Finding the Sun: An Effort in Retracting and Relearning One’s Past

Abstract

Colonization of the Philippines has affected the realities of generations of Filipinos and members of the Filipino diaspora through cultural imperialism and the implementation of colonial hierarchies and institutions. My research analyzes my lived experiences as a Filipino American and passages detailing Filipino American experiences in Elaine Castillo's America is Not the Heart and Malaka Gharib's I Was Their American Dream. I use the lens provided to me through sources dealing with empire, colonialism, and identity to question how Filipino Americans continuously deal with and are influenced by displacement. I seek to place my location and trace it through a history of colonialism, migration, and forced alliances. I explore ideas such as the erasure of Filipino culture and history, the creation of narratives, and the acceptance of one's identity in hopes of better understanding my heritage and encouraging others to examine their own critically.