Diverse Culture in a Colonized Country: Internalization and Adaptation of Filipinos to

Foreign Cultures and Practices Established in Cecilia Manguerra - Brainard’s ‘Romeo’

Literary Criticism

by

Josephine Mae D. Tumanut

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics – 12C

In partial fulfilment

Of the course requirements in

21st Century Literature from the Philippines and the World

May 2019
 Diverse Culture in a Colonized Country: Internalization and Adaptation of Filipinos to
Foreign Cultures and Practices Established in Cecilia Manguerra - Brainard’s ‘Romeo’

The Philippines bears a history densely woven with a record of defiance against

social and colonial oppression. Philippines has a very unique culture formed from various

influences, largely from Spain and the United States because of the colonization before.

It is a culture that is difficult to pin down since it is so diverse; the Western influences may

appear to be dominant but at close inspection, it is a mere skin over a pulsing archipelagic

culture. Filipino culture may have features from various other cultures, but the fusion of

foreign influences and indigenous civilization is what makes the country distinct from the

rest of the world. The story “Romeo” by Cecilia Manguerra – Brainard depicts evanescent

in the Philippine culture, inculcation of foreign practices and how they tried to mimic

foreign practices which led to the feeling of unhomeliness.

The story shows how the speaker adore and inculcate the American culture. In the

phrase “I would daydream about going away after graduation, to America or Europe”

(172), it can be seen how the speaker is yearning to leave her homeland long before she

went to America. The speaker’s inculcation of the foreign culture is evident on the words

that she used like the word “block” (172) and “hundred-dollar” (175), Filipinos don’t usually

use the term block in telling or determining the distance of one place to another and we

don’t use the term dollars since our currency is peso. Also, her brother is fond of drinking

brandy and prefers the brand Napoleon. This can be seen in the sentence “He liked

brandy and preferred the brand Napoleon” (175), brandy originated in western culture

specifically in Netherlands and it is evident that her brother is culturally colonized because

of his preference of the foreign brand. The speaker’s inculcation of foreign practices is
portrayed in the phrase “Making her bed every morning is something Mama learned from

the German nuns of St. Scholastica…” (174). Moreover, The food that the Chinese

restaurant serves depicts inheritance of eating foreign cuisines. This is seen in the

sentence “Mama would order fried rice, sweet-and-sour pork, pancit, and a crab and

lobster dish swimming in white sauce”, it shows that her mother’s fondness of foreign

cuisines. Another thing, the fixing of bed every morning was learned and inherited from

foreign culture. This is seen in the sentence “Making her bed every morning is something

Mama learned from the German nuns of St. Scholastica…” (174)”. Lastly, in the textual

evidence “But my first visit, I would leave, across an ocean, and settle down to my other

life. It was easier for me but not for my brother.” (173). It is evident how the speaker

espoused the life she has in America. In connection to cultural colonization, the concept

of hybridity was portrayed. The food that the mother prepared for herself and Romeo

came from various places where it originated. This is seen in the phrase “…ando so my

tother heats up kare – kare – beef stew…” (175) and “…last week’s pork chops, chicken

adobo, randic pancit”. (175). Overall the mentioned textual evidences mirrors the

inculcation of foreign practices.

Imitation allows people to establish themselves. They imitate selectively, that is,

they imitate intentional actions at a higher rate than accidental ones. In the story, it shows

how the characters imitate the foreign culture. In the sentence “Long before ballroom

dancing became popular in Manila, my mother and Anday took tango, mambo,

pasadoble, fox trot, and cha – cha lessons with dance instructors” (174), it portrays the

imitation of cultural dance of foreign countries but not counterfeit, ballroom dancing first

occur in western coast of Europe. Another thing, having braces during the time of Marcos
is something that is common in the western countries. However, at that time, the speaker

already had braces which implies her imitation of other country’s practice. This can be

seen in the phrase “After Dr. Polintan tightened my braces…” (173). Also, the speaker

named the dog she bought “Romeo” inspired by Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet”.

“Romeo and Juliet” is a foreign literary work from the western culture. This is seen in the

sentence “We had been studying Shakespeare at Maryknoll College when I gave him the

name; Romeo and Juliet had made me weep” (173). Lastly, the characters including the

neighbors and visitors mimic the foreign language which is the English language in

communicating with the dog to look high – class people. This is evident in the phrase

“Romeo, come here! or Romeo, quiet!” (173) and “Naku, pati aso English – speaking”

(173). In the given situations of the story, it illustrates the how other countries influenced

our culture and later on counterfeit their practices.

The best thing about living away from home is that you have more freedom. You

can set your own rules, stay up late, invite parties to your place and have parties

whenever you want but there is always a drawback in which you may feel homesick and

once you come back home after a long time there might be the feeling of being unhome

for the reason of many things have changed. In connection to unhomeliness the concept

of diaspora was first shown before unhomeliness takes place in the phrase “…I in

America, a sister in Venezuela, another sister in Spain, and her only son in Cebu”(172),

in literal meaning being away from home makes you feel unhomeliness because of the

changes in environment, weather and other circumstances. In the story, the mother felt

unhomeliness even she never leave their home, rather she’s longing for her family which

is actually her home. This is seen in the sentence “…remembering her husband and
children, remembering the noisy happy household they used to have” (174), it is evident

that her family is what she consider as her home because where ever a family is, is where

home is. It doesn’t matter if there’s a house but as long as a family stays together its

home. Another is in the phrase “…she sounds stern, but the sternness is not because of

the noise but because of her aloneness” (172) it is evident that the mother is expressing

her displeasure to Romeo to the fact that she is alone and felt unhomeliness since she is

left alone. Lastly, the evidence “It was clear to me then that it was my mother whom he

now loved. I had become some kind of pleasant memory, one he cherished. But I was no

longer part of his life – I was no longer part of the universe of that garage and backyard

in our Malate house” (176), it is evident that the speaker felt unhomeliness that the dog’s

loyalty and love resettled to his new owner which is the mother. Above all, these textual

evidences mentioned portrays how some people who left home will feel at home only

when they come back home, literally and figuratively.

The story “Romeo” wrote by Cecilia Manguerra – Brainard exhibits how the

Philippines is greatly influenced by the colonizers through the chracters’ way of living. The

way how the characters are culturally colonized, how they imitate foreign culture and how

they felt unhome in their own home exhibits submission and acceptance in what the

colonizers introduces. It has a significance to our lives at present. Like any postcolonial

country, Philippine culture is a melting pot of all its colonial masters with a base that

consists of its long, indigenous history. Filipino people are known as settlers in many parts

of the world. They are like the chameleon who easily adapts to different environments.

They thrive to survive. Survival of the fittest is their banner. But, we are still the ones who’s
in control on how we live our life, either to submit ourselves or repudiate the foreign culture

that we are exposed to.