There’s been an alarming number of racist articles going viral around the net which talk about Filipinos in a disturbing and derogatory manner. We don’t think this is going to end any time soon, so it might be a good idea to create a framework or a set of guidelines for many of us who are frequently caught up in the emotional tempest these pieces provoke. In this article, we’re giving you three ways you can deal with racism against Filipinos on the internet.
1. Ignore racist posts.
Nathan Allen, from the travel blog I Dreamed of This, offers an interesting insight (and one which is undoubtedly true): Filipinos are sensitive, and bloggers know it.
There are many racists out there to be sure, but some of the worst kind are those who use our collective sensitivity to write obviously antagonistic articles just so we flock to their websites and drive traffic. Let’s not fall for this obvious tactic. Ignore racist posts. Do not talk about these types of bloggers. Do not share their posts on social media sites. If they realize that we won’t give them the time of day, they will stop writing this drivel soon enough.
2. Report hate speech to the proper authorities.
Depending on the country where that blogger writes or operates, it is possible that the person has committed a crime by propounding racist hate speech (especially if the person advocates violent action). In that scenario, it might be a good idea to write an email or a letter to the proper government authorities. At the very least, if the blogger operates through a fairly popular blogging site like WordPress or Blogger, or through social media platforms like Facebook or Twitter, then you can report that person to the appropriate blogging site or social media platform for hateful and offensive behavior.
3. Understand that the root of any racist behavior is that person’s individual irrational insecurity.
Which isn’t to say that we should excuse that behavior. We just need to remember that none of what those people say are based on logic and rationality, and that trying to argue with them on any point concerning their deep-seated racism will be pointless. Just take comfort in the fact that you (that is, all decent, hard-working Filipinos) are better human beings than any person who assumes that the place where you are born conclusively determines the type of person you are.
We’ve spoken about this before, but it probably bears repeating: the opinions of other countries/people do matter, but only to the extent that they are true. Racist, bigoted drivel aimed to manipulate us because of our collective sensitivity are neither factual nor true and do not deserve our time or attention. Let these people stew in their own hate and insecurities.
