Essay On What You Pawn I Will Redeem

As a Filipino, a few of the stereotypes I hear about Filipinos are: we are all nurses who work two jobs, we are very kind people, or we all own a van. I became a nurse by accident when I realized that I valued job satisfaction, but I do not work two jobs. I am a nice person most of the time, but so are my white, black, and other Asian friends. I swore I would never get a van, but I gave in when I had kids. I van is roomier, quieter, and the ride is smoother. I have other siblings who do not fit most of the Filipino stereotypes. I happen to hit all the stereotypes of my ethnicity. However, there is a story behind each and every one of them. Just like in the story on “What You Pawn I Will Redeem,” there is a story behind the alcoholism and displacement
of the Indians. They were the natives of our country and everything was taken from them. Their lives, culture, heritage, and humanity were ripped from them so that the white man can take this land we now live in. It took many years to finally preserve what was lost in the Indian culture, but those years of not knowing who you are and where you belong can break one’s being. I cannot compare the stereotypes that brand the Filipinos with that of the Native Americans. However, I strongly believe that people need to be more educated of other ethnic groups’ history and heritage in order to understand them, especially when the situation is as dire as the Native Americans.