Book Description

This volume, a compilation of selected historical essays, is envisioned to capture the kind of information that global Filipinos need and to serve as a quick reference for them during their interactions with other people in foreign lands - whether they are in Australia, Europe, the United States, the Middle East or Asia and the Pacific. There are now an estimated 7.9 million Filipino expatriates living and working in 193 countries throughout the world. The essays have been grouped into three parts. The first provides answers to the question of Filipino identity, and how that identity formed. What are the symbols of Filipino identity, national and political? The second part discusses why Filipinos became known as 'brown Americans of Asia,' explains how the Americans changed the lives of Filipinos with their Pacific adventure, and how the Americanization of the Filipinos was realized easily. The final part talks about global Filipinos, how they survive outside the Philippines, and the problems they encounter. How does Filipino migration help the Philippines survive? The book also presents a discussion of two issues needing clarification - the Philippines' territorial claims on Sabah and the Spratlys, and the life of Imelda Marcos, the most maligned woman in Philippine history, who is compared to another controversial figure in another country's history - Evita Peron, the former First Lady of Argentina. REVIEWS The author accomplished what he ought to do, that is, provide a ready, easy background historical resource for our overseas Filipino workers about Filipinoness; a good historical narrative and at times quite satisfying since he injects nationalistic commentary and understanding of the events in our history and not falling into the usual self-censorship brought about by a mis-educated Filipino mind. I find the book a good one to taste for a start to learn about our history, to share, keep and give to friends and relatives; a truly handy primer, firstly for our own selves as Filipinos and our descendants, and for informing our foreign hosts and friends in foreign lands. . . . We Filipinos need this kind of handbook in helping discover, know and understand ourselves from our past and in the struggle to revive our nationalism and thus regain our homeland from our traitorous fellowmen and their foreign partners/sponsors. from the The Philippine Star by Domini M. Torrevillas