The Politics of Race and Diaspora - Coursework Example

The Politics of Race and Diaspora Introduction Over the past five decades, the population of Filipino community has continued to grow modestly in the United States. Today, the Filipino community is ranked fourth among the diaspora communities living in the U.S. As a diaspora community in the United States, Filipinos are well educated and their English is more refined thus, giving the community a better chance to improve their social status in the United States compared to other diaspora communities. Most of the educated Filipinos abroad, work in the human services sector. A large population of the Filipino diaspora resides in California and Hawaii while, other Filipinos reside in New Jersey and New York. The Filipino community began to move abroad in the year, 1898. This community migrated abroad in search for work while others came to pursue education (Ralph, 2009). Further, their migration was influenced by the integration of Philippines into an export economy by the United States. This led to many Filipinos losing their farms and as a result, most young Filipinos driven by their desire to succeed in life decided to move to the United States. The American War made their migration easier, and the first group that moved to the United States settled in Hawaii and California where they worked on farms. However, moving to a foreign country has challenges in terms of adapting to a new environment (Ralph, 2009). This paper explores ways in which the political activities of Filipino diaspora are influenced by the political and cultural environment in the United States. How the political and cultural environment in the United States influences the political activities of the Filipino diaspora As a democratic society, the United States constitution allow for freedom of expression among its citizens. Most of immigrants in the United States come from countries where freedom of expression is not allowed. As such, living in America allows such oppressed people to express their views freely without interference or reprimand from the political establishment. For instance, the political environment in the United States has created an avenue for Filipino diaspora to raise their concerns regarding the ills committed by the government back in the country of origin (Nititham, 2011). Philippines is a third world country with part of the population living in abject poverty. As such, migrating to the United States provides Filipinos with hopes to improve their economic status and to assist families back home. Social ills such as corruption are entrenched in the political establishment in Philippines with little or no action taken by the officials representing the electorates. In this view, the political environment that exists in the United States allows Filipino diaspora to pressure the political establishment back home to improve government institution and to create more transparency with regard to how public resources are managed by those elected to serve the public (Nititham, 2011). As an open society, the United States provides Filipino diaspora with an avenue to improve their social capital. United States compared to other countries, has the largest population of diaspora communities. This includes communities from Africa, the Caribbean, India, Jews and Arabs escaping autocratic rule back home. Since these communities are in a foreign land, they tend to form groups or organizations aimed at establishing their identity in a foreign country (Cohen, 1997). For example, diaspora communities tend to form organizations to help new immigrants settle in the United States. These organisations also play a role in improving the lives of those left in the country of origin. The help may come in the form of awarding an education scholarship for community members, both in the United States and in the country of origin. The diaspora communities often regard education as a powerful tool in improving the living standards of community members, both in the foreign country and county of origin. Living in America has its challenges that include difficulties in securing jobs, finding a place to live or interacting with other ethnic groups (Cohen, 1997). However, Filipino diaspora through their various organisations has managed to assist new immigrants to settle fast in the United States. In addition, most Filipinos who migrate abroad tend to be more literate compared to other diaspora communities. This is evident in their English that is more refined and helps them to adapt fast to their new environment (Nititham, 2011). On another note, Filipinos tend to lay more emphasis on religion with Catholic being the dominant Church for Filipino Americans. As such, the Catholic Church has greater influence on Filipino politics, both abroad and back home. This has led to a situation where most politicians rely on the Church in improving their political prospects. Further, most associations formed by Filipino diaspora have the blessings of the Clergy and operate within the values and principles set by the Church (Braziel & Mannur, 2003). However, the U.S boasts of diversity when it comes to religious affiliations, this includes Christianity, Islam, and Hindu among other religions. In addition, in the United States, there is freedom of worship and individuals can express their faith in any way or form that they prefer. However, the Filipino diaspora has their faith deeply rooted