From M. N. Francisco and F.M.C. Arriola 1987. The History of the
Burgis. GCF Books. Quezon City available at madeinthephilippines.com
in Chicago.
The Americanization of Pepe and Pilar (peddled as modernization)
transformed consumption habits towards a preference for US products, or
for that matter, anything imported. It re-oriented Filipino aspirations
towards the American way of life. Some symptoms of colonial
mentality:
a bowl of plastic apples, grapes and pears on the dining room buffet
an imitation Louis Vuitton bag and Gloria Vanderbilt jeans
plastic evergreen trees laden with absorbent cotton-'snow' for
Christmas
the log cabin steakhouse
Broadway plays emoted in a studied New York cum British accent
the search for local counterparts to Hollywood stars or the rise and
fall
of Diomedes Maturan as the Perry Como of the Philippines
always saying 'ang sarap parang mansanas!'
getting a nose lift and a bust lift
carpets and upholstered sofas copied from Better Homes and Gardens
(for the dust and heat of the tropics)
shopping trips to Cash and Carry (and Dau and nepo Mart) for PX goods
putting an American (or Japanese) brand name on a local product so
that it will sell
following the dictates of fashion magazines through spring, summer,
fall and winter (thank God, the air gets cooler around December)
dyeing one's hair with auburn streaks
insisting that the maid speak to the baby in English
preferring to be an American citizen (Hodel survey 1960) or wanting
to have been born in another country (UP survey of schoolchildren)
hoping the US will intervene in ousting a homegrown dictator
