Not in our house

I could not believe it. I could not believe there actually was a Chinese restaurant that only catered to Chinese. A Chinese restaurant in Las Piñas is reportedly only catering to Chinese nationals. Even the menu is written in Chinese characters. I cannot help but ask why this establishment is allowed to operate this way. Why are Filipinos experiencing discrimination in their own country? Are “Tsinoys” also not allowed to dine at the said establishment, or can they? What was the owner thinking of carrying out such a policy? And why did the local government grant a business permit? Did they know of the restaurant’s discriminatory policy?

Naturally, calls to revoke the permit and close the restaurant came quick. Some lawmakers chimed in, calling for an investigation into the issue. The Palace will investigate the matter before acting. It did come out with a statement that Chinese establishments should not discriminate Filipinos. We expect a quick result of this investigation. How about they actually go to the said restaurant and check for themselves if indeed they are discriminatory? If so, is this not a hard slap to all Filipinos? The permit of this restaurant must be immediately revoked. Failure to do so only invites other similar establishments with similar policies from opening all over the place. I can only shake my head, thinking the Chinese feel entitled to do anything.

Take for example those businesses spotted in Boracay that are owned by Chinese. Their billboards are even written in Chinese characters. I would not have an issue if they are also written in English or Tagalog, similar to countries with many tourists. It is of no surprise why Chinese establishments are propping up everywhere, knowing the president’s admiration for everything Chinese.

According to the Depart of Tourism, the number of tourist arrivals in the country increased during the first quarter of the year. China ranks second, with South Koreans taking the top slot. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Chinese eventually end up at number one by the end of the year. We might as well get used to this phenomenon for as long as the Duterte foreign policy holds up.

I hear stories of how some Filipino-Americans experience discrimination in the US. I have read about letters left in mailboxes, asking Fil-Am families to live elsewhere. We have seen several videos of white people yelling at Fil-Ams, likewise telling them to “go back to their country”, or something along those lines. The discrimination is both subtle and outright, even for Filipinos who lived all their lives in the US. I can just imagine what they go through. But to experience discrimination here?

Not in our house. [email protected]