A CULTURE OF CONNECTIONS
I’ve heard of the Chinatown Museum years ago, but never really thought much about it. Since I don’t venture to Chinatown very often, the idea of visiting was put to the back burner. Until last week, we decided as a family to have an adventure in Binondo and that was the first place in our itinerary.
What we experienced in our almost two hour visit was a trip down memory lane. With exhibits that were thoughtfully made, and faithfully recreated. My wife and I reminisced about the days when life was simpler, and people felt more connected, while our son wandered around pointing at replicas of Ma Chang, calling them Onigiri.
Reading the stories, I am reminded that life back then was tough for the Chinese immigrants who chose to call this place their home. The Catholic influence on the way of life and learning a new language were some of the things they had to adapt to. Most of all, they had to rebuild their lives from scratch. A small price to pay, because life here provided a hope for a better future.
What kept the culture alive after all these years was the fact that most “Chinese-Pinoys” stuck together and helped each other out. We have a bias for our own “Lannang” as we say. And that really sticks with me, because after our experience in this museum, I realize that even if I am born here, my heart yearns for a country and culture that does not know me. Yet while I love where I am, people here will always see the chinky eyes and yellow skin. We now have our own culture. I guess it is what it is, and that’s what I’m gonna teach my kid. We are Filipinos, we are also Chinese, we are not totally one or the other, we call ourselves Chinoys.
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