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Importing, exporting stereotypes: How do global Pinays cope?

Libay Cantor

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Battling not only gender-based labeling but cultural stereotyping, how do global Filipinas cope?
 

MANILA, Philippines — It’s one thing to face discrimination in your own homeland but it’s another to encounter parallel challenges overseas. Battling not only gender-based labeling but cultural stereotyping as well, how do global Filipinas cope? More importantly, how do they rise above the challenges of their situations? 

The image of the overseas Filipino worker is usually represented with the figure of a woman, as studies have shown that more OFWs are women. When Filipinas fly out to seek greener pastures and career opportunities, they not only have to contend with being away from their loved ones; they have to contend with adjusting and adapting to the various cultural differences that they will face on a daily basis. Even Filipinas who have chosen to migrate and settle down in foreign lands still find the occasional challenge or obstacle because of being a woman and/or being foreign.

What is the ‘essence’ of a Filipina?

In various contests and pageants, a common question to contestants always pertains to defining what a Filipino truly is. Is there a certain archetype from which we derive our definitions, especially that of a Filipina?

There is none, but still, there are preconceived impressions which create extra barriers, especially when it comes to matching your job qualifications while being at the mercy of the society that you inhabit. Aster Delgado, a feminist visual artist now based in Hamburg, Germany, shares her observations. 

OVERLOOKED. "people just cut my way in the shop or move past me without saying ‘excuse me,’ as if I weren't there." Photo courtesy of Aster Delgado

“Everybody should have the right to live in any country they like. However, the reality is different. Until the recent Philippine-German labor agreement to hire Filipino nurses (was created), it was almost impossible to get a residence permit for Germany for any other purpose than marriage, and that puts immigrant women in a very dependent position. Also, it’s not easy to find a job here in fields (other) than in the kitchen, cleaning, or nursing. Often, one’s qualifications from abroad aren’t recognized, and language is a barrier. I would love to work as a feminist counselor again like I did in the Philippines, but it’s impossible for me to find a job in that field.”

CLEAN FREAK. "As a woman of Filipino descent, I am often stereotyped as obsessed with cleanliness and orderliness both in the workplace and in the city I live in." Photo courtesy of Chielo Dotimas

Chielo Dotimas, a registered nurse working in Saudi Arabia, points to something funny and strange about being defined as a Filipino. A foregone conclusion (here) is, whether you work in a home for a family, a beauty center, or a hospital, the moment they find out you are Filipino, they presume you would know how to give a massage. This never fails to amuse me, that they equate your being Filipino to mastering the art of reflexology.” 

One would also think that in more open and progressive countries, discrimination should be lessened. Marion Cabrera, a development practitioner, got surprised about this aspect when she relocated to Thailand.

“I was surprised to experience being sexually harassed several times, which was surprising for me as I feel I should be resting from this, being 40 and fat. Yes, I know sexual harassment happens to the oldest and fattest of us, but I did still expect to rest from it. There are times I would get catcalls like ‘woohoo sexy mama’ or ‘hot mama.’ There was one time (when) a sung taew driver spoke to me in a sleazy way. You can just feel they are saying something dirty or mean. So I fake being dumb and say ‘Sorry I don’t speak Thai” and he motions ‘You are sexy’ using his hands.”

New York-based Roz Espinosa, a project executive of an architectural firm, offers another analysis. Having lived in America most of her life, the insight she shares still reflects basic gender biases.

CHALLENGE THEM. "If you are an Asian woman who challenges a man, it is unexpected, and your opinion isn't usually welcome." Photo courtesy of Roz Espinosa

“I’ve been fortunate to not have experienced discrimination based on the way I speak because I’ve been in the US for a long time. I think it’s more because I am surrounded by men in my industry that they don’t look down on me as Filipina but because I’m a woman. When you have something smart to say as a woman, they look as if they’re taken aback that you have an opinion, even if it’s a valid one. It’s rare to be seen as ‘one of the guys’ because many men can’t get past the fact that you are a woman with something to say.”

Exported stereotypes, imported labeling

Sometimes, the stereotyping gets confounded when we Filipinos are compared to our Asian neighbors. Then it becomes a whole new planet – or perhaps continent – of discrimination.

EFFICIENT. "I do not usually get offended by any of the remarks because in the end, our superiors are very much impressed by our work.” Photo courtesy of Cris Brigoli

Cris Brigoli, a UN international civil servant in Switzerland, gets this a lot. “I have an officemate who once told me that she thinks Asians are not civilized. She would sometimes call us ‘Lilliputians’ because we are ‘small.’ She would also ask stupid questions like ‘Do Asians get special eyeglasses because they have such small, chinito eyes?’”

It’s worse in the Middle East, as they seem to have a typecast idea of what “being Asian” should be, like what Erika Garalde, a corporate events management creative, shares. “It’s annoying. They thought I’m meek, submissive and easy. Some have tried to bully me into doing things. I must have had a relationship or two that thought I’m going to go ‘all Asian’ (their term, not mine) on them – fawn over them, serve them hand and foot. Wrong in so many levels. I did none.”

DISCOVER. "I think every Filipino woman who can and must live/work abroad should cherish the opportunity to experience other cultures." Photo courtesy of Liza Macalandag

In Ethiopia where Liza Macalandag, a Boholano, will be spending two years as a volunteer architecture professor, she immediately experienced this Asian lumping two months in. “There’s two types of foreigners most Ethiopians generally know of: ferenji (from French, and so goes for Caucasians, but generally refers to all foreigners) and of late, China (for East Asians). The terms are not necessarily derogatory per se, but when used in a context of a catcall and the like, it becomes so. Most (labels I get) are generally friendly greetings, and I just recall how our locals also greet all Caucasians back in the Philippines with ‘Amerikano!’ or ‘Hey, Joe!’ so I generally don’t take offense.”

