Today's TLA is ITA.
Initial Thoughts of America.
Exactly nineteen years ago today, I boarded an airplane that took me from Manila, Philippines to Los Angeles, California, USA. So I woke up today asking the questions, what kind of Jonathan Moises Reyes would I have been if I stayed in the Philippines? What industry would I be working in? What would have been my major in college? What type of person would I be if I stayed? What kind of people would I have met? Would I have a family of my own in the Philippines? What kind of life would I have if I were in the Philippines right now? What would I be doing today if I were in the Philippines right now, instead of typing this thingie in Sunnyvale, California? (Probably "texting" on my cell phone)
As I think of these questions, I want to look back at my initial thoughts of America. The first thing I remember was flying around LAX. I remember seeing the abundant lights from the suburban sprawl of Los Angeles. The tiny lights from the ground were everywhere. I thought that was the most beautiful thing in the world as a 7 year old. I remember turning to my aunt and my older sister and saying "look at all the lights." As a 7 year old, I remember thinking what type of new friends would I meet in the US. However, I also thought about the immediate family and friends I left in Manila. How would my leaving their lives affect their lives. My aunt told me recently that one of my concerns back then, was who was going to make my classmates laugh
when I was gone. I guess I was just a crazy kid like that.
I am sad that my knowledge of Tagalog is diminishing. Perhaps this is because I rarely practice the language with other Tagalog speakers. When I arrived here, I understood English, but mostly thought and spoke in Tagalog. Now I fear that I can only understand Tagalog, but I think and speak in English. I remember learning English from Sesame Street, Mr. Roger's Neighborhood, Transformers, G.I. Joe, Get Smart, and Beverly Hills Cop. We had a "betamax" and one of the first beta
tapes we ever bought was Beverly Hills Cop. Yes that's right, my English skills come from Eddie Murphy's character named "Axle Foley." (probably explains my cursing habit) and also came from a little bit of Max Smart, "Where's the chief 99?" (probably explains my wacky humor).
My experience learning English from American television makes me who I am today. I don't know maybe for some people their identity is complex, ill-defined, and complicated, but for me I consider myself to be a Filipino American. My personal history and birthplace may be in Manila, but I grew up in Southern California during my teenage years and in Northern California during my young adult life. (Westsiiide
represent!) So I have been influenced by a lot of cultures. I still have core Filipino values, while still being flexible to adapt and be integrated to the complicated American culture. I embrace being both, because that makes me uniquely Jonathan, God would not have wanted it any other way. Some people can not embrace both cultures, some people run away from one or the other, some people can only maintain one identity, and some people are so confused that they can not define
themeselves, but rather depend on others to define who they are. For me, I take in all of my experiences to define who I am today.
The second thing I distinctly remember when I arrived in America was the smell. America has a distinct smell. All I remember was that America smelled good. Perhaps it is because Manila smells very similar to what most of the world's big cities smell like. From my recent experience traveling, most big cities across the world smell like gasoline or diesel exhaust, something fried from the food vendors, and a hint of urine. Perhaps, American airports just use a different air freshener which hides this smell. Because American cities can also have that sweet smell of big cities across the world. I am smelling, the Mission District in San Francisco, and the gritty parts of Downtown LA, not the new and nice Staples Center part.
At any rate, I relate this fact of smelling good to cleanliness and economic success within America. My parents and aunt probably had some idea of "success" or rather "increased probabilities for success" for me and my sister here in America. But my parents and my aunt were still divided whether or not me and my sister were going to stay here in the US or go back to Manila. I sort of thought this was just a
"vacation" in the US and I was going to see all my friends in my elementary school in Manila. Perhaps the plan for me and my sister to stay was not fully disclosed to all interested parties (specifically me and my sister). I am still a little annoyed that our care-takers did not tell us, but its all good.
I should focus on the positive experiences I have attained in America. I just want to thank God and my parents for the people I have met here in the US. The accomplishments, the relationships, and most importantly the friendships I have created via schools I have attended, the work I have attended, and my social life here in America have been tremendous blessings in my life. The general experiences and opportunities for immigrants(like myself) here in America are infinite blessings from God which I truly cherish. Its an important lesson we(as Americans) should never forget. Anyways, to sum up this long soliloquy I remember the smell of America and the lights of America. What else do you expect I was 7 at the time?
Enjoy,
Jonathan
