The story Flip Gothic by Cecilia Manguerra-Brainard shows the cultural differences of two countries and the people who lost their true identities.
This study is supported by cultural approach which is an innovative interdisciplinary field of research and teaching that investigates the ways in which “culture” creates and transforms individual experiences, everyday life, social relations and power (http://culturalstudies.web.unc.edu/resources-2/what-is-cultural-studies/).
Every country has different culture and some people know how to adapt, some cannot. It is normal to experience a culture shock because it is not easy to adapt one’s culture which is really different from your own culture.
The short story Flip Gothic tackles about the life of a teenager who is having difficulties of her culture. Mindy is acting the American way but she knows that she has Filipino blood and origin. Her gothic lifestyle might just be a result of her cultural identity.
In America, the teenagers are rebellious and speak some foul English words. Some Filipinos in America experienced racial and ethnic discrimination. They were ignored, teased, harassed or ostracized by their peers because of their perceived racial differences (Espiritu, 180). The young Filipinos who lived in America think that the Filipino way is too old-fashioned. They would rather choose the American way because they feel free, independent and they think that it is the right way.
Mindy’s parents who are still adapting the culture were really having a hard time on their daughter. They cannot understand her because of her get-up and she would not listen to them. Her parents who both grew up in the Philippines and were used to the Filipino upbringing did not understand what it is like to live as a teenager in American way. Mindy’s parents knew that it would be the best if they will send her to the Philippines.
Filipino culture is really different from the American culture. Filipino always has this camaraderie attitude while the Americans are individualistic (Espiritu, 200). Mindy surely had difficulties living the new lifestyle in Cebu. People are different and cannot speak her language fluently. She had a hard time dealing with her cousins, calling them backward and ignorant. Mindy’s grandmother blames Nelia and Jun for not having a strong foundation in the family. They were just taking all the clichés of America too easily and they also became too American which contributed to the problem. They believe that America is freedom and opportunities are everywhere. Mindy’s grandmother concluded that Mindy is terribly insecure, that she does not like herself. Coloring her hair blue and the gothic get up- she is simply hiding behind all these. Her unwillingness to go to school maybe the result of the ethnic discrimination she experienced while living in America that is why she hated schools. While in Cebu, Mindy discovered the inner child of herself. She did the things that any normal Filipino children would do like chasing the pigs and hunting for the eggs of the hens in their backyard. In America, you would not like to do this kind of things especially if you are living in the wealthy community. Her grandmother wondered if the lifestyle in America is forcing children to grow up too quickly. The American way of life is horrible. They are too self-centered. Children do not really act like a child. Though they became independent at the young age, they are forced to grow up too early. As what I have noticed, American teenagers started dating at the age of eleven or twelve. In that age, Americans talks about going out while Filipinos still put the words “play” and “game” in their vocabulary.
Slowly, Mindy was starting to change culturally. She saw how Filipinos have strong ties with their families. She was actually charming to her cousins. They went together to attend the mass. The religious trait of the Filipinos was clearly showed to her. Outside the Sto. Niño Church, Mindy and her grandmother held candles and danced to the Child Jesus. Her grandmother brought her to the old Spanish fort and told her about the Philippine history. Suddenly, she expressed interest in going back to school.
Mindy’s problem has been basically a question of identity, knowing about her Filipino blood but American citizenship. While living in Cebu, Mindy discovered her true self and realized that you could be who you want to be. She had a better understanding of what it means to be a Filipino. As what her grandmother said, “It is important for one to know where one comes from, in order to know where one is headed”.
Works Cited:
Espiritu, Yen Le. Home Bound. California: University of California Press. 2003.
