| Abstract |
This paper presents the condition of the life of the Filipinos in the U.S. during World War II through the selected five short stories of the Filipino writer Bienvenido N. Santos. The findings of the study give a picture of Filipino life in America and serve as a precaution for those Filipinos who are planning to go abroad. Furthermore, this study determines prevalent Filipino values reflected in the short stories of Santos.
Santos脙垄脗聙脗聶 selected five short stories include Woman Afraid, Lonely in the Autumn Evening, Scent of Apples, The Day the Dancers Came and My Most Memorable Christmas in America exemplify the different conditions of the Filipinos in America. They experience homelessness, homesickness, dislocation, aimlessness, helplessness, disillusionment and poverty. However, they are still able to retain some Filipino values such as pagdadamayan, pagtutulungan, pakikisama, and hospitality. Lastly, the stories reveal that Filipino-American marriages in the U.S. do not work out well.
Based on the stories, our Filipino brothers in the U.S. do not have a happy life. They too have sufferings, which may be more painful than what we are experiencing in our own country. However, despite these sufferings, their Filipino traits/values are still very evident. |
Mindanao State
University - Iligan Institute of Technology