Mark Cruz
English 100 AK
Liza Erpelo 
Essay #3 
April 23, 2012

	Before my interview with Milagros Bustos, i intended to focus on the themes of family obligation and homesickness. Family obligation was a very common because I assumed she came here for the better or to support her family. I also hoped she would talk about how she felt with being homesick because she was far and in a completely difference place from home. I was surprised how during my interview i didn't get the responses id expected. Milagros first arrived to San Francisco as a tourist because of the common thought that America is another paradise country. Even though Milagros Bustos lived a financially stable life in the Philippines, she still saw the United States as a land of opportunities and made it a home for her and her family. 
	I was surprised that Milagros intention for coming to america was not to support any family, but as a tourist. In the Philippines she considered herself middle class, being that an average class in the philippines would still be struggling to get by in life. She had a financially stable life, and wanted the chance to visit the United states. She was very fortunate that the advertising company that she worked for had sponsored and vouch for her. This surprised me because I assumed that majority of Filipino immigrants choose to migrate to America to work and be able to support families both in america and Philippines. Since so many Filipinos choose to immigrate to America in search of a better life, we assume that they are in the lower class group or struggling. In a biography of Carlos Bulosan, it states that he was determined to help support his family and further his education and decided to come to America with the dreams to fulfill these goals. He arrived in America during the 1930s. Carlos Bulosan is important because of his hardships and racial discrimination that damaged his health and changed his view towards America. This shows that many Filipinos from the past to present come to america with the intentions to support their families or better their own lives. 
	Benito M. Vergara states that the US offered a possibility to improve one's life, a possibility that even outweighed an already stable career in the Philippines (page 58). This was the case with Milagros Bustos being that she said she was middle class, and had a financially stable job. Many Filipinos who aren't struggling in the Philippines would also take the opportunity to come to the United States for the chance in the American dream. In the Philippines I'm told that it is extremely hard to go up a in the social class, meaning that you practically stay the class you are. Which is why they are willing to undergo the hardships of starting a new life in a foreign land. Being in America also gave you a better chance to support your family, because of the salary difference in America. The US has better minimum wage and better benefits as an employee. Curameng said, "the amount that you exert is being paid off."  (page 59). This is a huge difference because in the Philippines you can put in so much hard work for hours, and still end up with a small salary. This is why many Filipinos are willing come to America, and practically down grade in their jobs. hoping to better their financial status by better work, or by furthering their education being that there are more job opportunities in America. 
	Hoping to talk about the topic of nostalgia or homesickness in America, I was surprised to hear that she never the feeling of homesickness. This shows that there are Filipino immigrants that move to America and not feel homesick. Filipinos may not have the feeling of homesick because they like it better in America, and sometimes the thought of home may bring back memories of struggle. In Milagros Bustos case she said she never felt homesick being that she came here as a tourist as enjoyed almost everything about being in California. She said that theres so many things to do, and you can find almost everything when it comes to shopping. She found it easy to find all the brands she liked and many things were cheaper here. Benito M. Vergara stated that even after the passage of the 1935 Repatriation Act that gave free passage back to the Philippines- a slightly more benign form of deportation- only a little over 2,000 availed the offer. This showed that many Filipinos would prefer to stay in America rather than return home to the Philippines. Many of those who chose to return was were most likely not used to being in American, and probably felt homesick.
	Many of the Filipino that immigrated from the philippines choose to stay here in the America because they had more benefits living in America. Having the advantage to make a higher salary when working in the united states was one of the main reason for immigrating. Having more benefits as an employee was also something the philippines didn't have. The financial benefits of living in America were also contributing reason to why many Filipinos would rather live in America. Michael P. Smith, president of New York Bankers Association stated that America is "a nation that supports the American dream", which was owning a home or business.  owning a home or business in America was easier in America because of the American way of credit cards. Many adapted to the way of life in the states, that you can buy everything with you charge card. This added to why the possibility of Filipinos living in the United States moving back to the Philippines seemed slim. Milagros busts also told me of the benefits which she is glad to have living here in America such as Social Security, and Medicare. These are one of the Financial Advantages of living in America. which some people would explain that Uncle Same Protects you.
	We may seem to assume that only Filipinos who are struggling to get by in life in the philippines choose to immigrate in America. In Milagros Bustos case it is not true. She has been a city girl in the Philippines and had a financially stable life in the Philippines. After coming to America as a tourist she decided she liked life better in America. Eventually make America a new home for her. Basically Filipinos struggling and who are financially stable see America as the land of opportunities and would risk the hardships of coming to a foreign land in hope for a better life.

Works Cited
"Bulosan Biography." Home. Web. 23 Apr. 2012. 
	<http:/www.bulosan.org/html/bulosan_biography.html>.
"Financial Advantages to Living in the United States." Mortgage Rates
	 Credit Cards Refinance Home CD Rates by 	
	Bankrate.com. Web. 23 Apr. 2012. <http://www.bankrate.com/brm/news/bank/
	20030703a1.asp>.
Vergara, Benito Manalo. Pinoy Capital: The Filipino Nation in Daly City. Philadelphia: Temple 
	UP, 2009. Print.