Disclaimer: the post below is a personal opinion of one person based on informal observations. It is not a scientific research paper or a gathering of facts. No stats have been collected, and no polls have been taken. Thus, it may differ from your opinion and your observations as opinions and observations usually do.
Being successful in the USA to Filipinos usually means being economically and materially successful as a member of the US middle class. To most, getting a decent, dollar paying job is success. Government jobs including the military also mean success.
To most Filipinos, American- based success is: buying a nice house, nice car and sending dollars back home to support family and buy property or business in the Philippines. Likewise, getting a US passport, and then a US pension (government and social security) is considered success.
That is usually the goal, and this is why they succeed.
Presently, only those Filipinos with high skills, family connections and money are allowed to go to the USA. The rest will never see the US in their lives. No visa.
But even when it is not the case, Filipinos emphasize education more than anything as a way to progress. And they choose most practical professions so that these provide decent income.
A Filipino will not study art or poetry. Because you cannot find a good job with it. He/she will get a degree in what gets jobs.
They have carved a niche for themselves in the American society over more than 100 years of being in the US: mainly in the military, medical fields such as nursing, PE, radiology, and also, law, government services and education.
And here is the main advantage: Filipino education is very similar to American education and the American cultural influence is very strong. It is as if they attend an American school in their country, get exposed to and get trained in the American culture since childhood, and then are transplanted to the US, ready to start living and working there. Thus, they hit the ground running.
An educated Filipino is basically, just like an American, only he is Catholic with a SE Asian face. He is English speaking, reads American books, articles and posts, watches American movies and other media, has an American outlook on the world, and pretty much speaks and thinks the way an American speaks and thinks. Start talking to a Filipino in English, and you are basically talking to an American.
Compare this to Indonesians, Hmongs, Thais, Vnese, Argentineans, Russians, Iranians, etc who did not attend their school in English and must now learn it and learn the US culture. These suffer a lot and many never learn good enough English to work in the US. Not a Filipino. He/she just swaggers confidently in like he/she came home.
America has many opportunities and Filipinos are not restricted by local laws to pursue the professions they want. For example, an American cannot emigrate to the Philippines and join the Philippine military or any government service. They restrict it to native born citizens. But a Filipino can just join the US military- and get paid even if not a citizen. Let alone not native born. He/she can apply for any government position such as county jobs or the post office and just work- and make good money. In the USA, you don’t need citizenship for most jobs. Plus, it is not hard to obtain and - it is even easier if in the military or married to a citizen. Then, sky is the limit.
Also, it is easy for them to get government jobs because of their education, and they are also gladly hired because of the minority status. American gov’t positions must have a certain %% of minorities.
They are fluent in English and thoroughly knowledgeable of American culture. They have strong families, they network and help each other with information.
They are smart people, in general, and they see opportunities.
Americans also like Filipinos as workers because they are polite, act American and work hard. No complaining. Very patient.
There are groups that mainstream Americans may be prejudiced against, but Filipinos are not one of those groups. No one in America hates Filipinos. A Filipino is not a threat.
And Filipinos love being in America and are happy to work here. It is like homecoming to them. They walk around happy and proud, with a spring in their step. They feel totally like they belong here. Something that many other immigrants never get to feel.
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