State of New York is.
Incidentally, when I first arrived at Syracuse University in the the State of New York to take my postgraduate studies, most of my classmates also taking postgraduate studies thought that the Philippine Islands is somewhere near Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean. Some even asked me if the Philippines is an Independent country. A cab driver mentioned to me about Bataan and Corregidor and Gen. MacArthur because he had an uncle who fought in the Philippines during WW II. The only person who knows where the Philippines is and it is now an independent country when I first arrived in Syracuse, is my foster parent in Syracuse - James Sweeney, who was a lst Lt. in the U.S. Army and fought in the Philippines during liberation.
But being "geographically illiterate" is not new. It may be recalled that after the naval victory of U.S. Commodore Dewey in the Battle of Manila Bay in May 1898, U.S. President William F. McKinley could not locate or did not know where the Philippine Islands is. In the book In Our Image p. 100, by Stanley Karnow, he narrated thus; When McKinley vaguely located the Philippines as a place "somewhere away around on the other side of the world," he might have been speaking for most Americans. . ."
And of course, according to history, Pres McKinley could not only locate the Philippines on the map, but also initially did not know what to do with the Philippines until one dark night he reportedly fell on his knees and prayed. And he received "divine guidance" on what to do with the Philippines. The rest is history.
The moral of this story is: If American leaders appear to be "geographically illiterate," could we blame the American youth of today if they are also "geographically illiterate"?
And if the classmate of "Pepe and Pilar" could not use the fork and knife but uses the fork and spoon in eating because that was the way he was trained since a baby in the Philippines, should he be ostracized and be consigned ti a solitary table at the corner of a school canteen? He should be taught that henceforth, to use the fork and knife instead of being ostracized.
And if the Americans use the right hand in bringing the fork with the food to their mouth, will their ancestors - the Brits who use the left hand with the fork, ostracize them?
And if the Romans during the Pax Roman did not know the extent of their imperial realm geographically, shall we blame modern American youth for not knowing where is Iraq, Iran or Afghanistan in these days of "Pax Americana"?
But what is unbelievable is when most Americans could not pinpoint on the map the location of Ohio, New York, etc., One guy when asked: "Sir, do you know the location of New York?" his reply was: "Lady, we are right stepping on it."
Oh, well, it takes all kinds. I remember, Edward was asked by his former boss "Where did you learn how to speak English?" Probably, he forgot his history or the policy of his forefathers re "Manifest Destiny" and "Benevolent Assimilation." And of course, the sending of the "Thomasians" the early American teachers to the Philippines.
I remember when I first enrolled for postgraduate studies at Syracuse Universities, I was required to take a test on English language. I told the examiner that I already knew the language. Her curt reply was: "You have to take it. It is the university requirement to all Asian students." When after 15 minutes I handed my test paper to her and she checked it right away, she commented: "Oh heck, I wasted my time on you. You got it perfect." I replied: "Well, I am sorry, you refused to believe me."
Posted on July 25, 2006