Rosario Go-Soco is a Filipina American immigrant residing in California. She immigrated from the Philippines in the 1980's and has lived and worked in Southern California ever since. In this interview, she gives a little background of her life in the Philippines, her immigration to the United States, the work she entered, and her point of view of being a Filipino in America.
Included in this blog is a poster with direct quotes from the interview, a link to the full transcript and video of the interview, and various segments organized around themes.
(https://docs.google.com/document/d/18Yig_7lZxDVtls1Uc-lhn0ZgfVjq6CA7URqmaNVWXzs/edit?usp=sharing)
Full Interview:
For additional context and organization, three specific themes are covered and addressed in this interview: Education, Immigration, and Identity. These topics are touched upon throughout the interview, though they are presented as follows with specific quotes and video snippets to give clear examples of Rosario's thoughts and perspectives. The answers are provided within the context of an immigrant in the Philippines transitioning to life in California, United States.
In addition, Yen Le Espiritu's article "Family, Culture, and Gender in Filipina American Lives" provides more context and input regarding the themed subjects. Relevant quotes will be included to better frame the experience of Rosario within a larger perspective of the Filipina American experience.
Themed Segments:
1. Immigration
2. Education
3. Identity
Immigration
Coming from the Philippines, Rosario shares her reasoning as to why she wanted to specifically immigrate to the United States. The main driving factor was the economic opportunity that the US provided—a chance to provide for her family back home. As stated by Espiritu, women "are expected to dedicate themselves to the family" (423), and in Rosario's case, her decision to move to the United States was entirely predicated on her need to support her children.
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What happened?
My husband got another woman. That’s what was not nice ... [It] broke our family.
Is that one of the reasons why you ended up moving to the US?
One way.
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Why did you want to come to America?
Of course to have more money because in the Philippines your earning is limited.
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Once you came here to the US, were you happy? What was your emotion?
Oh I was happy because I had got a job at once when I came.
It was quick?
Yeah it was quick.
What job did you get? ...
I was assigned to accounting, and I was happy ... I got my job at once, while in the Philippines, it will take you years even if you finished college. You can hardly find a job.
And were you sending money back to the Philippines?
Yes (laughs) that’s one important thing why I went to America. To have more money to send to my kids.
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Your grandchildren were able to immigrate in 2004?
Yeah, because that’s one reason I came to America. To bring my kids here. Otherwise they won’t be coming. They’ll be staying in the Philippines just like anybody else.
Do you think they had a better life ... here in the US than the Philippines?
Of course everybody wants to come so that’s why ... It was always in my mind to come. Even during the Japanese time.
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Education
The following two segments show snippets of Rosario's point of view on education. Specifically, she views her schooling as a starting point for her ability to provide for her family. In addition, she also worked to send her children to college—she placed a lot of importance on them being able to finish.
As paralleled by the experience of other Asian American groups, Filipino Americans were able to take advantage of shifting social perspectives on certain ethnic groups. For example, in Xiaojian Zhao's article "Chinese American Women Defense Workers in World War II," the American images of Chinese began to change from negative to positive ones" (140). The same shifting perspective occurred for Filipinos because of the Philippines' role during World War II. Because of Rosario's academic background, she was able to take advantage of the post-1965 immigration policies that favored skilled and educated workers.
As paralleled by the experience of other Asian American groups, Filipino Americans were able to take advantage of shifting social perspectives on certain ethnic groups. For example, in Xiaojian Zhao's article "Chinese American Women Defense Workers in World War II," the American images of Chinese began to change from negative to positive ones" (140). The same shifting perspective occurred for Filipinos because of the Philippines' role during World War II. Because of Rosario's academic background, she was able to take advantage of the post-1965 immigration policies that favored skilled and educated workers.
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How come you thought ... you’d get more money in the States. Did you have friends over here? Did you have family?
Because I’m educated. Ever—during the Japanese time, we moved to the countryside and I think there were two who attempted to marry me, but I never did, because I still want to go to college. To school. That was my aim in my life.
So you believe education is very important?
Of course I did and it has been proven. I was right.
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In this following snippet, Rosario talks about Filipino American history and the importance of education. She shares that because of her schooling, she was able to support her family back in the Philippines. This transition into becoming the breadwinner of the family is better understood by the context of being a single mother. Rosario shares a little bit about her marriage and the struggles due to infidelity—her focus shifted to solely supporting her children.
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[In the] Philippines, you had a degree already? ... Were you able to use that education?
Yeah ... Of course ... That’s how I feed my kids.
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How was [your husband's passing] like? ...
Well, I was actually a single mother .... for the rest of my life. I was feeding my kids, sending them to school—college and everything .... I attended to my kids. I had six. Have to raise them. Send them to school. College. Everything.
That’s a lot of work. A lot of money.
Especially sending them to college.
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Identity
Finally, Rosario talks about how she retains her cultural identity of being a Filipina even if she lives in the United States. As stated by Espiritu, "culture takes on a special significance ... [and forms] a lifeline to the home country and [is a] basis for group identity in a new country" (415). Even if Rosario has lived in the United States for decades and holds citizenship status, she maintains a connection with her homeland's culture through personal relationships and self-identity. She implores other Filipino Americans to do the same since "cultural reconstruction has been especially critical ... [as a] way to counter the cultural Americanization of the Philippines [and] to resist the assimilative and alienating demands of U.S. society" (Espiritu, 415).
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So, do you consider yourself American?
No ... I consider myself as Filipino.
Kahit (even if) you’ve been here for a long time already?Yeah. I love the Philippines.
What do you love about the Philippines?That’s where I came from.
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Were you able to maintain your culture? ... Even if you lived here in America?
Yeah. Of course.
How were you able to maintain? ...
Being true to myself. I’m a Filipino and I stayed Filipino through and through.
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Do you have advice to other Filipino Americans?
Yes. Be true to your country. Even if you are in America.
How can they be true to their country?
Of course. Because some Filipinos when they are in America, they forget they are Filipinos. So that’s right. You should not forget who you are.
What should they do so they don’t forget? What can they do?
Contact your friends in the Philippines.
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Don’t forget where you came from. Who you are. Never forget that you are Filipino ... Even if you are already rich in America, you should help those poor people in the Philippines.
Do you have any messages for family, uh back in the Philippines? ...
[Don't] forget to strive for a better future for yourself. Work hard.
How has life been here in America for you?
Oh, it’s better of course. Because if I were in the Philippines, I would not [be] spending things like what you get here.
So even if you said ... it’s hard in the Philippines—you can make more money here—you still love the Philippines?
Of course! It’s hypocrisy if you don’t love your country. For me, you are a hypocrite. You should know where you came from.
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Overall, Rosario's story illustrates an immigrant's journey from the Philippines to the United States in order to support her family through academic and economic achievements. Since she was able to use her educational background as a starting point to achieve financial security, Rosario places high importance on schooling and education. Throughout the years, she's been able to raise her children in the US while still maintaining a sense of personal ethnic identity. As paralleled by Espiritu's finding, Filipino Americans find ways to "claim ... power denied them by racism" (416) in the United States through various ways. In the case of Rosario, her ability to achieve economic and social success in the United States is tied with her personal choice to self-identify and maintain her Filipino American culture.
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Espiritu, Yen Le. "“We Don’t Sleep Around Like White Girls Do”Family, Culture, and Gender in Filipina American Lives." Gender and U.S. ImmigrationContemporary Trends (2003): 263-84. Web.
Zhao, X. "Chinese American Women Defense Workers in World War II." California History 75.2 (1996): 138-53. Web.
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