The world mourns Neil Armstrong, one of those brave souls who dared to venture into what was then unknown, just so the rest of us can know what lies out there. May those footprints on the surface of the moon continue to
inspire future generations of scientists, thinkers, and explorers.
We might never get to see humanity conquer even our tiny solar system during our lifetimes, but that doesn't make this past and present century's achievements any less amazing, or less significant. It is through these small steps that we shall continue to push our limits.
Neil Armstrong was so much more than an American hero. He helped achieve that one giant leap for all of earthly life. To him, and the rest of the men and women, as well as the non-humans, involved in past and present space programs, we are eternally grateful.
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Friday, August 10, 2012
Sexism and the modern "Filipina"
Whenever Filipinos lament that women today do not act the part of the ideal shy, religious, quiet, submissive Filipina maiden anymore, it clearly stems from the assumption that for a woman to show one hint of assertiveness, even one sliver of archetypal manliness, is to be evil (thanks to three centuries of Spanish rule). No wonder the liberal Filipina comes across as defensive and insecure. She is being vilified despite the improved position of women in today's Filipino society. Because old habits are indeed hard to break.
My grandmother was booted out of nursing school when she got married, and that was in the twentieth century, in the early 1960s. As a consolation, she was still able to have a job and to raise her growing family at the same time, which wouldn't have been possible had she been born a few decades earlier. Though discrimination still occurs today, the Filipina of today lives in a relatively less sexist society than her predecessors. She is able to move freely, literally and figuratively. She is not required to wear restrictive clothes. She is able to have a career. She is free to choose whether to start a family or not. She is aware that not all her contemporaries enjoy the same privileges that was bestowed upon her, and she works hard to bridge that gap.
Now something about the word Filipina makes me wince. It doesn't sound right. Why do we refer to ourselves as Filipinas, not as Filipino women? The difference is apparently superficial, especially if you're familiar with how Spanish speakers attribute genders to inanimate objects, like la mesa and el avion. The modern Filipino language acquired this practice along with thousands of Spanish words, and the word Filipino itself is a remnant of the country's colonial past. It is uncomfortable, even painful, to be reminded of a dark past, but like it or not, the Philippines is a former Spanish colony, and the Philippines as we know it wouldn't even exist as a country today if not because of colonization, which in a way unified most of the different tribes that inhabited these islands.
But I do not like how the words Filipino and Filipina make it sound like the Filipino man and the Filipino woman are two distinct nationalities. The word Filipina has its sexist implications. It differs greatly from the words girl and woman, since it refers to nationality. Sex is an inescapable biological thing that differentiates men from women (though it doesn't make them any less equal), while nationality (which, to some degree, is related to the concept of race) is a contraption made by society to facilitate group cooperation. How could one woman feel a sense of unity and cooperation with the man next to her when their nationalities are referred to using different words?
Even though the Tagalog-based Filipino language is gender-neutral, it has become common practice to use the gendered Spanish words that we have acquired such as doktor and doktora, and I think that is where the confusion arises. That is why the letter a at the end of doktor seems to make all the difference. We simply aren't used to gendered words.
I think it would pay to return to Tagalog's unsexist roots, i.e. refer to both men doctors and women doctors as doktor, refer to both men and women from the Philippines as Filipino, etc. It's one step further towards bridging that gap between the two sexes, something that both modern Filipino men and women should strive for.
My grandmother was booted out of nursing school when she got married, and that was in the twentieth century, in the early 1960s. As a consolation, she was still able to have a job and to raise her growing family at the same time, which wouldn't have been possible had she been born a few decades earlier. Though discrimination still occurs today, the Filipina of today lives in a relatively less sexist society than her predecessors. She is able to move freely, literally and figuratively. She is not required to wear restrictive clothes. She is able to have a career. She is free to choose whether to start a family or not. She is aware that not all her contemporaries enjoy the same privileges that was bestowed upon her, and she works hard to bridge that gap.
