My points after visited a Chinese-Filipino Museum

Bahay Tsinoy, the museum for the Filipino-Chinese or Chinese-Filipino, presents a long journey from the beginning arrival and their contribution to Nation building. One of the keyword that has been used is “shared” and it becomes one effort to say that Tsinoy is a part of this nation, a stakeholder of the Philippines, and contributes to the development of the Philippines. Surely, there is a problem with their identity so they have to create this kind of presentation at the Filipino-Chinese museum.

“Shared” is the main theme of the exhibit. It is the way to express achievement and to recognize their contribution since the first arrival in north Luzon. This “shared” also affects the way to describe identity. Instead of the trader (first arrival), the parian (under Spaniard), the mestizo (inter-marriage), Intsik, Tsino, or Chino, Tsinoy is a way to describe identity. Tsinoy embodies the meaning that the Chinese are Filipinos and that they live in the Phillipines. Therefore, “shared” and “Tsinoy” do not only represent their contribution and achievement but also responsibility as part of this Nation.

The exhibit narrates a particular storyline related to “shared”. This storyline can be found by arranging the story from the panels because it is shown chronologically with particular sub-theme in each period. The panels are “The Tsinoy, the Chinese who is Filipino: A Shared Destiny”, “Early Contacts: Shared Beginning”, “The Spanish Colonial Era: Shared Labor”, “Colonial Culture: Shared Hands”, “Emergence of the Chinese Community: Shared Life”, “In Defense of Freedom: Shared Sentiments”, “In Defense of Freedom: Shared Cause (The Japanese Occupation)”, and “The Chinese who is Filipino: A Shared Destiny”, consecutively. The panels provide a storyline of sharing, togetherness, and contribution even though they are not the native. Moreover, the exhibit on the 4^th floor with the panel: I am Filipino shows their intention to become part of Filipinos.

Method of displaying the objects is dominantly shown by open objects to encourage closeness and rich sensation. The example of Shoreline Tableau statue is displayed similar to real activity trading and sense of friendship. There is a Chinese with a respectful gesture offering silk to a Filipino, and bartered things displayed openly to make the viewers get closer and feel the mutual-interactions happened. Beside the statues, there is Galleon ship, a miniature of parian activity under Spaniard, miniature of puerta del parian, miniature of St. Agustin Church, and miniature of sari-sari store. In completing the presentation, some of the objects are displayed by glass cases in the tables or walls and the using of multimedia in the 4^th floor. The exhibits texts accompanying the objects are written in two languages: English and Chinese; emphasizing on the description and the role of those objects, particularly its social context. The combination between open objects, glass cases, and multimedia accompanying by texts bring together an important message about their contribution and identity as part of the Philippines.

My overall impression after observing the exhibit is that it shows an effort from the Tsinoy to re-build their identity that has been disrupted by the colonizer (Spaniard). I will say that for them America is not a colonizer because there is no explanation about what happens on American’s occupation. By giving the identity as the parian and put them outside Intramuros, the colonizer constructed message to isolate Chinese and put them as low-class society for about 300 years. I also note that most of the messages in each period show the Chinese contributions and achievement. This exhibit seems to be an effort to say that Chinese becomes part of the Philippines and to be recognized as Filipino (Tsinoy).

The kind of articulation using the term “shared” and closed by “I am Filipino” is anti-colonizers and it shows how the Chinese speak about themselves. More specifically, the idea is that the Chinese has already shared their effort and given contribution so they have the right as Filipinos. The phrases “already give and deserve to get” message would be more appropriate to be changed with the idea of non-transactional. I propose the idea of giving without retain, because the Chinese/Tsinoy already people of the Philippines, so they are Filipino and why have to declare it again. Moreover, I just wonder the idea of building Bahay Tsinoy because it might promote separation. Instead of Bahay Tsinoy better to show this kind of message in the National Museum to encourage the sense of integration and unity with in the Philippines.

Wanna read smthing bout Superman?

Superman is one of the Eminem’s songs in The Eminem Show album which depicts gender and sexuality. Similar with his other songs, Superman continues the series of female’s negative images in the relationship with male and how the women are crazy about Eminem. The video clip starts with his romance with a woman and how they enjoy it in sexuality but later most of the video shows his rejection to women. I will analyze by combining the lyrics, video, and Eminem’s experience in women.

“I’ll never let another chick bring me down”, a sentence in his lyric expresses distrust feeling, not to be affected or even controlled by woman anymore. This probably refers to his past bad experience when having a relationship with woman. First, his ex-wife (Kim) had an affair with another men and he saw they were sleeping together in their home. Second, how his disappointment with his mother shown in his song: Cleaning out my closet. These two reasons make Eminem dislikes women but not a gay, misogyny.

Eminem’s exposure to the bad side of woman continues by saying: “Not a jealous man, but females lie,” and “You want what you can’t have, Ooh girl that’s too damn bad,” and the scene shows of how he saw the women having an affair with other man. Surely he wants to justify the reason of why he dislikes women. Moreover, Eminem also shows the women get crazy about him. He presents himself as a dream figure for women and they ask his attention especially in sexuality. This can be seen in the scene of lot of mini-dressed women surrounding on him. Referring to the title Superman, this is not like a superhero dreamed by people when they are in trouble, but more like an idol man in sexuality.

Women have been represented as a figure with more obsessions in sexuality. In the first part of the video, women seem to be presented as figures having big sex desire and they want to control men using it. In the other parts, Eminem seems to illustrate that women have affair because of sex. In the scene when he is surrounded by women justified that they are the ones who want to have sex.

Of course male, Eminem in particularly, will likely accept benefits from this kind of offer. By projecting woman as bitch, ho’s, and liar, Eminem constructs women’s domination in men by their sexual appeal and attraction. Eminem shows himself as a ‘victim’ of this kind of domination, he becomes the marginalized side.

Eminem wants to offer liberation from women’s domination by discovering their dominant side and how they act sexually. His traumatic experience becomes a reason to hate women and as his basis for his treatment to them. The fact that he dislike women and being an idol of women that represented in Superman tend to put the women in an oppressive level. When Eminem treats women unfair, we can understand it because of his generalization them. When he sleeps with a woman, leaves her, and calls her back if he wants, we can understand because of his distrust to women.

It seems that Eminem wants to show to the audience that not only women who deserve to get sympathy but also men. Woman is represented as a figure who likes to cheat with male and male shouldn’t receive it. It is true that both male and female deserve to get sympathy, but with the over exposure given in the video and lyrics, Eminem illustrates that the male should control the female. By his over-expression of dislike to women potentially marginalized the women. At the same time, Eminem shows his superiority to women by rejecting their intention to get closer.

Liberation that offered by Eminem in Superman seems to make sense because of the reasons shown previously. But there is an inconsistency in the way he expresses the liberation, he offers to re-dominate the women as a way out. Domination of gender has been projected by Eminem, but at the same time he offers new kind of gender domination.