.4 Filipino Americans

This is one of the largest growing populations in Hampton Roads, Virginia with my hometown of Virginia Beach boasting four per cent of its population in the 1990 Census.

The story of Filipino immigration goes back to the Seventeenth Century. There are long established communities in California and Louisiana dating back to the Nineteenth Century; however, most Filipino immigration in Hampton Roads parallels the improved immigration status afterWorld War II and again in the sixties. The Marcos Regime was also a recent influence.

Filipino history is a fascinating blend of survival as East meets West. Their history includes over three hundred years of Spanish colonization followed by nearly a century of American involvement. With over a thousand islands and seven major languages each with several distinct dialects, it is a diverse nation with a thriving metropolis and third world rural towns. With this background, Filipino immigrants come with two things to which many white teachers are unaccustomed, conservative Catholicism and an immigrant work ethic.

With Spanish colonization, came a very strong sense of Catholicism. Most of the nation is still Catholic with a small Muslim minority found predominantly on Mindanao. If you are unfamiliar with Catholic Christianity, I urge you to learn more. If you are Catholic, you may be somewhat surprised at the manner in which Filipinos still worship. Novenas are still a common occurrence and Sunday Mass is mandatory. A twenty-something Italian American colleague of mine referred to Filipino Catholicism as the Church of her mother's, because it reminded her more of stories her mother told of growing up in the church than her own experience.

Because of the influence of the church, most Filipino Americans have a strict moral code. Typically Filipinas ( young women) are not allowed to date until after college. Young men are encouraged to date, but are expected to delay marriage until after college. Family (often encompassing a large extended family) is very important to the community. However, so is providing a good income for that family.

As with most of America's immigrants, Filipinos come to America because they want to make a better life for themselves and their families. It is not at all uncommon for both parents to work more than one job, even if their primary job is a professional one with respectable pay. Many Filipino American's are not only supporting their children, but also attempting to keep family members in the Philippines out of poverty in a third world country. It is not surprising than that many Filipino parents, themselves raised without running water and political stability, push their children very hard to succeed. Some may say this is a good thing for an educator. For the most part it is. However, we must be mindful at the reception a call home may get. I do not recommend calling for minor infractions, especially if there is a language barrier between yourself and the parent. Most Filipino families take it very seriously if the teacher has to call home with bad news.

The other trait Filipino children bring to the classroom that Anglo teachers often misinterpret is that they are quiet. They are sometimes quiet to their own deficit. Do not assume that a Filipino child is being quiet because they understand. They are raised not to call attention to themselves, especially for a shortcoming. Further, if you ask a general question to the class, they are hesitant to speak out for the same reason. Get in the habit of seruptiously asking students individually if they need help, particularly if you know they often have trouble or they are still learning the language. Finally, be careful of asking a new immigrant student to speak in front of the class before you have privately ascertained his / her English proficiency. Many children walk into American classrooms without any formal English instruction at all.

	No Parrot Question
	Mrs. Smith teaches choir at a small high school just outside of Richmond, VA. The school that she works in boasts a large percentage of minority students, specifically Filipino Americans. The school holds a huge prom every year for each grade level, and she notices that most of her students are not going because they are not yet supposed to date and it is not accepted well to go to the prom without a date in their town. Mrs. Smith feels that the other teenagers should not make such a big deal out of needing a date for the prom. How can she make the large percentage of her students that cannot have a date to the prom go to the prom and have a good time like the other kids?	Answer Here