A friendly suggestion

C

C.Augusto

Joined
Oct 19, 1999
Messages
13
I don't usually like to meddle in other peoples business, but this is an issue that bothers me and some of my muslim philippino friends. I am sure nobody ment any insult, but are you aware that the word moro is a deragatory word. It is like calling a black person the N word. Many of the northern philippinos use it as if it were a regular word, but it is actually very insulting. (Even saying Mo** Keris or M**o Barong is insulting) I am certain that most people do not understand the true nature of the word and I wouldn't say anything if it were not so offensive. I had one friend who learned Kali from some northern Philippino WWII vet's when he was young. They used to say "This is a m**o technique." or "We learned this directly from the Mo**s." Later when he went to train in Negros, Mindanou and regions further south he learned the hard way. He was nearly killed. Can you imagine walking into downtown Philidelphia or the Bronx and asking where you could learn more ni**er boxing techniques. If you feel the same way I do about rascism you may want to start saying "southern Philippino" or whatever other term you can think of. Maybe you'll even want to let your friends training partners and instructor's know. If you don't care or don't have the marbles to let them know, then that is your problem. Undoubtedly their are going to be a whole host of northern Philippino "instructors" that will never stop using this hurtfull term, most of whom teach absolute garbage anyway. (were you aware that a good deal of northern Pilipinos will not associate with you if they find out you are a muslim or you come from the south? If they find out they either treat you like you have the plague or they spend all their time trying to convert you from a "godless life") Many instructors who don't mean any harm either don't know or have succumbed to using this term because it has become the industry standard term that everyone understands. I would like to slowly begin changing that. I hope I didn't step on anyones toes I just want to bring the issue to light.
Salamat

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All times are ET (US)
 
Hi C. Augusto,
First of all welcome to the site. Thanks for your Lesson on the M word. I had no idea the word was so offensive and you are right the use of the word is pretty widespread.

BTW, do the styles in the South vary greatly from the North or do they just differ period from no matter where you are from North or South?
 
C. Augusto,

I admit to having used the "M" word frequently, but was not aware that it had a negative connotation. Is there another word that refers to "southern filipino", without having to actually write out "southern filipino"? I for example used it out of convenience and it will be a lot easier to get people to stop using the "M" word if you give them an alternative that is as convenient to write/say.

Having been on the receiving end of racism, I understand your feelings. You can't tell it from my name, but I'm part chinese. I have been put down by "whites" for being part chinese, and by chinese for not being pure chinese. A knife wounds the flesh, but racism wounds the soul.

I hope that my children will not have to endure what I have, but still I know that I must strengthen them against it ... physically and emotionally.

Respectfully,

Dave.

 
i agree with you that the muslim in the p.i. is treated like garbage like the so called negrito. i am one. however i dont know if so many muslims/mindinao people are offended by that word, it means "dark person" the sparniards gave it to us.

actually, my grandfather took pride that pilipinos gave us such a bad reputation, because we look at them as butt kissers of the spanish, they love to be spanish, name spanish names, dress like spaniards, but a spaniard looks down on them. the little pilipino culture that is left is ours, or igorot, or any of the other people they look down on. i think it is funny pilipinos are afraid of the muslim, yet they speak with pride our indomitable spirit as if it was theirs. all the stories you hear of the great warriors they are MUSLIM!!!

i never had a hard time because of my background, i am proud. when people speak about a "moro" i know what they mean.
 
Greetings to all:

It looks like my fellow Filipino in blood and origin and some became US Citizen are hurt with the word moro or moros.

Pls don't associate the word MORO and MUSLIM or ISLAM as these three word has nothing to do with Muslim.

As to great warriors they are not only Muslim of the south. Again, I just want to correct to those who profess to call themselves muslim. Not all moros are muslim. We have many Ilocano and Visayan warriors too in Philippines the same as to tagalogs like Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo of Cavite and Gen. Jacinto who are tagalogs who fought the Spanish and American soldiers during the colonization period. Diego Silang of the Ilocandia who fought the Spaniards and many more.

Moro is just coloqial language for the native southerners but still the Moros are divided into different enthnic groups, to name a few are:

1. Maguidanao
2. Maranao
3. Tausug
and other mountainers natives thereon.

The word moro is not bad, its like when we say Igorots, Tagalog, Isneg or Kalingas, Ilocanos, Kapampangan, Bicolano, Cebuano, Ilongo etc.

All these ethnic groups represents different and distinct tribes (group of people) comprising the Filipino nation Philippines.

The word moro has nothing to do also with Muslim, for not all moros are muslim, but they are plain moros. I have many moros friends here in Saudi Arabia who are Tausog, Maranaos and Maguindanaos. The Tausog are noted for their Warrior like, the Maranao are noted for their business like. So, I think for those who mis-interpret for the user of the word of Moro or moros has nothing to do in defaming nor insult of people of the south. Infact, the south has a bigger percentage of non-moros origin and they live good side by side, only politics and leadership create division among them.

Just like the word Philipino, Pilipino, Filipino. If you asked me which is the correct spelling or commonly use. If you use tagalog dialect then it is PILIPINO, IF for international use and more acceptable by all is FILIPINO (Male) - FILIPINA (FEMALE).

