Intsik Ako, 'Tangina Mo

Pardon my French. I don't usually swear but the amount of ignorance in this armpit-of-the-world nation can really get to me sometimes. It's amazing how prejudiced and ignorant people can be. I mean, you sort of expect this from people who have not had the benefit of education but when it's government officials making stupid, bigoted, racially hurtful statements on TV, well, you can't help but cuss.

This has to do with the ongoing ZTE scandal, whose alleged stories of bribery and corruption goes up to the first gentleman himself.

Back story: one of the guys in the deal, Jun Lozada, had been missing for a while. Rumor was that he had returned to the country after fleeing, but could not be located. He resurfaced after a while, saying that he had been abducted at the airport my four men who might have been military (he wasn't sure but they did have military haircuts). They were going to take him to Dasmarinas, Cavite (apparently a popular salvage victim dumping ground, according to my sister, who studied medicine there), except that at the last minute, his captors got a phone call telling them to turn back, as the media clamor for Lozada had reached fever pitch.

I don't watch the news, so I get all my information second hand (guiltyguilty). So I was enjoying a peaceful Sunday in church when I got this message from a Fil-Chi friend. It had been texted to him by Star columnist Ricky Lo.

It said: “When Jun Lozada said in is press conference, crying out of his sincerity that he's a “probinsyanong intsik” (provincial Chinese – intisik is a derogatory term for Filipino-Chinese) and at the Senate hearing that he is a son of poor Chinese migrants who wants this country to be a better country, SERGIO APOSTOL, a cabinet secretary of GMA, insulted him of being a crying lady & INTSIK that should be DEPORTED back to China. Hadn't APOSTOL knew that we the Filipino-Chinese contributed a lot for the growt of this country? I am proud to be a FILIPINO but I can't bear to be INSULTED of my CHINESE heritage because I am PROUD of it. I'd rather be called INTSIK than become the likes of APOSTOL, GONZALES, PUNO, ARROYO et al who runs this GOVT like a mafia. PANINDIGAN natin ang ating LAHI & be PROUD of it!”

I forwarded the text to an aunt, who is also a member of Kaisa, who said, “I agree! Tessy (Ang See) has responded to Apostol. Came out in the news last night (Ch 7). Karma-karma lang yan, pamangkin.” (loosely translated: He'll get his karma soon, my niece)

I answered: “Sana masagasaan siya ng trak na may ari na intsik.” (I hope he gets run over by a Filipino-Chinese owned truck)

She answered: 'Sana nga. Intsik din naman si FG kaya ipadeport din siya.”

I'm glad that I have at least one aunt who's up to date on the news, and who has a sense of humor, too.

Of course, one of mu friends said: “As for Apostol “instik” comment...well Lozada isn't even tsinoy...why did say that in the first place?”

To which I said, “You have to admit that it was a great way to shift the spotlight to Apostol.”

Hence, the rant.

Seriously, I don't understand why there is so much prejudice against the Chinese. Actually, I do. Before the Spanish came, there was extensive trade and diplomatic relations between China and the Philippines. There's an historical account of a Sultan who settled in China, and of Chinese men who settled with the aetas in Benguet, as well as archaeological evidence like pottery, etc. From historical accounts, it seemed that, to make a long story short, everything went well. And then the Spanish came.

The Spanish looked down on the Chinese, who believed in hard work and were willing to take on the lowest jobs to earn a living. They were barbers, snack vendors, store owners. The Spanish massacred them herded them into walled cities, regulated their way of life. In short, they looked down on them. And somehow, this way of thinking got passed on to the Filipinos, who still think like this up to this day. I' not saying all Filipinos are prejudiced against the Chinese, but I am saying that there are still a lot of people who are. For one, it's an easy thing to fall on. Intsik. Intsik beho. Sure, laugh at the guy in the wifebeater who lives above his hardware store who speaks Tagalog funny. It's easy. Sure, look down on the race that has traded with yours for centuries. It's easy to say that the Chinese have become rich off Filipino land and resources and thus should be hated. What most people forget is that these people became rich by WORKING HARD (a term a lot of people are allergic to) for it. Hello! People migrate because they are poor. Lucio Tan wasn't the son of a millionaire. He worked his way up to Taipan-hood. And let's not forget that he supports charities and has one himself, as do a lot of Fil-Chi businessmen.

Instead, most people have embraced the way of their conquerors, wanting to be like the people who sailed in, taking their crops and raping their women and sending their men to forced labor camps and promoting a culture where work is looked down on and the people who make the most money while doing the least amount of work are looked up to. I have nothing against the Spanish. Some of the coolest people are know are of Spanish descent. But I do have something against the Spanish who were alive in those 400 years we were under their rule. In fact, if I had a time machine, I would want to go back to when Magellan landed so that I could kick his country-raping ass. Uunahan ko si Lapu-Lapu, hehe.

This prejudice against the Chinese isn't just seen on TV and heard on the streets. Try registering a business in the DTI or SEC. One of the requirements is that if you have a foreign-sounding name, you have to show proof of your citizenship. What the f**k is that??! The Chinese were here even before the Spanish imposed their family names on the Filipinos, a**h*les. My grandfather was part of the guerrillas during the Japanese war. He helped save this stupid f***ing country and I have to show proof of my f***ing citizenship???!!! If I happen to forget my passport, will I be required to slit my wrist to prove that I have Filipino blood even if my last name says I don't? Besides, the Chinese have been in this country for so long I bet even the “purest” Filipino family tree has some Chinese blood running through its veins. We're that good, baby.

And what's with Chinese New Year not being a holiday? The Philippines too good to celebrate the start of the lunar year? If I recall, everyone, not just the Chinese, celebrated the last one. Not that we need another holiday. This country is so full of holidays that we might as well not work.

I guess part of the reason that the Chinese are still treated so badly is because they themselves condone it. The Chinese have always wanted to blend in. They don't like confrontations. They don't like to call attention to themselves. They don't like violence. All they want to do is earn a living. It seems that the only way to get respect in this country is to take things by force. The Spanish and Americans conquered the Philippines and are still being revered as gods here. The Muslim extremists stated bombing cities and generally making a fuss, so now Ramadan is a national holiday. So if the Chinese want to be taken seriously, they should band together and do something. I don't know, pull out all local investments or something. Threaten to feng shui the country so that it attracts bad luck instead of good. Maybe then they'll get the respect they deserve.

Like Ricky Lo says, I'd rather be called Intsik than be a stupid, ignorant, boorish, uncouth idiot who relies on stereotypes and cannot see the value of the people in front of him. So I'm saying this, and I'm saying it proudly: Intsik ako, 'tangina mo!


moar funny pictures

One day, Sergio f***ing Apostol, you or one of your loved ones is going to get run over by a ten-wheeler truck. And it's going to be owned by me.