Uncovering the Truth about 'Kopinos'

In Seoul, South Korea, there’s a red light district called Hooker Hill. It is located in Itaewon, a tourist area filled with shops and restaurants catering mostly to ex-pats and foreigners. It is also very close to U.S. Army Youngsan Garrison Base. Young women seeking work in the region become victims of sex slavery and trafficking. Unfortunately, many of the sex workers at Hooker Hill are Pilipina women who were lured to South Korea for work. While I was in Korea a couple months ago, friends recommended that I keep a low profile when discussing my identity while in Seoul, as young Pilipina women are viewed as low-class citizens among Koreans. This was a harsh reality to come to terms with, for it is both disappointing and infuriating that such a skewed image could be associated with my fellow Pilipinas.

After returning from my trip to Korea, I learned about another connection between the Philippines and Korea that I had not been aware of.

In the Philippines, there is a growing population of Kopinos, with estimates of over 10,000 people. The term ‘Kopino’, coined for individuals who are Korean-Filipino, describes those who are born as a result of the sex tourism industry in the Philippines.

The Korean fathers, who visit the Philippines as tourists, seek out Filipina prostitutes during their stay and then return home. Sometimes, they leave after finding out their partner is pregnant, or are not even aware that they have fathered a child. Often, these Filipina mothers are impoverished teenagers, who have resorted to prostitution as a last resort.

Their Kopino children then grow up without a father, and are doomed to face the same realities that their mothers do. Similar to the ‘Amerasian’ (born to US military fathers and Filipino mothers) and ‘Japino’ children in the Philippines, Kopinos experience abandonment early on in their childhood, and are subjected to harsh living conditions and society condemnation. Many are then forced into sex tourism and human trafficking in order to survive, thus making this cyclical reality difficult to stop.

According to an article release by PhilStar earlier this year, nearly half a million Filipinos work as prostitutes within their own country. Other women in the tourism industry, who become mothers to Kopino children, work in guest relations or as bar girls. With the increase of Korean tourists in the Philippines over the past few years, this this problem is becoming increasingly more common.

So why is this relevant to us Fil-Ams?

Today, Korean-Filipinos and supporters are working on a campaign to contact the fathers who left their children behind. These efforts are raising awareness on this issue in the Philippines and in South Korea. Activists are working hard to get these Korean fathers to take responsibility for their children. Some organizations that have been advocating for this issue include TACTEEN, which focuses on eliminating exploitation of Filipino children by Korean tourists, and ECPAT, which works to end child prostitution, pornography and trafficking.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BQcZMcCdPc

However, their efforts alone cannot change what Kopinos and their mothers face, and will continue to face in the future. While the efforts of these organizations are being portrayed in the Philippines and Korean media, the support it garners is not enough. The tourism industry continues to overlook the issue, so it is rather difficult to enact substantial change.

As members of the greater Pilipino community, it is our responsibility to educate ourselves on this issue. Be it by helping to spread awareness or getting involved in human rights initiatives, we must be active citizens and fight for those who are born into situations beyond their control.

Photo credit: Korea Bang

Family vs. Interracial Dating

“Why do you like blacks?” a relative asked me.

I was in elementary school at the time. I didn’t realize that the students that I had crushes on were from a different race than I mine. The question didn’t bother me, though. The fact was I just liked whomever I liked, and that was that.

I started dating shortly after middle school. My first boyfriend was black; he was smart and a stellar athlete. We even took advanced and gifted classes together. Now, I’m not sure if the tone was joking or not, but after learning that I was dating him, the same relative asked me a question that changed my perception of race and interracial dating.

“You’re going to marry a Filipino or white guy, right?”

I was confused. Was my relationship a disgrace? Was it not good enough? Why was I being shamed for something that was making me happy? I questioned my feelings and emotions toward this guy, and others thereafter. Subconsciously, I only allowed myself to be interested in boys who were Filipino or white. Whenever I had feelings for a black classmate of mine, and things didn’t work out, I blamed it on the fact that our races didn’t mix. I had conditioned myself into believing that people from our two races weren’t supposed to be together.

Cultural expectations

In the Fil-Am community, there seems to be a common understanding that Pilipinos are not to marry outside of their race (or ethnicity for that matter), unless of course, it’s to a white partner. Was this the reality of a Fil-Am household in so-called “post-racist” America? I was positive that one could love someone, regardless of his or her race, gender, sexual orientation and faith. So how could my own family, who had raised me to be an open and accepting individual, have an exception when it came to dating someone who was black?