As to the negrito (small niger) negro (bigger size black man) these are used by the Sapanish conqueror for classification. Which is true. The negrito is very much distinct to the new bred of Filipinos and even before the coming of white people in Islas Pilipinas or Philippines after the name of King Philip of spain, these negritos are purely native, like the native of Australia, but the new australians are different. Sometimes we should accept facts and reality. Do you remember during the time when Philippines asked independence from US Congress. The US rep. showed a negrito picture and asked the chamber how can this kind of people governed themselves, which is true because they showed the picture of the native negrito which does not represents the Filipino race that composed the intellectuals. I challenged every Filipino of origin here who are American meztizo or Spanish Filipino Meztiza's, I doubt if 1% got married to a native negrito found in the mountain of Zambalez. This is not to demean our native brothers as many of them are already educated, became teachers etc.

My only point here is to clarify and expound the use of MORO/S.

I have to end to this line as I am carried to talk further.

Thanks for giving me time to explain.




[This message has been edited by stdalire (edited 07 December 1999).]
 
stdalire wrote:<BLOCKQUOTE>The US rep. showed a negrito picture and asked the chamber how can this kind of people governed themselves, which is true because they showed the picture of the native negrito which does not represents the Filipino race that composed the intellectuals.</BLOCKQUOTE>This appears to be a racist statement from you about Negritos. Please clarify.
 
i can help answer that question...when the spaniards colonize the pilipino, he told us that we are savages (like what the british told to the african and the native american indian). he said by making the pilipino a christians and teaching them european culture and language, we became civilize. unfortunately, many pinoy believe it even today.

that is why pilipino actors are mostly 1/2 white mestisos, they are considered beautiful.
 
Wich kali is everyone doing? The spanish version or the real filipino version. If you understand that your striking comes from sinawali than you know the deal. if your stuck on techniques then your wrong. My friend, and teacher from southern philipines works mostly out of sinawali although he calls it another name, but its the same. Also the people from sulu have simalar footwork to sumatran silat.

if i burned down your house, and killed your family would you share your art with me? probably not.
Paulo
 
I have heard 'Moro' as being derogatory. I can deal with that if they prefer Muslim or Ummah.

I've also heard that 'Pinoy' as a term with a derogatory history. I'll try to find the source.
 
Athanatos:

As I said, this is not to demean our real and true native aborigines countryman of the Philippines called the Negrito (coloqial name of small black man).

It is not racist. Why? in those years (colonization period). Where can you find a Negrito who knows how to read and write the alphabet (ABCD) or ABA, KA, DA. Where can you find in the Philippines where there is a community from Bario, to Town, Cities that is headed by a Negrito as Bario Captain/Chairman or Mayor to a Town or City. No Negrito Policeman, Teacher, gov't lowest clerk or whatever.

These people are nomads, traveling from one place to another and not considered as part of the governing body of the Country. Why? how do you expect someone to govern or establish a government that does not know the simple ABC or Public administration on those time and they are just very minority, does not like to intermingle with the lowlanders (sometimes they cannot even represent even one town against the whole population. These is compared to the BATACS of Palawan where I visited (those batacks were being handled by a Whiteman as maintainer and they became tourist attraction, to show themselves or dance infront of the visitors (I pity them they are being used or as exhibits or amusement to the visitors) I know this because I went there, I stayed in Puerto Pricesa City of Palawan and we hiked several mountains to reached that area of the so called BATACs or Batak tribe, smaller in number than the Negrito as a whole.

Another thing, in those time, where can you find a negrito studying in any School in the town proper or enrolled in the Colleges/University, maybe this time you can see one negrito enrolled in university but you can count in your finger. So far, I haven't seen a University in the Metropolis (Manila, Quezon City, Makati, Pasay, etc) that there is one enrolled negrito in college. So how can they produce a leader or intelectuals. I repeat and I stand anywhere in the world, that the negrito does not represent the identity of the Filipinos. They are our brother Filipino Native Aborigines but they have their own identity like the Igorots, Isneg, Kalingas, Moros etc, but they are very small in number and never stay in one place. This time they are learning already to have a permanent abode.

If that US rep during that time show the picture of Andres Bonifacio (self educated man), Dr. Jose Rizal, Gen. E. Aguinaldo, Gen. Jacinto, Lopez Jaena, Apolinario Mabini and their respective credentials who were graduates in the Ateneo de Manila, Universidad de Madrid and other University in Germany. Then perhaps the other representative who have not been step on the soil of the Philippines may appreciate the true Filipino race or see the the actual face of the Filipino (Malay) race. Even now, you can not find a negrito mayor, Congressman, Senator or other high public position because they don't have the enough education, personality, following and haven't proven yet to be such. If the negrito population will become big and qualify to become a town as a unit then perhaps they can produce a a Town Mayor where they are a Majority in that town. For Congressional or senatorial race, there is no even .0001 percent probability. There are many things to discuss on it but I believe what I have mentioned are good enough.

Like our Moro brothers, those who maintain or continue not to associate with the Christians in Manila to study in the universities, they will be left behind so wake up brothers. Intermingle and accept the new milleneum era. We have also excellent universities in the south but what I am saying instead of being warlike holding the AR & AK in the mountain better to educate the young generations to be more effective in their particular objetives.

Thanks.



[This message has been edited by stdalire (edited 08 December 1999).]
 
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