Case Analysis on "Silence Sacrifices"

Matriano, Danielle M. Dr. Aleli Sevilla

2001404058 11 January 13

A Case Study/Analysis of “Silence Sacrifices” by Danielle M. Matriano

The documentary, “Silence Sacrifices” is about how the Filipino immigrants in the United States cope with their lives in a different environment where culture, traditions, mores, and values are so different from what they were used to. In the documentary, the immigrant Filipino parents were asked to stay separate from their children (aged 18 and above) during the interview because the journalist wanted to hear both the children and the parent’s personal thoughts and opinions about the certain topic. The similarities in the responses of the parents interviewed are the following: they all worked a minimum of two jobs, they had trouble raising their children properly, they struggled to understand their children, and they struggled to fit in the society. The similarities in the responses of the children interviewed, on the other hand, were the following: the children had identity crises, the children have felt severe depression, and all of them have struggled fitting in society.
Understanding the Struggles of Different Micro Groups/Families
The Parents The Filipino immigrant parents were all born in the Philippines. Moving to America made it so hard for them to fit in since the customs, traditions, and culture in America are so different from that of the Philippines. To add up to the fact that most of them do not have any time to spend with their children since they work a minimum of two jobs to be able to sustain the family’s needs, they were also having trouble raising them. This is because most of them tried to teach their kids Filipino values in a country that does not conform to some of these values. The values and traditions of these 2 different worlds clashed, which then resulted to the difficulty of their children to know who they really are.
The Children Most children in the documentary have the goal to be accepted, to fit in, and to be independent. They struggled to know their identities since they grew up as Filipinos living in an American society. Being raised in a “non-traditional American way” confused most of them since they were raised learning the values, and traditions of a typical Filipino household. The result of this identity crisis, and being treated strange in their communities led them to become extremely depressed and confused with their lives. Another factor that caused this extreme depression was the pressure and expectations that the parents had on them. Most of the parents constantly put a lot of pressure in their children when it comes to their education and co-curricular activities because they wanted their children to acquire more opportunities in life as they get older. Usually, the children could not tell their parents about these concerns because they are afraid that their personal problems could add up to the stresses and burdens their parents carry. Some of the children in the film also had thoughts of committing suicide due to their extreme depression and the lack of support from their parents. These children are caught between two worlds and are fighting to be accepted by the society.
Case Study of “Silence Sacrifices” in Relation to Sociology The Filipino immigrants in the video had only one approach in facing the problems that they have encountered. All of them conformed to American traditions to be able to fit in. The children, for example, played American sports, like the American football, in their schools. Most of the people interviewed also learned how to speak English, and how to speak with an American accent. They also learned how to think like the typical American. In the Philippines, for example, respecting values and traditions are very important, but in America, individuality is more important than following the norms. None of the immigrants, especially the children, were actually rebellious of the situation they were put in. Most of them felt secure and complacent with their lives which is why they ended up conforming to the goals and norms of the society. Migrating to another country, even if they did not like it, felt like the solution to the problems they have encountered back in the Philippines. They have this idea that living in America is easier compared to living in the Philippines where jobs and opportunities are very rare. Since they have no choice, but to conform to the views of the society, their transition becomes more difficult. They are scared of being true to themselves because they are afraid that the American society might reject them. In the end, they choose to pretend to be like the typical Americans.