While racism and hate crimes affect Fil-Ams and Pilipinos in the US, I wonder if we are even aware of the racist stereotypes that our own culture has adopted. With an issue such as interracial dating, we are able to see just how family expectations continue to create generational gaps within the Fil-Am community.

For example, the act of marrying within one’s own race or ethnicity is simply part of the norm. To our elders, it may ensure that we’re preserving our family traditions, ideals and faith.

In addition, dating or marrying a white person is also culturally acceptable. This stems from the Philippines’ history of colonization. Throughout Asia, if a young lady finds a partner from a Western country, she may instantly be considered successful and wealthy. Furthermore, Asian cultures yearn to have light skin, as some people resort to using whitening creams and bleaches. Sadly, the Filipino culture, isn’t any different.

Race relations in America

But what about the fact that we are in America? Anti-miscegenation laws were recognized as unconstitutional in 1967 with the Supreme Court’s ruling in Loving v. Virginia. Our country then saw a rise in interracial marriages. According to the 2010 Census, the number of interracial marriages continues to grow, thus making our nation increasingly multiracial.

Today, however, interracial relationships are still seen as taboo. Recently, Cheerios released a commercial that showcased an interracial couple and their biracial daughter. Unfortunately, Cheerios received some negative attacks. Inspired by the commercial, Michael Murphy and Alyson West, a couple from Atlanta, released a crowd-sourced blog, which celebrates interracial American families.

Our relatives have moved from the Philippines to the US, and the same types of traditional values and expectations historically embedded in our culture continue to exist within some Fil-Am families. While younger generations of Fil-Ams may be accepting of interracial dating and relationships, some older generations are not. It is up to us to help our families understand that we are truly part of diverse country, comprised of individuals who accept others. America is in fact a melting pot. We shouldn’t be afraid to continue mixing that pot and embrace love for what it is.

Photo credit: Loving Day

Behind Closed Doors: A Hidden Gem on a College Campus - Mental Health

In the Fil-Am community, there is a cultural mistrust against seeking mental health help. Among teens and young adults, who may fear shame from their community and peers for seeking help, this problem is also quite prevalent. Unfortunately, college students are at a high risk of facing high levels of stress and mental health illness. However, students also have the most resources available to them during their undergraduate (and graduate) years. One of these resources, which is considerably underutilized on campuses across the nation, is the school’s counseling center. The stigma that 'seeking help from a counselor means that you’re admitting defeat or weakness' often deters students from seeking help. Students dread being embarrassed and shamed. Some students even fear risking their academic career, and may choose to carry on silently with their struggle. However, choosing to get help and talk to a mental health professional can be a very positive and life-saving experience.

Why are college students depressed?

Depression is increasingly more common among college students. For many students who go off to college, it can be an extremely trying transition period. Students have to get accustomed to new surroundings, influences and peers - all without close supervision or parental guidance.

This is a critical time of growth for college students, as they are learning responsibilities that they may not have had experience with before in the past. Students are becoming more independent, having to manage their time, and steering toward their future careers. Often, they don’t know the importance of taking care of their mental health, or don't know the steps to do so in a college setting. It's crucial that college students remember that they are not alone in whatever they are facing.

According to an Associated Press-mtvU poll, about four in ten college students are experiencing depression. Students who need mental health attention should not be afraid to get help. There’s nothing shameful about it, and it doesn’t make that person weak or incapable of dealing with their issues. Rather, making the decision to ask for help shows great strength and self-awareness.

What are the advantages to going to a counseling center during college?

1. Services are free. While some students do inquire about mental health services at their counseling center, others don’t always know where to get help. Also, beyond college, it becomes more difficult to get help, especially when dealing with mental health coverage and insurance plans. Simply put, it is expensive to receive mental health help after college.
2. Those who reach out and take advantage of  counseling services experience a considerable decrease in their stress levels and worries.
3. Students can still turn their life around and steer toward a healthier life, even if they feel like they have done too much damage to their academic (and professional) record and relationships with others. Anything that has fallen by the wayside can still be salvaged and improved.
4. Students will be able to access more resources, especially if they need more intensive help. This includes getting outside counseling, receiving medical attention, or meeting with other mental health professionals.

What are some signs that someone should seek help?

• feeling down or hopeless
• violence and hostility
• suicidal thoughts
• self-harming actions
• changes in eating habits
• not sleeping enough
• not attending class
• not enjoying things that you used to
• substance abuse 
• social anxiety
• academic stress
• conflict at home

Are there alternatives to the counseling center?

