A Migration Story from the Philippines
Education Costs for
Grades K-6: $2,500 Grades 7-12: $3,116
Source:
U.S. purchasing power parity:
Source:
www.worldbank.org/data/ Purchasing power parity refers to the yearly buying power in U.S. dollars of one individual outside the U.S. based on national per capita income. |
Not everything here in the U.S. was bad for Anna. In fact, there are things that Anna realized that she was able to do that she might not have been able to do in the Philippines. Achieving her doctorate in Sociology for instance. In 2001, Anna ventured back to the Philippines to do research for her dissertation in Sociology. She found that things were different coming back after 16 years, and viewing the Philippines with the mature eyes of an adult. “I would always ask my mom (why we came here) and the kind of generic answer I would get is, ‘Well, the U.S. is the land of milk and honey. You know I didn’t really realize why we left until I went back in 2001. I was doing my dissertation fieldwork and it was based in the Philippines. I went back by myself and lived there for a year, and I think that’s when I realized, 'Okay I see why we came here.' We wouldn’t have gotten the kind of education that we have if we’d stayed in the Philippines. My best experience in the U.S. would probably be graduating and getting my degree. I was raised to be a doctor, but a different kind, the one that practices medicine. I was actually pre-med in college, until I realized, I think it was in my fourth year, I thought, 'This is not for me, can’t do it.' And I did it because my parents, you know sacrificed a lot, and put me through school and that was the expectation. It was my last year of college and I was also a double major in Women’s Studies. We had to do an honor’s thesis, so I realized at that point that I think I know what I want to do and I’m definitely sure that I don’t want to be a doctor. I found a graduate program that was fitting to what I was interested in, cause I wanted to do research instead. I applied to graduate school. I didn’t tell my mom. I knew I had to pay for it myself. That was the best about being in the U.S. You know having that choice eventually, to really pursue what I want, I feel like... I mean I think if maybe I were in the Philippines it would have been a little different because I don’t think I could muster the resources to pursue something else, I would really rely on my parents. So, being able to get that degree, I know that, you know I did it on my own.” For Anna, determining what's best about being in the U.S. is tough. She very obviously appreciates the opportunity she had to get her doctorate in Sociology. However, what Anna deems as the definite best thing about being in the U.S. is something closet to the Philippines. “I think I really did not know the Philippines until I went back. I think that was um, I guess if I had to think about what was the best thing about being in the U.S. is maybe being distant from the Philippines because it gave me a perspective of also what the Philippines can offer, and that it’s not always really a hopeless place. There’s really a lot of beautiful things there, but it’s overshadowed by the poverty. Unfortunately, there’s this desire to seek opportunities elsewhere. It’s really sad. It struck me that I would talk to Filipinos and the thing that I would hear the most is, 'Oh, when are you going to go abroad?' It was sort of like this automatic desire to just go overseas, that everything will be better outside the Philippines. Then you travel around the country, and stay away from Manila because that’s where you see that poverty. But when you go elsewhere, you just see something different. The communities, they’re thriving, there are people that really want to be in the Philippines. But I’m afraid that there might be a point where the only thing they’ll really think about is the U.S. or anything else or anywhere else than the Philippines. They’ll forget that there’s resources there that can be cultivated and make the country do better.” |
Education Costs for private Nursery: $4,450 Preschool: $6,450 Grades 1-5: $9,250 Grades 6-8: $10,200 Grades 9-10: $11,00 Grades 11-12: $12,500
Source:
Philippines purchasing power parity:
Source:
www.worldbank.org/data/
Purchasing power parity refers
|
| Return to Migration & Culture Home Page |