in the Catholic Church. Back home, almost the entire population is Catholic with a small part of the population associated with other religious affiliations. As a result, most of the Filipinos migrating to the United States have their values and beliefs deeply rooted in the Church. Despite the Church being a uniting force for Filipinos back home, there tends to be regionalism among the Filipino diaspora (Braziel & Mannur, 2003). This results in a situation where, unity is formed based on the region where one comes from back home. Regionalism as evident among the Filipino diaspora is probably influenced by the need to assist individuals from the same region back home. This is seen as a way of making sure that a region benefits the most from the opportunities available in a foreign land. In turn, this improves their economic status and the capability to improve their regions back home (Anthias, 1998). For most of the Filipino diaspora, living in America presents an opportunity to improve one’s status in terms of amassing wealth through hard work. Some of the Filipino diaspora who have managed to improve their social and economic status while living in America tend to visit or move back to the Philippines to engage in politics and development projects in their regions. In the Philippines, politics appears to be a preserve of the elite; as such, the rich Filipinos from abroad often come back with a promise to change how things are being managed in their regions. Their desire to join politics is often influenced by the democratic space evident in the United States compared to the politics back home (Brubaker, 2005). While power is also a driving force behind the desire to join politics by the wealthy Filipinos from abroad, their initial intentions to develop their regions are often genuine. However, the system is still entrenched in corruption and most of these politicians often fail to deliver on their promises (Ackah, 1999). In Philippines Catholism tend to influence every sphere of life of the faithful, who lead their lives according to the doctrines of the Church. However, moving to America means adapting to a new culture that has embraced modernity and is more liberal compared to a conservative Philippines, where the Church has a greater influence on the life that faithful lead (Hall, 1990). As such, leaders of the Filipino diaspora in the United States often find themselves in a situation where they are forced to assimilate to the American culture. This includes allowing freedom of worship, intermarriage with other ethnic groups and modernising the Church, which is deeply rooted in conservative Catholic traditions (Levitt, 2007). For example, Catholic is against gay relationships and the use of contraceptives, but the American constitution has created space for gay marriage and the use of contraceptives. These are some of the challenges that Filipino diaspora with roots in the Catholic Church have to face while living in the United States (Levitt, 2007). Since the Church has a greater political influence among the Filipino diaspora, the clergy encourage the creation of forums meant to enlighten the youth of the need to maintain their purity in a more liberalised country. This involves establishment of organisations tasked with teaching the new generations the values, beliefs and traditions of the Filipinos that derives its foundation from the Church. Such organisations are viewed to be significant in instilling morals among the Filipino generation born in America and may not have a clear understanding of the traditions and beliefs embraced by the generation that migrated to America from Philippines (Dufoix, 2008). Religious faith is important for many Filipinos both at home and abroad; however, the cultural environment in the adopted country such as the United States has an influence on changing the views of Filipinos with regard to religious faith. This has led to some part of the Filipino population in the United States joining other religious affiliation in search of a new identity. On the other hand, the culture and traditions of the Filipinos who migrate to the United States often face a conflict of interest in terms of assimilating into a culture where the youth have more autonomy in terms of making own decisions. The cultural environment in the United States has an influence on the Filipino diaspora in the sense that the leaders are forced and in particular, the Clergy, to adjust to the changing trends in the American society (Koopmans et al., 2005). This includes accommodating new forms of worship within the Church that is at present embracing modernity. For instance, the rituals associated with Filipino Catholics are now being conducted in new ways compared to how they are done back home. Such freedoms are influenced by the need to adapt to an open society where individuals are free to do what they want (Gilroy, 1993). However, embracing liberalism also has its consequence for a conservative community. For instance, the leaders of the Filipino community in the United States are now forced to deal with the social ills affecting the Filipino youths in the United States. There tends to be loss of moral values among Filipino youth whose belief system is deeply rooted in the Church. This has led to a situation where the community has to deal with increased drug use and crime among the Filipino youth in the United States. As a result, the leadership within the Filipino diaspora in