• Call the national suicide prevention line: 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
• Talk to someone you trust: parent, family member, teacher, primary care physician, spiritual leader
• Seek additional support here.
• Read more information here.
• If you want to get involved with mental health on your campus or in the community, contact your local Active Minds chapter or NAMI chapter.

Photo credits: The Guardian and and Sujen Man

A Speech on the Perception of Homosexuality in the Fil-Am Community

Note from the Editor: Kristina London is one of UniPro’s interns for the summer. At our recent staff meeting, she delivered a speech on the “UniIssue” of the perception of homosexuality in the Filipino and Fil-Am communities. Read on to see her thoughtful take on the controversial topic along with some of her research notes. There are several topics that lead to heated arguments in my household, but I’m going to spare you all by listing the top 3: the general worry over my future self sufficiency, my older sister’s love life, and our differing opinions of the LGBT community. While the first two can lead to shouting matches followed by brooding until a less than satisfactory compromise is reached, the last topic is a bit more solemn and causes a lot more tension. There has been many a time where I have tried to ease my parents out of their close-mindedness but I fear the confrontation can set them further in their ways. And while it may seem like I am putting my parents in a bad light, I am simply offering them up to you as the average Filipino parent with their judgments against homosexuals. However I believe that if they took the time to understand and learn about the struggle gays and lesbians faced, it would lead to adopting a different mentality about the situation.

In the 1930s, Freud issued a statement that homosexuality was not an illness that could be diagnosed, but simply an extension of the human sexual function and therefore nothing to be ashamed of. Of course, his opinion was just one among many, and the discrimination against gays was continued. Simple things like being served alcohol or dancing with a member of the same-sex in bars was outlawed and could be used for basis of arrest. 1969 marked the movement for gay rights when several homosexuals at the Stonewall Inn in Manhattan stood up against the oppression and refused to be arrested for having a good time. This began the new era of equality, with the Stonewall Inn dubbed the ‘birthplace of gay rights.’ By the 1990s the gay rights movement was making significant progress in America, whereas it was just beginning in the Philippines. In September of 1993, gay student activists gathered together to plan a way to unite the Filipino gay community. This group of student activists later evolved into a national organization called PROgay Philippines. They went on to celebrate the first Manila and Lesbian Gay Pride March in June of 1994 to mark the 25^th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots.

It has taken 25 years for gays in the Philippines to make a notable demonstration of their presence, however, this does not mean that in the 25 years prior gays went by unnoticed. If you were to Google ‘Gay Culture Philippines’ you would get multiple links to articles claiming the Philippines as the most ‘gay friendly country in the world’, ranking at number 10 out of 17 in a global survey of countries whose majorities accepted homosexuality. The survey conducted by the U.S Pew Research center found a 73% rating of acceptance in the Philippines, with China ranking at 54% and the U.S coming in at 60%. The Pew Research center found that the acceptance of homosexuality was particularly widespread if religion was less central in people’s lives. This is contradicted by other findings of the center, which reported the Philippines to have a rating of 2.5 on a religiosity scale of 1-3. So how can the country be so ‘gay-friendly?’ It turns out that the people of the country are actually most supportive of the fabulous gay entertainers on T.V. A gay male in the Philippines is considered of a completely different gender called the Bakla. They are flamboyant, effeminate men who like to dress as women. The Bakla who have more stereotypically male traits are considered masculine bakla who go into relationships with straight males just to be supported financially. Lesbians in the Philippines are considered tomboys and are thought to mostly butch. Filipinos who are gay and lesbian that happen to fall out of these stereotypes are widely rejected. What they are going through is then just considered a phase.

These set ideas of how gay people should conduct themselves have followed many Filipinos overseas, my parents included. I’ve witnessed their stereotypes of gays come to light while watching T.V. It blew their mind that the pretty girl on Glee with clichéd female interests could also be interested in females. It also made them wildly uncomfortable when I would defend the T.V character by asking them how being gay was considered a crime. Their response was to make me change the channel or lecture me on how those life choices went against Catholicism. Their main argument is that being gay changes the structure of the family. The bible has written against gay marriage because the union of a same-sex couple would be non-procreative. To raise a family and live by the Church’s ideals are the roles of man in a Catholic society and if they cannot do that then they are failing as a Christian. If I argue that same-sex couples can have children and that many do, my parents ask me if I sympathize for the children, who will grow up confused. Defending the gay community to my parents is always a stressful task because no matter how hard I try; they cannot seem to grasp my point of view. Being gay to them is a sin, and their opinions of it are highly persuaded by those of the church.

