Pinoy Social Circles
I’ve seen how Pinoy families live in America and Pinoy families here in New Zealand. May isang very noticeable difference when I compare the two.
In the States, Pinoys are more clanish. Their social circle consists mostly of close relatives. Normal lang ito kasi marami na ang mga Pinoy sa States. Since, post WWII nagpuntahan na doon ang mga Pinoy. Siguradong may mga kapatid, in-laws, cousins, grand-parents, uncles at aunts ka within the city or State. Sa mga happenings, birthdays, Christmases, outings, mga kamag-anak ang mostly kasa-kasama mo.
Sa NZ, medyo iba. Dahil bago-bago pa lang nag-migrate ang mga Pinoy dito at hindi pa gaanong marami, karamihan sa mga Pinoy wala pang mga kamag-anakan dito. Hence, their social circle consist mostly of close friends and maybe few relatives.
Yung iba dito, nagkakilalanan lang kung saan-saan. May nagkasabay lang mag-apply ng visa sa Makati o nagkasabay lang sa flight naging close friends na. One of our close friends here, na-meet lang namin sa food court ng isang shopping center nung bagong dating kami. Ngayon magku-kumpare at kumare na kami. Then our friend T, nakasama lang ng isang kaibigan si J sa pagsundo sa mag-ina ko sa airport, ngayon, every Christmas, nagpa-party kami sa kanila.
One more thing that’s noticeable about our circle of Filipino friends here is that it consists of Pinoys from different regions. May Tagalog, Kapampangan, Bisaya, Cebuano, Ilocano, Bicolano. Natutuwa akong nakikita ang mga kababayan natin na nagsasama-sama kahit iba-iba ang kanilang dialect, social background at pinanggalingan. Somehow, it shows that Filipinos can be united and supportive of one another given the right social environment. Walang inggitan. Lahat (well, almost) handang magtulungan.
For the time being, this is how I see Pinoy families living here in NZ. How long is it going to stay this way? I don’t know. The sad reality is that as more and more Pinoys come here, the more they’ll become regionalistic, then clanish. Mag-gu-grupo-grupo ang mga Kapampangan, Ilocanos, Bisayans, etc. Then eventually, magka-kanya-kanya na lang ang bawat pamilya at mga kamag-anak na lang nila ang kasa-kasama.
Perhaps there’s nothing wrong with this. That it happens to all groups of people moving to another land. A natural evolution of social composition and decomposition. It’s just a pity that it becomes harder to sustain unity and cooperation when more and more of us live in the same place.
In the States, Pinoys are more clanish. Their social circle consists mostly of close relatives. Normal lang ito kasi marami na ang mga Pinoy sa States. Since, post WWII nagpuntahan na doon ang mga Pinoy. Siguradong may mga kapatid, in-laws, cousins, grand-parents, uncles at aunts ka within the city or State. Sa mga happenings, birthdays, Christmases, outings, mga kamag-anak ang mostly kasa-kasama mo.
Sa NZ, medyo iba. Dahil bago-bago pa lang nag-migrate ang mga Pinoy dito at hindi pa gaanong marami, karamihan sa mga Pinoy wala pang mga kamag-anakan dito. Hence, their social circle consist mostly of close friends and maybe few relatives.
Yung iba dito, nagkakilalanan lang kung saan-saan. May nagkasabay lang mag-apply ng visa sa Makati o nagkasabay lang sa flight naging close friends na. One of our close friends here, na-meet lang namin sa food court ng isang shopping center nung bagong dating kami. Ngayon magku-kumpare at kumare na kami. Then our friend T, nakasama lang ng isang kaibigan si J sa pagsundo sa mag-ina ko sa airport, ngayon, every Christmas, nagpa-party kami sa kanila.
One more thing that’s noticeable about our circle of Filipino friends here is that it consists of Pinoys from different regions. May Tagalog, Kapampangan, Bisaya, Cebuano, Ilocano, Bicolano. Natutuwa akong nakikita ang mga kababayan natin na nagsasama-sama kahit iba-iba ang kanilang dialect, social background at pinanggalingan. Somehow, it shows that Filipinos can be united and supportive of one another given the right social environment. Walang inggitan. Lahat (well, almost) handang magtulungan.
For the time being, this is how I see Pinoy families living here in NZ. How long is it going to stay this way? I don’t know. The sad reality is that as more and more Pinoys come here, the more they’ll become regionalistic, then clanish. Mag-gu-grupo-grupo ang mga Kapampangan, Ilocanos, Bisayans, etc. Then eventually, magka-kanya-kanya na lang ang bawat pamilya at mga kamag-anak na lang nila ang kasa-kasama.
