Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the greatest worker of us all?
The Filipino immigrants who have had the opportunity to go to America are indeed a mixed lot. Majority of these Fil-Americans are have earned college degrees.
While most originate from our working masses looking for a better life, some come from the Philippines social upper crust.
What type of a worker is the Filipino? Do we fit into the American workplace? Last time I checked, the Filipino Americans have one of the top spots in per capita income among immigrants in the United States. We have managed to etch our way from doing agricultural work to blue/white collar positions in corporate America.
What makes the Filipino worker tick? A Pinoy who leaves the Philippines on his/her destination to a foreign land is determined to succeed. This individual’s mind is decided to work hard at anything in order to survive. The thought process is always clicking numbers. For instance: If I make 10 dollars per hour, how much is that in pesos? How many hours do I need to work in order to comfortably support my family back home, along with allowing me to have a comfortable life in the United States? Maybe I can find a second job so I can buy that nice car. Hmm… How much does a house cost?
Initially, we Fil-Ams think in terms of survival when we arrive in this country. But, the Pinoy mentality is not only of survival, but it is also of getting ahead. How many of us started working minimum wage while applying for better paying jobs using updated resumes? I believe the Filipino worker not only works hard, but also works smart. We have the ability to assimilate (we speak English well) and get along with superiors. It is part of our nature to be respectful to authority and the American bosses love that. In other words, we know how to kiss ass! Right?
After a period of plain survival, we decide that this place called America offers me the chance to get ahead even if I don’t know anyone in high places. I can actually be promoted even though I am not related to the CEO or the office manager. Well, let’s give it a try! We don’t have a problem with talking to the bosses about our ideas or for that matter, asking for a raise. First we butter up the boss, then later ask him/her for a raise! Worse they can say is no, right? But, we Filipinos are tough. Although painful, rejections are but a temporary obstacle as we keep our eye on the objective. Yes, we focus on that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow; or in basketball, that 3 point shot!
What makes us different? We smile a lot. We share our food. Pinoys are popular for their pancit and lumpia. Why are these food items so popular amongst the Americans? It’s because the Filipino in the workplace don’t have second thoughts in sharing food. It’s like a national pride for us to put our lunch in the middle of the table during our meal breaks and having other people eat it. In a way, we are promoting tourism for the Philippines here when we present our culture on that lunch table. But hey, we know how to win brownie points! Maybe later we get promoted for sharing our pancit and lumpia? Whatever works.
As time goes by, we improve our incomes and status in American society. We buy nice homes and drive classy cars. Our children attend expensive private Catholic schools.
We have at last, achieved the American dream. What do we do next?
The successful Filipino-Americans invest in real estate. They buy homes, then rent them out. They use the equity from these multiple homes to buy more homes. They figure out how they can take loans out of their cumulative equity and pay minimum payments on their mortgages. Voila! We have our version of Pinoy “Donald Trumps” in our communities. It is an accepted business thought that at this stage; we don’t have to work hard as opposed to working smart. Again, it’s a numbers game with the bottom line of how much dollars we have at our disposal.
So what’s up with the Filipino mentality in this American environment? Do we stand a chance? Coming from a third world country, the average Pinoy immigrant realizes that in the United States, the future is what we make it. We are only limited by our imagination and the chances that we dare to take. We don’t need to have a rich uncle or know somebody in order to get ahead. What matters is that we are able to transform that hunger within us into something called success. As a matter of fact, the American dream is about the same as our Filipino dream. The only difference is the exchange rate between dollars and pesos. I hope we all have fun in achieving our American dream. Enjoy the trip!
(By John Lacson)