Rose Colored (or...Come on Ling-Rose-Lee, this is our stop.)

Ok guys, I really have to take a deep breath here. What I am about to present to you is the type of writing that is breathtaking, fast, action-packed, not too much contemplation, just direct to the bones, direct to your face, listen-or-shut-up kind of story that before you even realize it, you are in the fray, punching the air and worst of all, anticipating something you don't know. Yes, that is the most surprising about these new bunch of  writers, their stories  don't have the usual endings. Their characters aren't the usual suspects. They are mysterious from the very beginning. When you wanna think this character needs to be cuddled,  she's kicked in the ass instead.  When you say to yourself, of course this character will do this thang next, well, helllloo, she doesn't.

The writers I am referring to are a different breed physically and culturally - they are the Fil-am writers  Evelina Galang and Lara Stapleton.

My personal comment first:

This is something every brown Filipino needs to realize: We expanded this nation, we expanded this culture, we blended our flag, fallopian tubes, principles, history, heroes, looks with other flags, semen, philosophy, history , heroes and  looks...whatever... since we are soooo daring and adventurous. So don't come telling me your Fil-am ain't worth shit. Dahling, s/he kicks ass and you better have a nice ass to kick.

When I started my American life in Tennessee, the first person to visit me was a representative of the Baptist Church, who led me to a Filipino long-time resident who led me to her network of other Filipinos who led me to their picnics who led me to their cultural shows - and I have always thought I was hated by their kids. Could I blame them? These Filipino parents insist on having their kids dance the tinikling in public and their boys have to wear these nasty loin-cloths dancing Igorot-like, like,  how stupid can you get? And these poor little boys and girls probably think they do these to entertain Pinoys like me who long to see home. I know, I know the Pinoy parents have very noble intentions, but, bless their hearts, I am not entertained at all and neither their kids enjoy entertaining me. Pansit and lugaw and tinola are enough to make me happy. I wish they'd let their kids be American kids. Let them who wanna dance Filipino Dance dance, but don't force the ones who don't!

I am a solid native Pinoy descended from the Madjapahit Empire extending up to the Sumatrans of Indonesia who settled in a region called Pampanga. But I really never wore a loin cloth and I will call 911 if someone asks me to wear that nasty thing in public. I will never dance the tininkling, nor the maglalatik, nor the Ifugao dance because I am not interested. So what makes the Pinoy parents in America think that cultural dancing inculcates Filipinism in the minds of their children? It doesn't because these kids are primarily Americans and magnifying their ethnicity only kills their self esteem and deprives them of climbing above the rest of Americans. These Fil-ams maybe Filipino in blood but golly, give them the right to think American. In due time, they will know, in due time, they will look up to the East. Sorry, I hate to pontificate but this is something that crossed my mind in reading this story.

Rose Colored short story by Evelina Galang.

The conflict presented by Ms Galang is something new to me. It is the struggle of a Fil-am in the world of USA. it is a universal struggle, a struggle for acceptance, belonging, and happiness within the context of American culture.

Mina and Rose are the characters in the story : Mina is tall, half-Irish mestiza, beautiful, sought after by men, a go-go dancer. Rose is brown, of pure Filipino blood, conservative, the homely/working/marrying/mothering kind' a woman.

They tried living together, they are cousins.

The conflict begins: Mina is city-bred, Rose is rural-bred; Mina enjoys working as a dancer, Rose thinks dancing ain't a job. As children, Mina was always the star or the princess while  Rose was often delegated to the role of a witch or the warrior; Mina is purely physical, Rose is sedentary; Mina receives money from her dancing, Rose counts other people's money in the bank where she works. Mina is happy go lucky, Rose wants security, and relies in the traditional.

And then the conflict builds up into  a clash: Mina brings her cousin Rose in the bar where she dances ago-go. Inside, Rose feels suffocated, dirty, isolated. She walks away, runs away.
That morning they meet, one accusing the other. And then, the highest point of the conflict is voiced out, I never read as intense a dialogue as the following  since Nick Joaquin's Summer Solstice -

Rose: Look, just 'cause I'm not beautiful and adjusted and happy like your majesty, doesn't        mean there's something wrong with me. I just didn't feel like staying.

Mina: Why are you such a bitch?

Rose: ...Just leave me alone, would you?

Mina: You want to be left alone? You come here unannounced (This is  a Pinoy trait hated by nearly ALL Americans- comment by moi), so I welcome you, introduce you to my friends, feed you - and you act like this is my problem, like being here is hell? Thanks cousin.

Rose: I yank my body away from her. I raise my hand to hit her, I'm so mad. I'm screaming now. I'm telling her she's not perfect. She's too tall and too skinny and what man want a bone like her. No wonder she's alone. I'm telling her to grow up, to get a  a real job, be responsible like the rest of us . "The rest of us have grown up Mina, " I tell her. "The rest of us know exactly what we're doing."

Mina: No you don't. You don't. You've always been uptight. You've always kissed everyone's ass and now you're miserable. So don't blame me. Don't blame anyone."

And you thought being Fil-am is so cool. No hon, Fil-ams too have their own struggles to contend with. And Evelina Galang's book reveals all that.

On a deeper sense, the story Rose Colored can be interpreted as the conflict between the dominant race (white) versus the ethnic race (brown). This is the other angle I saw in this story.

Then there is also the angle of conflict between the outside tradition of Rose (representing the Filipino culture) versus the inside/prevailing tradition of Mina (representing the American). Indeed, if one would read this story, it  would have lots and lots of interpretations.

As far as I am concerned, this book explains to me what those Fil-am kids think when they dance tinikling to entertain Filipino communities in USA. I still think, well, I'm still sure they hate it.

To continue...(I am reading Lara Stapleton next)
 Alex Maskara is Pinoy

Volume 1