Perhaps there’s nothing wrong with this. That it happens to all groups of people moving to another land. A natural evolution of social composition and decomposition. It’s just a pity that it becomes harder to sustain unity and cooperation when more and more of us live in the same place.
posted by Ka Uro at
3:12 PM
8 Comments:
Yes its true. We tend to be clanish as you said. Sa mga workers din that i handled ganyan sila. Wag mo paghaluin ang mga karpenterong ilokano, bisaya, o kapampangan at siguradong magpupukpukan sila ng ulo.
Mas loyal pa nga minsan ang pinoy sa dialect at regionality e. kasi pag tinanong mo isang pinoy: ang sagot-bisaya ini, o kaya ilokano me. hehe
By
Anonymous, at 10:33 PM, May 09, 2005
that is sad, 'no? actually it is discrimination in its sense. yun ang wala minsan sa Pinoy, unity. in comparison to Japan, we are way behind - what with the crab mentality and the kanya-kanya mentality!
By
bing, at 2:02 AM, May 10, 2005
It really makes me wonder kung ang ugaling ito ng mga Pilipino is innate in them parang trade mark na nila. I come from a province myself and pag nagumpok-umpok ang mga kalahi ko, they tend to speak in our dialect. I feel that some people who do not understand the language are alienated from the conversation kaya I never speak our dialect around other people but just Tagalog or English. Di ba narerealize ng mga taong ito na that's a pure sign of rudeness?
By
Anonymous, at 10:53 AM, May 10, 2005
I remember the time went we first arrive there in NZ - Wellington in particular - There are less than 100 Filipinos - karamihan mag- asawa na wala pang anak at mga binata at dalaga na pawang less than 30 years old. Average age is about 25-26. Meron ibang medyo mas me idad ng konti 30+ pero konti din naman sila. Almost everyday magkakasama kami - sa downtown pag lunch and most of the time sa gabi din - potluck - and of course lahat ng week ends. Sabi mo nga mapa Ilocano, kapampangang, pangalatok o bisaya at tagalog - sama sama kami. Pero nung ako ay umalis na, dumadami na ang Pilipino at nagkaroon na ng barkadahan, meron ng ibat-ibang grupo at nawala na yung dating kahit sino kapa kasama ka namin. Dito nga sa Canada hindi na nagbabatian ang mga Pinoy dahil sa dami na eh - kung baga normal na ang makakita ng grupong Pilipino parang sa Pilipinas kaya wala ng pansinan. Do I missed that gathering - definitely yes - mas marami akong naging matalik na kaibigan sa NZ kaysa sa Pilipinas - although nagkahiwahiwalay na kami, marami nasa US na at Australia. Meron pa rin naman naiwan sa Wellington at Auckland at Rotorua. Really missed the friendship that we developed in NZ - hay makabalik na nga!
Cheers!
By
Huseng Busabos, at 9:56 AM, May 11, 2005
hi hb, nakakamiss nga. kahit nung bago kaming dating dito 10 years ago kapag may nakita kaming pinoy, tuwang-tuwa kaming makipag kamayan at mag-kwentuhan. those were the days, ika nga. ngayon, yung iba nag-iisnaban na rin. pero iniisip ko rin, siguro ako rin may diprensiya at nang-iisnab din. maybe i have to make an effort to try to greet/smile at them.
sige balik ka dito, but don't expect the pinoys to be the same back then. di na mababalik yon.
kung minsan nga parang masarap pumunta sa ibang lugar na wala pang pinoy. i was thinking Antarctica kasi malapit na dito sa NZ. gusto mo sama?
By
Ka Uro, at 11:08 AM, May 11, 2005
Dito sa Oz ganyan din. Kaso, ako, pagnakakakita ng ibang Pinoy, di ko binabati kasi nahihiya ako e. :P Mahiyain. Baka kasi maisnab. Anyway, ngayon mag nagbibigay ako ng effort na makakilala ng iba pang pinoy dito.
By
Gabeprime, at 12:52 PM, May 12, 2005
Ka Uro,
Sana tapos na ang araw ng Filipino crab mentality. Dapat buhayin ang 'bayanihan'.
By
jinkee, at 10:21 PM, May 17, 2005
@Ka Uro, agree ako sayo, 10 yrs back when i came here, konti lang pinoy dito, Im so happy and excited everytime makakakita ako ng pinoy.. but now mafifeel mo na mas mabuti pa na walang pinoy .. (sad to say) thats why id rather be alone and mingle with the foreigner.. i came here alone with no filipino friends, and at my work im the only filipino
By
Anonymous, at 8:22 AM, June 06, 2011
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