Today, Hawaii is a very
diverse area. Different people of various ethnicities are
together as one big family. Now, Filipinos make up 15% of
the population in Hawaii. There is little racism as there
was when the Filipino sakadas (laborers) arrived in
1906.
Children
holding hands around the world.
In terms of income, employment and lifestyle, Filipinos are more toward the "average" families of Hawaii. Their living standards have improved. Many have moved away from their cultural heritage. Now, Filipinos interact with people of different ethnicities. However, many Filipinos still live in plantation villages of the past, and continue to maintain their past. Additionally, many have a dependence on the economic stability of the plantations. Many of these plantations are now out of business, and employment for those Filipinos has become scarce. Many of the old plantation camps have closed down, and former residents have moved into modern subdivision versions of the old camps. Many of the plantation camps have been transformed. For example, the Ewa villages on Oahu is now a developed residential area. Many Filipinos are being left behind in Hawaii's rapidly changing society.
The extended family is the basic unit for Filipinos. They are always ready to help in labor and in good fortune with relatives. On a positive note, most Filipinos in Hawaii are coping with the change and are becoming increasingly successful in professions, the trades, and in government. Many are able to hold on to their Filipino roots.
Some communities have
Filipino fiestas of their own to preserve their customs
and traditions. Associations teach culture to the next
generation. U.S. dance troupes have been put together to
showcase the Filipino culture and dancing. I went to a
Filipino celebration once and I saw one of the dances the
Filipinos are preserving. It was called "Tinikling." The
dance is performed with two bamboo sticks hit against
each other in a pattern. People try to jump and not get
their feet stuck in the bamboo. "Tinikling" represents a
bird dodging hunter's traps. The Filipinos continue to
celebrate holidays like Flores de Mayo, which is a
religious festival. They also celebrate Philippine
Independence Day which is on June 12. Their foods are
some local favorites for non-Filipinos too.
People
performing the Filipino traditional dance of Tinikling.
Now, Filipinos have the
freedom to achieve any goals they set for themselves.
They have equal opportunities, that is, they can have
different occupations and are not punished for it. Many
Filipinos have been in the Hawaii government such as
Nestor R. Garcia, Ron Menor, Romy Cachola, Reynaldo
Graulty, Joshua C. Agsalud and Eduardo E. Malapit.
Governor Benjamin Cayetano made history when he was
elected the first Filipino-American governor in United
States history.
This is
Governor Cayetano, who was the first Filipino Governor in
the United States.
Tinikling
http://www.boondocksnet.com/centennial/sctexts/lam98a.html
Governor Cayetano
http://gov.state.hi.us/
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