the United States has established programs meant to assist the youth to be productive in their lives. This involves engaging in community programs aimed at sensitising the Filipino youth against the social ills in the adopted country and the need to maintain their traditional values and belief systems (Yuval-Davis, 2011). Other than the need to deal with challenges affecting the Youth, the leaders of the Filipino diaspora also face other challenges such as racial discrimination. In the United States, racial discrimination has been a problem for most of the diaspora communities residing in the country. This has resulted in a situation where diaspora community’s freedom of movement is restricted and is unable to interact positively with other race in the United States (Clark-Hine, Danielle & Small, 2009). As a result of the racial discrimination, diaspora communities tend to live in the same neighbourhood. These communities tend to live in the same region in order to improve their chances of survival in a hostile environment. For instance, a large part of the population of the Filipino diaspora resides in California, Hawaii, New Jersey and New York. This is because, the Filipino diaspora who have stayed in the country for many years, have established organisations that are tasked with helping new immigrants from Philippines to settle in America. These organisations not only help new Filipino immigrants settle, but also help them secure employment and provide scholarship for those seeking to further their studies in the United States (Esman, 2009). Further, this organisation also improves the social capital of the Filipino diaspora in the United States. In essence, the organisations are vital in creating a network for the Filipino diaspora. Through such networks, the Filipino diaspora are able to organise forums where they discuss issues affecting the Filipino abroad and those back home. In addition, these forums also play a role in determining how the Filipinos in the United States can give back to the society. For instance, the organisations established by the Filipinos in the United States are now engaging in charitable work both in the United States and back home (Vertovec & Cohen, 1999). In terms of work, most immigrants from other countries in the United States often face challenges in securing permanent employment. In most cases, a poor education background of the immigrants contributes this challenge. However, Filipinos through their various organisations in the United States have encouraged those willing to move to the United States to acquire some basic education that can improve their chances of securing employment in the United States. As a result, most of the Filipinos who move to the United State tend to have a modest educational background that help in securing some form of employment (Ackah, 2009). While most of diaspora communities in the United States find their way into the country as asylum seekers or refuges, most Filipinos move to the United States in search of a better pasture to assist family members back home. This not only improves the living standards of Filipinos back home, but also the country’s economy that is boosted by the money sent back home by Filipino in the diaspora (Werbner, 2002). The world has become a global village and as such, diaspora communities are aware of the political events taking place back home. This has been made possible by the advancement in ICT where the diaspora communities can communicate or interact with the people back home. A large number of diaspora communities in the United States are employed in well-paying jobs due to possession of high qualifications and work experience. As such, most diaspora communities are in a position to influence the political direction in the country of origin. This is made possible by forming organisations where they can raise funds to support a particular political cause back home (Sheffer, 2003). On another note, most diaspora communities in the United States come from countries where democracy lacks. Some of these countries suppress freedom of speech or expression and citizens are not allowed to question the government. As a result, the people who move abroad are often driven by the need to challenge the status quo and change the political direction in their country of origin. For example, opposition politicians oppressed by the ruling elite often seek asylum abroad where they are free to continue fighting for the rights of the oppressed while residing in a foreign country (Sheffer, 2003). In the United States, the democratic space has allowed opposition politicians forced out by an oppressive regime to continue advancing their political agenda without interference from the ruling elite back home. This has allowed such opposition politicians to continue establishing political networks back home that eventually, may lead to regime change. The Filipino diaspora in the United States through their various organisations, are also in a position to influence the politics back home (Sheffer, 2003). For instance, Philippines as a country is facing numerous challenges that affects negatively on the development. The ruling establishment has not been able to deal with the corruption that has stalled most projects in the country. The country still lacks appropriate measures geared at creating transparency on how public resources are managed by those elected into the office (Sheffer, 2003). However, the