One of the most important concepts I just learned in my mid-20s is internalised racism. Growing up, that was non-existent. Behaviours that instigate or project internalised racism were just normal. Some would even excuse it as "I am Filipino; I am allowed to say that about my fellow Filipino." These behaviours, passed on from generation to generation, have become subconscious behaviours among many of us.
In a document published by the Race and Social Justice Initiative (RSJI) in Seattle, internalised racism is defined as:
"The internalisation of the racist stereotypes, values, images, and ideologies perpetuated by the white dominant society about one's racial group (Pyke, 2010)."
I will get to specific details and situations in the later part of this blog, but I want to quickly discuss a recurring theme across many of these behaviours:
Hasty Generalisation
If you are unfamiliar with the fallacy called hasty generalisation, it is, as its name suggests, a rushed conclusion based on very limited evidence. For example, I knew a girl (Filipina) who dated three Filipinos, and all three cheated on her. She then declared she would only date foreigners because all Filipino men are cheaters. She sampled three and reached a conclusion about 55.02 million men.
Hasty generalisation is a common pitfall, even though I catch myself sometimes. It is easy to commit it because, even if it is not right, it is easier to just make a generalisation. I think having knowledge of the common behaviours and practices of a group of people is helpful in discerning the good from the bad. The danger comes when you let a preconceived notion stop you from learning more about a group or a race.
Ignorance
I realised it is now a little difficult to pinpoint exactly what is causing ignorance in this day and age. In the past, we could think of just our socioeconomic status as limiting access to information or travel. However, considering that Digital 2023 published the data that there were 85.16 million internet users in the Philippines at the start of 2023, when internet penetration stood at 73.1 percent, one can wonder how ignorance is still so prevalent in the country. What information are Filipinos consuming? Most importantly, how do they integrate valid information into their lives and further change themselves for the better?
Ignorance of how other people live in other provinces or other countries leads a lot of people to think they are superior to others. Ignorance of our country's history and culture enables many to speak ill of our own and morph into foreign ideals just to get as far away from being Filipino as possible.
Keeping those two points in mind, it got me to thinking about what specific situations I have observed or heard of that scream internalised racism, with some being so common that we don't think it is.
Detached geographically, detached internally
Lucy (not her real name) has been living in Australia for 10 years now. She moved when she was 28 for work, but she is already an Australian citizen. While out shopping for groceries, a supermarket staff member who happened to be Filipino noticed her. The supermarket staff hesitated for a minute, but after having a strong gut feel from seeing Lucy's physical features, the staff came up to Lucy and said, "Good morning po, Filipino po ba kayo?" (Good morning, are you Filipino?) Lucy flinched as she answered in a thick Filipino accent, "No, I am Australian." Embarrassed, the supermarket staff apologised profusely as Lucy walked away in a bad mood.
I am not trying to impose harmful stereotypes here, but we Filipinos, like all the other races in the world, have distinct characteristics. In this situation, which I know happened in real life, the supermarket staff was asking about Lucy's ethnicity, having identified her as a fellow. I honestly do not think the staff would ask if she was Australian when there was a higher chance that she was because, well, they were in Australia.
This happens to other Filipinos when they leave the country or have lived in a foreign land for a long time. They think they can shake off their ethnicity just because they have a different-coloured passport or are flaunting a new residency card.
Why is this so? It may be because of shame. Shame of having a third-world country as part of an identity or the colour of the skin. They are shameful of the things that make their home country or their race unique. So, the moment their passports change, they shake off their origins as if citizenship could erace their ethnicity.
Worship of superior race
There are Filipinos who think of their own race as inferior, so they take richer nations and the dominant races as "ideal."This worship of a superior race has many manifestations, with some changing their physical appearance to match that of the ideal race—most often physical characteristics that are the total opposite of their own race. It could also be being so hyper-aware of what the superior race might think or thinking that the ideal race could do no wrong.
Mario (not his real name) has three daughters and has been living in the United States for decades. All of his daughters were born and raised in the US. They have not been taught a single word in Filipino and have not practiced any Filipino traditions. They would vacation in the Philippines, and he would purchase the popular international brands for them to bring and wear on vacation. He also discouraged them from purchasing local brands for the mere reason that they looked local. When his daughters were old enough to start dating, their one rule was not to date Filipinos. He did not tell his daughters, but Mario thought it would be best so he could ensure they don't date anyone poor or they won't be used as visa entries.
Mario, even being a Filipino himself, falls under the category of hasty generalisation. While his "concerns" are based on actual misfortunes that others have fallen into, this drew a divide not only for himself but also for his daughters, who will never be in touch with their ethnicity. He is so hyper-aware of looking like he is from abroad that he does not see the value of local Filipino products.
