The Resilient Filipino: Unnatural Disasters and Colonial Violence in Philippine-American Relations

• In Event: Avoidable Disasters and Harms, Failures of Justice, and Human Rights

Abstract

On November 8, 2013, the Philippines was devastated by Supertyphoon Yolanda, which killed over 6,000 people and affected 16 million more. In a statement released by the White House, US President Barack Obama stated: “I know the incredible resiliency of the Philippine people, and I am confident that the spirit of Bayanihan will see you through this tragedy.” Such sentiments were echoed around the world, propagating an image of the Filipino as a survivor of misfortune and hardship—as the Resilient Filipino. But what does resiliency mean in the Philippines? What does it mean to be resilient where the threat of natural disasters is part of a quotidian experience for one of the most disaster-prone countries? What does it mean to be resilient where vulnerability to disasters is shaped by chronic poverty and global inequality? What does it mean to be resilient where poverty and inequality have been conditioned by racist practices of colonialism? This paper investigates and responds to these inquiries by problematizing the notion of resiliency with reference to Philippine-US relations. I argue that the marking of Filipinos as resilient people has the effect of normalizing their suffering, obscuring its root causes, and erasing obligations to alleviate it.

Author

• Jaclyn T. San Antonio, University of Toronto