Yet sometimes, it’s also a sad reality when the stereotyping comes from our own kind, as Marion has encountered in Chiang Mai. “A stereotype we hold among ourselves is that Filipinas think we are all here to look for foreign boyfriends. I am sometimes asked this by other Filipinas, whether I found a boyfriend already, and that is something they ask when you first meet them after confirming that you are not married.”

Of job comparisons and reputations

Yet regardless of such typecasting, these global Pinays still try to focus on what’s important: their careers and their selves. Sometimes it’s hard not to be affected, but they all have ways of framing things.

Erika shares her strategy. “There will always be labels. I just choose not to hear them, let alone be affected by (them). Why must one waste their time in explaining to those who already have a preconceived notion as to what Filipino women are? Why not prove them wrong instead?”

And prove them wrong they did. Globally, there is a general notion that Filipinos are hardworking people. In all the continents where there are Pinays, this was a common – and happy – finding. It’s even liberating to be a Pinay of equal footing in an industry where men are usually seen as the primary mover.

ATTRACTIVE. "They say that Filipinos are good looking and appear to be younger than their age in general.” Photo courtesy of Cherry De Guzman

Former Marikeño Cherry De Guzman is currently experiencing this happy workplace situation as a professional bus driver in Darwin, Australia. “Here, you can see women in a workshop doing a man’s job and get support from everyone in the workplace, like being a mechanic, electrician, carpenter, bus or truck driver.”

Yet with this kind of equal opportunity employment, some strange “Filipino trait” sometimes surfaces: bouts of insecurity and comparing one’s situation back home and in the borrowed home.

FLUENT. "Most of them assume that we, migrants, speak little English." Photo courtesy of Marian Papasin

Wellington-based Marian Papasin, a retail store manager, points this out. “One thing I’ve noticed is that some Pinoys are depressed because back in the Philippines, they worked in a high position job.  Once they’re here, all their achievements, elite college degree, etc. doesn’t earn them sure tickets to a high-end job. You have to be more adaptable and keep in mind that if you work as a cleaner here, (you shouldn’t) be ashamed because in New Zealand, people (regard themselves highly) no matter what their job is.”

Myra Lopez, an immigrant in Canada, also points out this fact. “Most of the time, we don’t get the same job level that we have back home. In my case, I haven’t had the same job level ever since I came here. I’m an Industrial Engineering graduate. I’ve worked as receptionist and administrative assistant for 10 years. There was a time (when) I could only work part-time and I ended up taking a cashier job.”

Individual coping adjustments

Uprooting one’s self is not always easy. Migrant workers and immigrants still have to contend with basic human feelings of alienation and loneliness. Yet they try to reframe their mindsets to adapt to cultural differences. After all, they say that we Filipinos are resilient, and this resilience could be channeled to help such a reframing.

OBJECTIFIED? "In the mainstream, I think Filipinas, like most Asian women, are still being sexualized, sensualized and eroticized." Photo courtesy of Marion Cabrera

Marion offers her two cents with a sociopolitical bent. “Migrating in (another) country for work is very good experience. I would not go as far as to encourage government to keep pushing for this as our country has, sometimes blindly and without considering the costs to people and relationships. But living in another country does do well for a person’s growth. It allows you to thrive in spaces outside of your comfort zone, learn from people, culture, and way of life.”

Geneva-based Cris even throws in climate into the picture. “As Pinoys, we are used to adjusting to all sorts of circumstances. I guess it’s what helped me survive the cold (weather and people) here. More importantly, no matter what people say about my race, I am proud to be a Filipino. I am proud of my skin color, my height, my heritage. It does not and will not stop me from achieving my goals. In fact, I persevere because I am a Filipino.

Pinay to Pinay, heart to heart

From one Pinay to another, our global Pinays offer great words of advice for those who are thinking of embarking on similar journeys.

EDUCATED. "In Mauritius, people who know Filipinos know them as hardworking and well-educated." Photo courtesy of Aileen Familara

Aileen Familara, a graphic designer who relocated to Mauritius, has ready tips to share. “I think the best thing is to know the language, and to appreciate the good things about the culture/s one is immersed in. I enjoy being invited to weddings or festivals where I get to meet Mauritians. But I also find good interactions with Mauritians just by going to the market or talking to my daughter’s teachers at school.”

PROUD. "You no longer just represent yourself when you’re outside the country. You represent a race." Photo courtesy of Erika Garalde

Erika also reminds us of a bigger purpose when we step out of our comfort zones. “I have to be careful in how I carry myself and try not to draw any untoward attention to my person in how I dress, in my words, and in my life outside work. You no longer just represent yourself when you’re outside the country. You represent a race.”

Cris adds a parallel thought. “No matter where you are, as long as you work hard, you will achieve your goals. Our race will never be a hindrance to the fulfillment of our dreams, but our attitudes could be.”

The bottom line still remains, as our courageous global Pinays have shown, that it’s still our own selves that drive us to where we want to be. And our strength should really come from within, as Czarecah Oropilla, a university instructor-scholar currently based in Ireland, concludes.

STEREOTYPED. "A great number of times, I would not be identified as a Filipina. People would come up to me and promptly greet me in Chinese or Japanese." Photo courtesy of Czarecah Oropilla

“We can never control how people would think about us and behave towards us. At the end of the day, we can only control ourselves and how we interact with other people. And it is through these interactions that Filipinas truly shine.”  — Rappler.com`

 

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