Inter-regional divide
Back in the local scene is the issue of inter-regional divide. It's not only the seas that divide us; leave it to the people themselves to drive a wedge between their fellow Filipinos.
I have always known about the stereotypes that regions have about each other. It is a tale as old as time. I've mostly brushed it off in the past because it's mostly just plain ignorance. However, it was only recently that I have come across tonnes of comments across Tiktok and often in forums that are quite unhinged and illogical, to be honest.
A current issue is a fiesta in a city in Luzon that caused disruptions in the lives of those who happened to pass by them that day. I was puzzled when I saw a comment that it was the behaviour of people from Cebu, which was an hour's flight away from them. It made me think of how that conclusion came to be when there is no data presented that those who caused the disruptions are from that specific city or data that shows there are cities in that region having fiestas similar to it. It is not a hasty generalisation, but it is just purely illogical.
By that example, I am not just condemning just one group because I also do not think it is acceptable for the people from my own region to have harmful stereotypes against them or any other region for that matter.
With more and cheaper access to travel and information, it is alarming how this type of mindset is still very prevalent, or maybe has even gotten worse. How is it still possible to be so ignorant and generalise everyone in an entire region as wh0r3s, uncivilised, etc.?
The Colour of Our Skin
Our ancestors were not fair-skinned, but most people currently hold our fellows to fair-skinned standards. There are people who shamelessly point out how dark other Filipinos are and how they should get gluta shots. They make fun of how some hair or clothing colours do not match dark skin tones.
Mestiza aunties are concerned about what a couple's children will look like when their mestiza relative marries a brown Filipino man. These people make me sick. Pardon the rudeness; it is well-deserved.
If you like to bleach your skin white, then by all means that is your choice. However, it is not fair to hold people up to that standard. Shaming fellow Filipinos for being brown is also shaming an entire ancestry.
There is so much more to being Filipino than a skin colour. Discriminating based on that makes you racist, even if you are Filipino yourself. This is a generational practice that needs serious breaking.
So Pinoy
A long time ago, I experienced the sheer joy of picking up and being in a car ride with a person who said "So Pinoy" so many times that it was actually stuck to my head like a song.
Let's call her Brenda (not her real name). She lives abroad and holds a foreign passport. What I remember is that we have not yet left the airport, and she was already complaining about everything about the airport. When the car started to leave the parking area, she complained about the driving of the other cars, who were just minding their own business and trying to get out of that tight parking area. I thought I was already used to the Lapu-Lapu and Mandaue traffic, but I was wrong. Brenda humbled me. Throughout the entire hour and a half of that car ride, Brenda has already evaluated in detail everything that is wrong with the Philippines. She saw what was wrong with having tangled electric wiring, every single crack and pothole, roads being too narrow, traffic lights being too slow, the heat, the price of gas, the homeless, the tinted cars, and just about anything else. Look, those are things we complain about daily, but oh dear, was it different hearing all of that and more in rapid succession for nearly two hours? The cherry on top for me was when Brenda said, "See? This is why I hate coming to the Philippines! There's so many things wrong with Filipinos!"
Chill, Brenda. You are Filipino, too.
There are Brendas everywhere abroad. There are even homegrown local Brendas.
We are aware of the problems this country has. We have so many wishful thoughts of what could be if only some things could change. We complain. We rage. However, what I think makes Brenda stand out is the intent behind her thoughts. Brenda says those not because she has to survive that daily but because she thinks she is superior to other Filipinos. She thinks her citizenship or her dollars set her apart and give her the right to just plough through her own race. A homegrown Brenda sees all these problems and lives through them daily, but does not say that because she's a tired Brenda—she picks apart everything wrong with being Filipino because she thinks we are inferior to all the foreign people she idolises.
The intent is what sets this apart.
Is it just pure exhaustion, or is it simply feeling superior?
In conclusion...
There are so much more instances of internalised racism. I do encourage you to share and have a peaceful dialogue in the comments below.
Socioeconomic status is not an excuse for not having the slightest idea and appreciation for our own race especially if there is an access to the internet or even printed material. Again, a foreign passport does not excuse your ethnicity.
Internalised racism is a name for many horrible behaviours that our fellows have been doing so long. I hope we open our minds to learning more about our race and being accepting of our differences.
Sources:
- 4 Types of Racism by RSJI - https://www.seattle.gov/documents/Departments/RSJI/Resources/RSJI-4-Types-of-Racism-August-2021-City-of-Seattle-Office-for-Civil-Rights.pdf
- Age and Sex Distribution in the Philippine Population (2020 Census of Population and Housing) - https://www.psa.gov.ph/content/age-and-sex-distribution-philippine-population-2020-census-population-and-housing
- The state of digital in the Philippines in 2023 - https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2023-philippines
