In the Philippines, there is a strong western culture that is inherent within the strands of the Filipino identity. Due to the long history of colonization, a lasting influence on western European characteristics and culture has been imprinted. Though there is a western influence, the perception of western society in the Philippines is created by Filipino minds, a simulacrum. As many treat the west, specifically North America, as the “promise land”, it is only fitting that they move to North America as immigrants in order to find a better life. Though Filipinos are well-versed in English and knowledgeable in western culture, the simulacrum of western society these Filipino immigrants carry can cause confusion expecting the hybrid Filipino-western culture they know to exist, but ultimately falter, because the western culture is derived from colonization and not the current western culture. The research will identify main points of general North American culture, compare those points to Filipino culture and perception, and identify whether the differences or misconceptions prove to cause any major challenges for Filipino immigrants. It is hypothesized that the differences between the western culture and the Filipino culture will illustrate key different points in from the Filipino perspective.
