WEEK 6 - Reflection

REFLECTION QUESTIONS:

1. Give at least 5 VALUES that Norman learned from his family (particularly from his mother) or experiences and explain each using your own words and understanding.

    The color of your skin does not dictate how you should live. Here in the Philippines, racism is clearly evident, yet is still being normalized as people continue to be ignorant on this topic. Many people disregard it as racism since Filipinos have lived in a society where the color of your skin and the class you belong to somehow shows your worth. This kind of mentality must have rooted from the past colonization of Spain, Japan, and the United States, where Filipinos are called as "Indios" which means that they are part of the lower class or are inferior towards the oppressors.
    There should be no shame in living in poverty. Living in poverty is not anyone's fault, since not everyone is given the same privileges and opportunities as others. Poverty is caused by systematic failure, which can only be eliminated until the corruption ends. This is somehow related to the saying, "mayaman ang Pilipinas ngunit mahirap ang sambayanang Pilipino", as it shows that the Philippines is not poor, rather it is exploited.
    Embracing one's culture is a part of one's well-being. We should not be ashamed of our culture despite not being a part of the societal "norms". 
    Changing ourselves just isn't necessary for people to accept us. That should not dictate how you should see yourself, especially your culture, and that you should not feel pressured to fit in.
    Accepting yourself can lead you to a more successful life. Being able to accept yourself not only helps your growth and development as an individual, but also shows that despite the hateful opinions and views thrown at you, you will not let it restrict you from achieving anything.

2. In the video, what gave you the greatest impact or touched you the most? Why?

    The scene where Norman was immediately stopped by the security guard had impacted me the most. It showed that people would act differently around you just because you do not fit in their standards. It shows that just because you look different, they would give you the benefit of the doubt. I found it a little difficult to watch since you can clearly see the racism and classism, as they think that Norman does not "belong" within the institution because of his looks. To me, it scares me the most since it is evident, especially in real life, that we cannot really afford privileges just because of our looks or because of the class we live in.

3. Give your reaction, insights, lessons, etc. after watching the video.

    After watching the video, I realized that we are still far from progressing into a liberating society. We still have a lot to learn and unlearn in order to achieve our goal. Even though it is already the 21st century, some people are still trapped in the old norms, which normalizes the ideas of racism, classism and the likes. As we continue to progress, we should not tolerate it as it will only hinder other people from progressing too. We should keep in mind that not everyone has the privilege to live a comfortable life and experience opportunities like we do. It is important to educate ourselves and others about the importance of abolishing social inequalities, like what Norman and other people go through, as it will only hinder our progress towards a better society.

4. From which university did Norman King graduate? (1 answer/sentence only).

    Norman King graduated from the University of the Philippines.