Domestic helpers. Mail-order brides. Exporters of human labor. Scammers.
These are how people the world over have come to know us, Filipinos. And sometimes, I can’t blame them. For though it’s not completely true that these are what constitute us as a people, it’s not completely false either.
Our main export product is our people. A big chunk of our population — roughly ten percent — are Overseas Filipino Contract Workers (OFWs), many of whom are working abroad either as domestic helpers, construction or factory workers, or health workers. Our OFWs are our modern-day heroes, so they say, because they have saved the country’s economy many times over through their remittances. Without our OFWs, our economy would have long gone under.
And we do have mail-order brides — women who have become wives or girlfriends of foreign nationals through dating sites. I do not think this phenomenon is true only among Filipinos, or SouthEast Asian women for that matter, but our case seems to be out of proportion. Just type in the word “Filipina” in the search engine, and you’d see sites advertising Filipinas as if we were commodities. Being a Filipina, this situation affects me greatly, more so because I cannot claim that the conception that Filipinas are mail-order-brides is entirely false. Many Filipinas have actually taken the easy road to financial security — by marrying a foreign national they met only through the internet, and who they have never met before tying the knot, and someone they don’t — or at least, didn’t at first — love.
And so that’s what our women have come to be known — not just mail-order brides, but brides for sale.
My daughter-in-law is Filipino and while she doesn’t like to talk about her past or how she came to the United States, we are so happy that God led her into our son’s life when he was in the Air Force stationed in California. Prior to meeting this wonderful person, he had gone through a divorce. He had married a local gal who in turn followed him to Japan where he had been transferred. Their troubles began there while he was away on TDY.
When he came back to the states he was a very bitter person but our wonderful Anna won him over. Today, we have a crazy, lovable, intelligent 12 year old grandson after the many miscarriages poor Anna suffered through.
As I said, Anna doesn’t like to talk about her family or past so it’s not discussed. We’re happy and thankful to have her in our lives. and we know our son feels extremely blessed.
Hello, Cheryl!
Thank you so much for your post. I am so happy to hear you have a wonderful Filipina daughter-in-law and that thing are great between her and your son!
I am happy things are fine… although I feel sorry your daughter-in-law had to go through miscarriages.
//P.S. I’d be re-posting your response to my main blog where this article is posted in its entirety, if you don’t mind… Please let me know. Thanks!
Hi to all the OFW’s who visit this blog, I’d like to invite you to join the new social network of the Overseas Filipino Workers at http://www.ofwfriends.com.
See you there!