CLEM BACANI

WE ALL know that many of our compatriots in the US are working here as nurses. In the 1960s, this was the easiest way to immigrate and I hear stories of the first nurses who made it here in the US. The resurgence of nurses coming from the Philippines have been increasing the past years to the point that available visas for nurses have been filled up that US Congress have to pass a special legislation to increase the quota allocation for the this profession so they can be accomodated to come here in the US. Needless to say, the demand is indeed increasing.

Against this backdrop is a sidebar story.

This is about the observation of DOREE, the cashier at Family Seafood Market in Corona, Ca. She observe a growing number of Filipin nurses whose husbands she described as "chemist". Obviously the wife is the nurse and the husband is a "chemist" — kemisis umaasa.

At home, our predominantly male dominated society, the man is the head of the family. He is the breadwinner and the Boss and the wife stay at home. and do the house chores Thats in the Philippines. Now in the US, its the reverse. Filipino nurses have attained the role of provider and the husband as the "houseband".

There are several reasons for this, namely:

1. The kids are too young to be left alone at home that they should always be accompanied by an adult. Tradionally US couples bring their kids to a child caregiver or arrange their work time so that either the husband or wife have the time to be with kids.

2. The wife does not know how to drive or could not pass the driver license exams and the husband becomes the official driver of the wife and the children.

3. Kuripot — Filipinos does not want to spend money for child care.

4. Disparity of income — Nurses make more money than their husband. The husband becomes insecure and is belittled by his capabililty to contribute to the family income. The husband resigns to that reality and would accept the role as housekeeper and driver.

5. The husband, who maybe an executive or a government worker or manager in the Philippines suddenly find it a hard time getting a job here in the US. Or does not want to start into a low paying job here in the US.

6. A reversal of role. Maybe because of the tradtional setup where the man is the head of hte family, Filipino women find it liberating that they are now the head of the family here in the US. So they dont want to do the house chores and let the husband to the job as tagaluto, tagalaba, taga plantsa, taga masahe, etc.

What are the consequences of this setup?

The wife has to work more hours. Nurses are taking 2 jobs and work overtime to meet the needed family income. In some cases the husband is reduced to a katulong that the relationship becomes feudalistic. The woman takes the role of the macho Filipino husband!!

Consequently, wife drives a new Mercedes Bens or a Lexus and the husband drives a 1993 Toyota Camry. The husband can drive the Lexus only to bring the kids to school or when he drives the wife at work. The wife has several credit cards and the husband has to rely from his weekly allowance.

And because the husband don't have income, he get the advice of his fellow "chemist" to go to the Social Security Adminsitration — and file for unemployment benefits. And since unemployment benefits is only temporary, suddenly they become diabetic or suffering from back pains etc. — then they become disable and avail of disability benefits.

Then they become "pensionados".

Indeed, Amerika — the land of the free!!!!

WELL, IT'S reality and filipinos are so in-demand abroad that we have to make do whatever comes our way. In-demand actually is not the right word, it a neccessity for survival. A lot of Filipinos are leaving their homeland because they don't want to just let authorities in the government ruin their life with too much "stupid politics", the exact reason why I left for the United States to start a family and re-invent my life. I salute those mothers and fathers who give an ultimate sacrifice of leaving their families so they could earn some dollars to make the lives of those left behind a little bit comfortable.