Now something about the word Filipina makes me wince. It doesn't sound right. Why do we refer to ourselves as Filipinas, not as Filipino women? The difference is apparently superficial, especially if you're familiar with how Spanish speakers attribute genders to inanimate objects, like la mesa and el avion. The modern Filipino language acquired this practice along with thousands of Spanish words, and the word Filipino itself is a remnant of the country's colonial past. It is uncomfortable, even painful, to be reminded of a dark past, but like it or not, the Philippines is a former Spanish colony, and the Philippines as we know it wouldn't even exist as a country today if not because of colonization, which in a way unified most of the different tribes that inhabited these islands.
But I do not like how the words Filipino and Filipina make it sound like the Filipino man and the Filipino woman are two distinct nationalities. The word Filipina has its sexist implications. It differs greatly from the words girl and woman, since it refers to nationality. Sex is an inescapable biological thing that differentiates men from women (though it doesn't make them any less equal), while nationality (which, to some degree, is related to the concept of race) is a contraption made by society to facilitate group cooperation. How could one woman feel a sense of unity and cooperation with the man next to her when their nationalities are referred to using different words?
Even though the Tagalog-based Filipino language is gender-neutral, it has become common practice to use the gendered Spanish words that we have acquired such as doktor and doktora, and I think that is where the confusion arises. That is why the letter a at the end of doktor seems to make all the difference. We simply aren't used to gendered words.
I think it would pay to return to Tagalog's unsexist roots, i.e. refer to both men doctors and women doctors as doktor, refer to both men and women from the Philippines as Filipino, etc. It's one step further towards bridging that gap between the two sexes, something that both modern Filipino men and women should strive for.
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Please do not pray for Manila
In light of recent events involving a crazy amount of rainfall within 24 hours, massive flooding, and landslides, I appeal to everyone to please stop all this nonsense about God being angry over the reproductive health bill.
And don't even start on that Genesis 8:7-12 nonsense. I wonder why it wasn't Revelation 8:7-12 that they thought of when the flood waters came rushing in:
The first Angel sounded, and there followed haile, and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast vpon the earth, and the third part of trees was burnt vp, and all greene grasse was burnt vp.
And the second Angel sounded, and as it were a great mountaine burning with fire was cast into the sea, and the third part of the sea became blood.
And the thirde part of the creatures which were in the Sea, and had life, died, and the third part of the ships were destroyed.
And the third Angel sounded, and there fell a great starre from heauen, burning as it were a lampe, and it fell vpon the third part of the riuers, and vpon the fountaines of waters:
And the name of the starre is called Wormewood, and the third part of the waters became wormewood, and many men dyed of the waters, because they were made bitter.
And the fourth Angel sounded, and the thirde part of the Sunne was smitten, & the third part of the Moone, and the third part of the starres, so as the third part of them was darkened: and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise.
Please do not pray for Manila. We should know by now that it wouldn't do anything. Please help Manila and the rest of the affected cities instead, either by donating to the Red Cross and other agencies, by coming over to assist the rescue and relief efforts, by helping spread the word to people who may be of help, or by informing authorities if you know of stranded people who are in urgent need to be rescued. Thank you.
And don't even start on that Genesis 8:7-12 nonsense. I wonder why it wasn't Revelation 8:7-12 that they thought of when the flood waters came rushing in:
The first Angel sounded, and there followed haile, and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast vpon the earth, and the third part of trees was burnt vp, and all greene grasse was burnt vp.
And the second Angel sounded, and as it were a great mountaine burning with fire was cast into the sea, and the third part of the sea became blood.
And the thirde part of the creatures which were in the Sea, and had life, died, and the third part of the ships were destroyed.
And the third Angel sounded, and there fell a great starre from heauen, burning as it were a lampe, and it fell vpon the third part of the riuers, and vpon the fountaines of waters:
And the name of the starre is called Wormewood, and the third part of the waters became wormewood, and many men dyed of the waters, because they were made bitter.
And the fourth Angel sounded, and the thirde part of the Sunne was smitten, & the third part of the Moone, and the third part of the starres, so as the third part of them was darkened: and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise.
Please do not pray for Manila. We should know by now that it wouldn't do anything. Please help Manila and the rest of the affected cities instead, either by donating to the Red Cross and other agencies, by coming over to assist the rescue and relief efforts, by helping spread the word to people who may be of help, or by informing authorities if you know of stranded people who are in urgent need to be rescued. Thank you.
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