The Philippines was colonized by the Roman Catholic Spanish for 300 years, and the Americans for 50 years following World War II. The expression is that Filipinos spent 300 years in the convent and 50 years in Hollywood. The American influence is heavy, and on the surface, Filipino culture looks similar to American culture. In big cities, fast food restaurants and malls are prevalent. The little restaurants in my town serve burgers, fries, and spaghetti. Western music and movies are very popular. These surface similarities can be misleading for Americans living in the Philippines as they can lull you into a false sense of security. The artist Yang Liu was born in China and migrated to Germany as a teenager. She has firsthand experience of the differences between Eastern and Western culture. Here are some of my favorites. They are generalizations, of course, but I have found them to be accurate representations when I think about American vs. Filipino culture. The blue represents the West and the red represents the East. Independence vs. Dependence: Americans tend to value independence and being able to take care of yourself. Filipino families are very tight-knit and everyone takes care of one another. A salary does not belong only to the person who earns it; there is always a network of family members it is supporting. If a meeting is scheduled to begin at 8AM in the U.S., it will begin at 8AM. If a meeting is scheduled for 8AM in the Philippines, it will probably begin sometime between 8:30-10:00AM! Filipinos perceive Americans as busy and serious. Filipino culture is more laid back. If something doesn't get done today, no worries, tomorrow is another day. In the U.S., white people will spend fortunes and risk skin cancer to become darker. In the Philippines, because of a history of colonization, white skin is considered beautiful. The use of whitening products is rampant- it’s difficult for me to find lotion or deodorant here that doesn’t claim to whiten the skin. Historically, Filipinos who married white Westerners were high-status and wealthy. These mestizo families remain in the elite class today. If you watch Filipino T.V, you will probably notice that most of the people on the screen are not representative of how most Filipinos look. They often have European features- paler skin and pointy noses. In the U.S., we often call our bosses by their first name. Feedback from employees is sought out more often, and bosses and employees more often have casual conversations with each other. In the Philippines, hierarchy and status is important. The boss makes the decisions and employees follow! It is expected to call someone by their title (Engineer, Doctor, Sir, Ma’am) even in casual conversation. In the Philippines, animals are valued more for their practical purposes, and are only rarely kept as companions. Dogs are often named “Bantay”, which means “guard”. Cats are usually kept as a deterrent against mice and rats in the house. Americans typically say what we mean and mean what we say! Filipinos more often choose social harmony over expression of negative emotions, meaning that they are less likely to straightforwardly express anger or to say something they fear will disappoint others. For example, when accepting an invitation, Filipinos often say “maybe”, which can mean “maybe”, “yes”, or “no” depending on how it is said! Filipinos understand the subtleties of this communication style, but it can be difficult for Westerners to catch on.
You can see more of these infographics here. Thanks for reading and have a good week! Comments are closed.
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