Family Reflection
I am a Chinese international student, and I interviewed my friend’s grandmother, Mrs. Santamaria, who lives in San Diego, CA. She is the mother to her mother and has lived in America since she was in her early twenties.
Question 1
Her acclamation was that she did not feel she belonged in America, but she has never left the country since she came. This is because she had children in America, and she built a home and many beautiful memories. Thus, she felt tied to America, both physically and sentimentally by her long-lived modeling career, her husband, her two loving children, and now, her grandchildren. Thus, it was an honor for her to talk about family in America.
Question 2
Her grandmother is a Philippine and came to America to pursue her modeling career. She went to the United States voluntarily and first settled in California. She came to America in 1932, and her first memory was her encounter with Stevie Nicks. A then young girl with a big dream who also inspired her ideas.
Question 3
After Mrs. Santamaria got pregnant by her manager, Mr. Santamaria, they decided to move to San Diego, CA, and they settle in Manhattan. Mr. Santamaria was also a Philippine.
Question 4
All she could think of is that she had two different and parallel families. She had left her parents in the Philippines, and she never saw them again. She had blamed her parents for subjecting them to poverty and never wanted ever to go back home. Mrs. Santamaria is a strong woman with a strong will who does not condone failure. Thus, she has never felt guilty living her family behind because she considered them failures.
Question 5
The only thing she told me was that her other family lives in Manila. She even told me her children visit there occasionally, and that is why all her children married their fellow Philippines. This made my friend a full Asian.
Personal Reflection
I learned that the United States was a land of opportunity. Mrs. Santamaria abandoned her family back in her home to relocate to America without a penny or much wealth, but only with the hope that America in America, she would become wealthy, and she would acquire the desires of her heart. It made me look at America differently. I began to see the nation as a refuge and a land of dreams.
I learned that the Chinese are more traditional compared to the Philippines. They also have tremendous pride in their culture and are taught about filial piety since childhood. Thus, it is almost impossible to find a Chinese abandoning his or her family altogether.
I learned that there are people who do not have much value for culture. Mrs. Santamaria quickly abandoned her lifestyle and was assimilated to that of the United States of America. I also learned that one could never lose their identity, especially their cultural identity. As much as Mrs. Santamaria was American, all of her documents and web searchers still referred to her as a Philippine. This is because she had striking features of a Philippine, and that was undeniable. I also learned that we decide to keep history because it reminds us of where we come from, what we have done, and why did things a particular way.