Growing up in such a conservative household, you may wonder how my own views have failed to be swayed by the church. In this new age of acceptance, I have grown up with a completely different experience than that of my parents. I am a first generation American exposed to the open views of my U.S peers. The first time I’d taken a position on the issue of the LGBT community was in middle school. In my middle school psychology class I learned that being gay was a congenital condition. That there was an augmentation in the hypothalamus in the brain that heterosexual did not have. It became clear to me that being gay was a trait one simply had, like having dark hair or freckles. People at my school slowly came out of the closet over the years and no one made a big deal, no one was harassed for it, and certainly no one was thought of any differently because of their sexual orientation.

This level of acceptance is what the leaders in the Philippines are currently working towards. In 2009, a national organization called Ang Ladlad filed to become a political party. The Commission of Elections (also known as the Comelec) denied accreditation of this party because of their ‘immoral doctrines.’ Such doctrines included support of businesses that associate with LGBTs, centers for troubled LGBTs, and the repeal of the Anti-Vagrancy law, which policemen used to extort bribes from or jail gays. Basically, they were fighting for human rights, which put the Comelec in violation of their obligation to serve and protect the rights of all Filipinos, regardless off sexual preference. In January of 2010, Ladlad was issued a temporary restraining order that would allow them to remain on the accredited party list and participate in the elections. In the Philippine city of Angeles, Ladlad was able to pass an anti-discrimination bill. Ladlad had hoped to transform the anti-discrimination bill into law in office, but unfortunately had not gathered enough votes to gain a seat in the Philippine House of Representatives. This did not mean the fight was over because in July of 2013, Dinagat Islands Rep. Arlene Bag-ao filed a bill to ban discrimination against gays and lesbians.

Even though the bill might end up just sitting in congress for a while and not be immediately acted upon, it is a representation of how far the Filipino people have come in terms of recognizing the LGBT community. The Philippine people didn’t officially start taking a stand until 1994, so the fight is still ongoing and fresh. Filipinos are slowly taking on a new perspective to empathize with the homosexuals, and I am sure that the fight will continue to evolve and progress as time goes on.

A Speech on Abortion in the Philippines by Christine Sicwaten

Note from the Editor: Christine Sicwaten is one of UniPro's interns for the summer. At our recent staff meeting, she delivered a speech on the "UniIssue" of Abortion in the Philippines. Read on to see her thoughtful take on the controversial topic. by Christine Sicwaten

Choices.  I don’t know about you but I love having the ability to choose.  From the having the choice of what profession I want to work in to something as simple as wearing what I want to wear.  Choices.

Without choices our freedoms are limited.  Living in the United States gives us liberties that we often take for granted.  Within the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights alone we have the freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly and petition.  Although we live in the 21^st century there are still several countries who do not protect even half of the rights that I have previously stated.

For 14 years the Catholic Church has been fighting “The Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act” otherwise known as the RH Bill.  The RH Bill requires that not only sex education be taught but that public health workers receive training in family planning and that post abortion medical care is legalized.

Contraception, family planning, and sex education in general are not widely discussed in schools or the public.  In the Philippines it is not as if using contraceptives is banned, it is merely unaffordable to many.  With 30% of the population living below the poverty line and a 100 million people living on 62 cents a day, pesos go to buying the necessities such as food and clothing, not condoms.

The Church has centered this bill around religion when in reality it is about human rights, health and sustainable human development.  The Philippines has one of the fastest growing populations in the world. National statistics state that Philippines is growing at 1.89% and could reach 105 million by 2016. Even without considering the problem of overpopulation the fact that sex education is not available in schools greatly affects the lives of young people.

According to the United Nations Population Fund, 7 out of 10 births in the Philippines are by women of 19 years or younger.   Where were you at 19?  What were you doing? At 19 I was in my sophomore year at Stony.  The only baby I was worried about nurturing was my cultural dance team within PUSO.

Choices are limited for Filipinos because of economic, political and social factors. However, if President Aquino and the Philippine government want to implement changes that can create more opportunities for a healthier and more economical lifestyle then the Church should not stand in its way.  There are a several things that need to change about the Philippines but I believe it all starts with education.  They say that knowledge is power.  The Catholic Church can think negatively and say that handing out free condoms and educating students on sex will lead to more sex and relaxed moral standings.  However, I believe that a more optimistic mindset needs to be implemented.  More individuals need to have faith that young people will make good choices, ones that will lead to a brighter future.  The Philippine government is so why not the rest?