Analysis - America Is In The Heart by Carlos Bulosan
Carlos Bulosan's 1946 book America is in the Heart is a hard-hitting, revolutionary and eye-opening work that examines what it meant to be a Filipino in early-to-mid 20th century America. This was a time when racial segregation, particularly of Filipinos, was rampant, and becoming a profitable, hard worker was difficult if your skin was the wrong color. During this time, Bulosan worked in the Philippines, working hard and pawning personal items in order to help Macario, his brother, finish school. Moving from there to America in 1930, he hoped to find work and a new life there; what he found was much uglier. In Bulosan's book, the harsh reality of Filipinos living in America is detailed, and it indicates an insidious brand of American colonialism and exceptionalism that borders on xenophobia. At the same time, Bulosan is optimistic about the real American Dream, and calls for everyone to accept all who live and work in America as brothers and fellow citizens.
During World War II, Japan had occupied the Philippines; at war's end, however, the country was occupied by the United States until 1973. During this time, there were many social changes that came as a result of the United States' occupation, and the influence of its culture on the Filipinos. Before World War II, villages (barangays) were spread out and very small; their remoteness from each other created an emphasis on sovereignty and family, as many small communities had to work together in order to survive. After the US occupied the Philippines, however, landlords of property moved into larger towns, consolidating Filipino society as the tenants went with them. This led to a much more industrialized society in the Philippines, which was advantageous from a technological point of view; however, this helped to separate Filipinos from their normal societal traditions, and created a more homogenized culture.
This aspect of colonization is precisely what the United States and European countries tend to accomplish with their efforts abroad; colonialism of every sort manages to usurp the innate cultural values of a culture in lieu of the pervading values of the occupying country. In the case of the Philippines, centralization and the move to cities was one of the most significant changes that occurred as a result of this occupation; while it may have created a stronger infrastructure and greater opportunities for Filipinos, it diminished the importance of small-town unity and the cultural links that formed as a result.
In Bulosan's estimation, there is a very strong link between colonialism and migration. In essence, Bulosan and other Filipinos moved to America as a direct result of the colonization of his country by America. The effects of that occupation left Bulosan both with diminished employment capabilities, and the idea of America as a "better place" where work and prosperity could be found. Furthermore, during the brief time in which the Philippines were an occupied area, Filipinos were considered American nationals, making them exempt from threats of deportation and specific laws excluding them from society. They were, effectively, Americans; upon moving there, Bulosan was not subject to the possibility of being forced to leave.
This, naturally, did not sit well with regular American citizens - having a second class citizenry, with no real rights but no way to make them leave, was distasteful to many whites in America. Filipinos were already derided and exploited, having no respect among those living in America. There was a tremendous surge of anti-Filipino sentiment during the time; Filipinos were often equated to dogs - this was the level of disrespect native-born Americans had toward this influx of cheap undesirable labor. “At that time, there was ruthless persecution of the Filipinos throughout the Pacific Coast” (Bulosan, 1973). Many of the cultural messages attributed to Filipinos were that of savages who were going to ravage white women; this did not match up with the relatively modern, bilingual and deeply cultured Filipino people who wished to join the workforce. Bulosan was one of those, a man who simply wanted to find a new life for himself in America, only to be met with unreasonable scorn and disdain simply because of his ethnicity.
Efforts to improve the station and situation of Filipinos were met with great resistance and suspicion. Bulosan attempted to form a labor union of Filipino workers, in order to improve conditions for his people; however, this was very much an uphill battle, as no one wanted to acknowledge the needs and desires of these Filipino half-citizens. People were beaten, threatened, and many Filipinos took sick during their struggle to survive in America. Nonetheless, despite these hardships, Bulosan and many others maintained their faith and love for America, and the opportunities that they provide. This indicates a tremendous amount of resolve and perseverance to survive and flourish in a country that did not want them; of course, this is not the message that America sends when it occupies other nations and slowly introduces them to American culture and amenities. This level of mild, stealthy imperialism is part of the reason why the American Dream has flourished and prospered for so long.
Expansionism and imperialism are not alien concepts to the United States; a strong pattern has emerged that links US foreign policy and activity to an assimilation of values and assertion of control over the people that are governed there. After World War II, the United States occupied Japan as well, bringing about the Meiji Restoration. In this time, Japanese people were taught about modern conveniences like cars, motion pictures, cooked meat, and beds. While these advancements arguably provided a greater sense of comfort and luxury among the Japanese people, it could be argued that those same amenities diminished the unique nature of Japanese culture.
