The central theme of Carlos Bulosan’s memoir, America is in the Heart, is to debunk America’s professed devotion to equality and liberty with the blatant reality of a prejudiced society that practices racism against Filipinos. The American identity is inseparable from race, and Filipinos are subject to dehumanization by the white-majority populace. Bulosan contends that American identity is built on a social hierarchy that privileges white individuals above other minority groups, allowing the US to welcome Filipino immigrants solely for their low-cost labor rather than acknowledging their humanity. Throughout the book, Bulosan highlights the issues of racism, poverty, exploitation, and discrimination that he and other Filipino immigrants faced while trying to make a living in America. Three events highlight Bulosan’s theme.
Firstly, the Committee for Protection of Filipino Rights (CPFR) is formed to protect Filipinos from racial oppression. The CPFR’s suggestion for American citizenship offers a potential solution to the Filipino’s isolation from American society. In Chapter 41, the activism efforts allow Bulosan to enter the opulent homes of white elites. (Bulosan 309). However, Carlos and his friend are hidden when their host gets a visitor. He questions her motive, “Why did she push me into hiding when a friend of hers came into the house? Was she ashamed because of my race?” (Bulosan 309). This incident indicates that even powerful individuals who support Bulosan’s mission may still hold profoundly racist beliefs. Despite CPFR’s efforts for Filipinos’ right to live as free men, discrimination is codified into law and perpetuated by influential groups, including the government. “But the race-haters in California were also busy lobbying against it. Headed by a Congressman, with the backing of big farmers and allied interests, they fought the bill and killed it.” (Bulosan 310). This event highlights how political forces are used to maintain the status quo of discrimination and oppression.
Secondly, one of the most impactful events in the novel is when Carlos experiences a sense of victory after successfully publishing some of his written work. “I had something to live for now, and to fight the world with; and I was no longer afraid of the past.” (Bulosan 329). However, his happiness is short-lived due to an incident of racial violence that triggers Bulosan’s suppressed anger towards white Americans. Chapter 45 depicts Carlos attending a party honoring a distinguished Filipino scholar. During the event, two police detectives arrived and subjected the Filipinos to harassment. The violent and unjustified intrusion by the police detectives into the dinner party, the aggressive use of guns, and the humiliating demand for absolute silence demonstrate the arbitrary and oppressive nature of the authority exercised by those in power against marginalized communities. The shocked scholar states, “My countrymen,” he said, “is there no way to make the American people respect us in the way that we respect them?” 330. Moreover, the author “felt violated and outraged” and “thought of [his] gun lying on the table in [his] room” (Bulosan 330). The author’s emotional response to the incident reflects the profound damage inflicted on individuals and communities who have experienced extreme violence and injustice.
Finally, the children in Bulosan’s novel are not immune to the problems afflicting Filipino adults. In chapter 44, Bulosan describes a young Mexican boy addicted to alcohol. “But every day afterward the boy came into the kitchen looking eagerly for the bottle of wine. He had learned to enjoy drinking.” (324). Furthermore, Bulosan states that “I was ashamed. But we were in a poverty-stricken neighborhood. I knew that the Mexican boy was starving.” (324). The boy’s reliance on alcohol to soothe his hunger and pain highlights the destructive effects of poverty and the struggles of immigrants to cope with their harsh living conditions. The Mexican boy’s addiction to alcohol is a symptom of a larger problem; the American system’s failure to provide a sense of purpose and meaning for its marginalized citizens.
Works Cited
Bulosan, Carlos. America is in the Heart: a personal history. Penguin Book, 2019.
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