Filipino diaspora is better placed to fast track the establishment of checks and balances with regard to how the public coffers are managed back home. This has been made possible by the Filipino diaspora funding locally based organisations that keeps a check on how the government use public resources for the benefit of citizens (Nititham, 2011). In a county that embraces democracy, citizens participate more in keeping check on how government institutions are managed. This allows the electorate to get better services and to recall incompetent officials elected to office. The democratic space in the United States has created the efficient governance since those elected to office are aware that they are working for the people, and not to advance their personal interest. This might not be the case in the Philippines, where the political elite bribe their way to public office and only interested in enriching themselves (Nititham, 2011). The habit of politicians bribing their way into public office is a problem in most countries across the world. This has derailed development in such countries since those elected to office are not interested in serving the public, but engage in exploiting public resources for personal gains. In this regard, the Filipino diaspora can use the model of politics in the United States to force their government back home to improve the services provided to the public. This may involve pressuring the ruling elite to improve the government institutions in the country such as the Judiciary. For instance, the Judiciary is important in fighting corruption among government officials that is rampant in the Philippines. This would help the country to progress in terms of using the available resources efficiently for the benefit of the country’s citizens (Esman, 2009). In the past decade, there has been improvement on how public resources are managed due to the establishment of institutions that check on how public resources are utilised by government officials to benefit the people. Through support from the Filipino diaspora that is channelled to local organisations back home, the country has witnessed an increase in civil engagement in terms of the people challenging the government to eradicate impunity that has contributed to the high rate of corruption in the country and migration abroad in search for greener pastures (Safran, 1991). Conclusion Moving to another country means individuals have to adapt to a new environment different from the country of origin. However, adapting to a new environment means individuals have to learn a new culture different from their own culture. These new settings often provide communities with different worldviews on many issues. As such, learnings from new settings are often used to improve a community’s belief system; however, learning a new culture can either have a positive or negative impact on a community. For instance, the political and cultural environment in the United States has both positive and negative influence on the political activities of the Filipino diaspora. This new influence also tends to affect the political environment back home. References Ackah, W 1999, Pan-Africanism: Exploring the Contradictions: Politics, Identity and Development in Africa and the African Diaspora, Aldershot, Ashgate. Ackah W 2009, The Intersection of African Identities in the 21st Century: Old and New Diasporas and the African Continent’ in Airewele, P.S. and Edozie, R.K. (eds) Reframing Contemporary Africa: Politics, Economics and Culture in the Global Era, Washington, CQ. Anthias, F 1998, ‘Evaluating Diaspora: Beyond Ethnicity?’ Sociology, Vol. 32, no.3, pp.557-80. Braziel, J.E.,& Mannur, A (eds) 2003, Theorizing Diaspora, Blackwell, Oxford. Brubaker, R. 2005 ‘The ‘Diaspora’, Diaspora,’ Ethnic and Racial Studies, Vol. 28, no.1, pp. 1- 19. Clark-Hine, D., Danielle K.T.,& Small, S. (eds) 2009, Black Europe and the African Diaspora, University of Illinois, Chicago. Cohen, R.1997, Global Diasporas: An Introduction, UCL, London. Dufoix, S 2008, Diasporas, University of California, London. Esman, M.J 2009, Diasporas in the Contemporary World, Polity, Cambridge. Gilroy, P 1993, The Black Atlantic: Modernity and Double Consciousness, Verso, London. Hall, S 1990, ‘Cultural Identity and Diaspora’ in Rutherford, J. (ed) Identity, Culture and Difference, Lawrence and Wishart, London. Koopmans, R., Statham, P et al (eds) 2005, Contested Citizenship: Immigration and Cultural Diversity in Europe, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis. Levitt, P 2007, God Needs No Passport: Immigrants and the Changing Religious Landscape, The New Press, New York. Nititham, D.S 2011, ‘Migration as Cultural Capital: The Ongoing Dependence on Overseas Filipino Workers’, Malaysian Journal of Economic Studies, Vol. 48, no. 2, pp. 185-201. Ralph, M 2009, ‘Diaspora’, Social Text, Vol. 27, no. 3, pp. 94-101. Safran, W 1991, ‘Diasporas in Modern Societies: Myths of Homeland and Return,’ Diaspora, Vol. 1, no.1, pp.83-99. Sheffer, G 2003, Diaspora Politics, Cambridge: Cambridge University. Vertovec, S., & Cohen, R. (eds) 1999, Migration, Diasporas and Transnationalism, Edward Elgar, Cheltenham. Werbner, P 2002, ‘The place which is diaspora: Citizenship, religion and gender in the making of chaordic transnationalism’, Ethnic and Racial Studies, Vol. 28, no.1, pp. 119-133. Yuval-Davis, N 2011, The Politics of Belonging: Intersectional Contestations, Sage, London. Read More