Nowadays, it’s difficult to describe or pinpoint political behavior that promotes nationalism. That’s because none of us know what nationalism really is. What does it mean to be nationalistic? Is it blind obedience to the State and its laws that bind? Is it the freedom to be loyal to a certain set of ideals?
Filipino nationalism was first introduced as a weapon against colonialism. For many Filipinos under Spanish rule, the love for country was the overarching reason behind wanting independence. It was an idealistic mindset and yet it was what they needed, more than practical reasons. It was through patriotism and cultural identification that the indios were not afraid to form guerrilla groups and rally against colonial powers. Nationalism …show more content…
Filipino nationalism still worked to condemn the colonizers, but the idea of it was significantly repressed over the enemy’s tenure. The Americans came up with a lot of laws that prevented Filipinos from expressing anything at all. The new colonizers also had impressive tactics that gave way to class discrimination. The Americans then were racist to begin with, so they already had the impression that we were niggers, uneducated and not ready for self-government. They maybe somehow knew too that the educated middle to upper class would feel insulted and indignant so they slyly decided to give them privileges. This is when the Americans started to patronize the entire Filipino elite. Probably an underlying reason as to why the Americans targeted the elite and made government partial to them is because they were the ones capable of an actual upset. The elite were educated and were well within their means to carry out a revolution. Taking the elite away from the remaining revolutionary forces left the masses with little support and brain power. Also, the alliance of the Filipino elite and the colonizers not only brought about class discrimination, but it created breaks in the Filipino identity. The masses consequently gained different opinions on what it was to be Filipino, and so did the …show more content…
One instance that struck a chord with a lot of the people in lower classes was when Marcos ordered for the demolishment of informal settling areas and the kicking out of people from their makeshift homes. At the time, this was a legal act. It was in the Constitution. In Article IV Section 2 of the 1973 Constitution, the law states: “Private property shall not be taken for public use without just compensation.” The demolishment happened because the land became private and at the disposal of investors and buyers. That section was later removed during the Aquino administration. The elite and the media condemned the way the lower classes handled the mass eviction. The upper classes self- righteously put the masses in their place, while the masses resented the upper classes for refusing to help. These informal settlers were beaten up, jailed and disrespected. They were treated like untamed animals by their own government and by their own countrymen. It must have been a shocking moment for Philippine independence. We did not work hard to practice freedom only to turn on each
Filipino nationalism was first introduced as a weapon against colonialism. For many Filipinos under Spanish rule, the love for country was the overarching reason behind wanting independence. It was an idealistic mindset and yet it was what they needed, more than practical reasons. It was through patriotism and cultural identification that the indios were not afraid to form guerrilla groups and rally against colonial powers. Nationalism …show more content…
Filipino nationalism still worked to condemn the colonizers, but the idea of it was significantly repressed over the enemy’s tenure. The Americans came up with a lot of laws that prevented Filipinos from expressing anything at all. The new colonizers also had impressive tactics that gave way to class discrimination. The Americans then were racist to begin with, so they already had the impression that we were niggers, uneducated and not ready for self-government. They maybe somehow knew too that the educated middle to upper class would feel insulted and indignant so they slyly decided to give them privileges. This is when the Americans started to patronize the entire Filipino elite. Probably an underlying reason as to why the Americans targeted the elite and made government partial to them is because they were the ones capable of an actual upset. The elite were educated and were well within their means to carry out a revolution. Taking the elite away from the remaining revolutionary forces left the masses with little support and brain power. Also, the alliance of the Filipino elite and the colonizers not only brought about class discrimination, but it created breaks in the Filipino identity. The masses consequently gained different opinions on what it was to be Filipino, and so did the …show more content…
One instance that struck a chord with a lot of the people in lower classes was when Marcos ordered for the demolishment of informal settling areas and the kicking out of people from their makeshift homes. At the time, this was a legal act. It was in the Constitution. In Article IV Section 2 of the 1973 Constitution, the law states: “Private property shall not be taken for public use without just compensation.” The demolishment happened because the land became private and at the disposal of investors and buyers. That section was later removed during the Aquino administration. The elite and the media condemned the way the lower classes handled the mass eviction. The upper classes self- righteously put the masses in their place, while the masses resented the upper classes for refusing to help. These informal settlers were beaten up, jailed and disrespected. They were treated like untamed animals by their own government and by their own countrymen. It must have been a shocking moment for Philippine independence. We did not work hard to practice freedom only to turn on each