In this culture, and others that have become more Americanized over the years, the new brand of American expansionism comes slowly and sneakily. Instead of claiming lands as specifically under American control, the occupation happens through culture; by providing a sense of luxury, and new technological advancements, other cultures accept them readily and begin to adopt a new way of life as an Americanized culture. This ties them inexorably to the United States in financial matters, as well as creates a culture that is subservient to the United States; these cultures are dependent upon America for the amenities they are introduced to, and therefore become addicted to.
With this in mind, Bulosan's experiences support the idea of American "exceptionalism," a concept that lies in the middle ground between European imperialism and US colonialism. With American exceptionalism, imperialistic issues such as control of a culture and rule over its people are melded with the colonial notion of sovereignty. In essence, American exceptionalism maintains an illusion of freedom, while making a culture inexorably addicted or enticed by the concept of the wealth and prosperity that many of its citizens have. They then move to the United States to chase the dream that is advertised to them in their own country, only to find they are simply not wanted there. Those in the United States wish for prosperity for all people; however, this is contingent on them staying away from their front door. It is a policy and an attitude that is simultaneously racist and progressive; people want the best for others, as long as they do not have to personally encounter said others. This is the experience that Bulosan and the Filipinos that moved to America with him went through; they were sold on the American Dream, but were denied from making it happen in America.
During the Great Depression and beyond, Bulosan and his fellow Filipinos had to deal with aggressively prescient issues of racism, as evidenced by the different views of "America" that were held by a great many people. Between whites and Filipinos, two distinct perspectives arose as to what America was supposed to be; for Filipinos, America was viewed as a land of plenty, a utopia where people could get work and prosper. However, for many whites, America was viewed as their land and their land only; they were not appreciative of the influx of immigrants from the Philippines, or what they represented. These two conflicting ideas of what America was meant to be helped create a lot of the conflict between whites and Filipinos during the early 20th century.
Despite the bitterness and disenfranchisement with which he wrote about his experiences and treatment in America, he held no grudge against the overall purpose of America, and what it was meant to be. However much he suffered during his time, he felt as though America was an ideal that was unfinished; in order to make it better, "everyone must investtime and energythis outlook leaves us with a feeling of hope for the future instead of bitter defeat" (Bulosan, 1973). Bulosan wrote his book in order to provide Americans with some sort of hope and fulfillment, or at least advocate for a better future. Bulosan believes that American exceptionalism is alive and well; for better or worse, Bulosan supports that notion, regardless of what it does to those less fortunate or wanted by the majority of Americans.
In Bulosan's perspective, America should mean more than the geological place, and the people who happen to be in power - America belongs to all who wish to live and work within her, and it is the dream of something more. "America is a prophecy of a new society of men: of a system that knows no sorrow or strife or suffering. America is a warning to those who would try to falsify the ideas of free men" (Bulosan, 1973). He wishes for everyone who has experienced good or bad in this country to recognize their identity as Americans, and for those who oppress minorities and those different from them to recognize that same identity. "All of us, from the first Adams to the last Filipino, native born or alien, educated or illiterate -- We are America!" (Bulosan, 1973).
At the same time, he does not want to shy away from, or white-wash, the atrocities committed against him and his people. Mutilation, death, and violence were commonly inflicted upon Filipino immigrants - symptoms of a tremendously xenophobic culture that nonetheless lorded its superior food, culture and technology over those who asked America for help, as well as those who had it foisted upon them. The dichotomy between America's desire to spread its wealth across the world, and its unwillingness to actually let outsiders into their own personal utopia, is the cornerstone of the conflict in Bulosan's book.
In conclusion, America is in the Heart depicts American expansionism and exceptionalism as a wonderful ideal that should be worked toward, although the costs can be great for less industrialized cultures. While Americans want their way of life spread throughout the world, they do not go so far as to accept those of other cultures on their own soil. When something personal (their land, their jobs) are threatened by outsiders, the veneer of freedom and hope that America tends to advertise vanishes. In its place is rampant racism, discrimination, and disenfranchisement, all from a government and a culture that promises these opportunities to those it occupies. In the case of Bulosan and his Filipino brethren, the reception they were met with upon entering America was not what they expected - instead of the land of the free and prosperous, they were greeted to a discriminatory dystopia where they were not welcome.
Works Cited
Bulosan, Carlos. America is in the Heart: A Personal History. Seattle: University of
Washington, 1973. Print.
