I recommend that my fellow Filipino bloggers (and readers) read this blog post by Gary about Filipino migration. It alarmed me at first to be called the modern version of Jews and Chinese but his outsider perspective is refreshing. Hopeful even, if I may say. I hope he doesn’t mind me quoting a portion of the entry.

Filipinos have become the modern day versions of Jews and Chinese. In every European and Middle Eastern country you used find a population of Jews who filled an economic niche. Likewise, Chinese and Chinatowns can be found all over Asia which they often owned many businesses and were brought in originally as laborers. The same was also true of Indians during the British Empire who went to work in Guyana, Fiji, or Africa. Filipinos are filling that role today. Not only can you find Filipinos in Hong Kong, but also in Saudi Arabia, and throughout Asia. If I were a betting man, based on what I saw in the Philippines, I would bet that you see Filipinos follow the same course in these countries over the next several decades. They come in as laborers and end up owning businesses and having a higher standard of living than the local population. And, like the Jews and Chinese before them, they will probably end up getting the short end of the stick by locals if they become too successful.

I hope this does happen, even if we get “the short end of the stick”. There are so many Filipinos suffering outside the country but if it would mean that a better future awaits due to their  toil, I’m sure having a good business, even if would mean discrimination which they are getting now anyway, is a beneficial return.

Tags: Filipinos, migration