Jonalyn, Philippines

 

Jonalyn was born in Manilla, Philippines but grew up in Cebu. In the two cities, the largest in the Philippines, the languages and the culture are different. Her parents at that time were thinking about coming to the US. The US embassy was in Manilla so they moved there, where they lived until Jonalyn was approximately 5 years old, then the whole family (mom, dad, and her two older siblings) went back to Cebu while waiting for the paperwork. When her dad’s paperwork was approved he left for the US. Jonalyn did all her K-12 education in Cebu and started college there. Her auntie, the eldest on her dad’s side, had become a lawyer in the Philippines and her dad’s parents were politicians. Auntie went to live in the US for work and took her grandparents, who petitioned for their other kids to come to the US. Jonaly’s dad wanted to go because his thoughts were: “It’s America, this great country and all the family should move there!”

When Jonalyn was in elementary school she really wanted to go to the US, but by the time she got to high school, she was living her life and planning a career in the Philippines. She started college for nursing but 3 months later her visa was approved. The excitement about the move was gone. She was the first of the siblings to get to the US and she was a bit depressed with the weather and being alone (her parents were working all the time). In Seattle she started studying massage therapy. Just before graduating, she met someone, they got married, and had a child. Her husband was in the military, an Iraq veteran, who was suffering from PTSD. That had a strain on their marriage and they eventually got divorced.  Jonalyn was working as a massage therapist in Seattle and the south sound and eventually came to work in Tacoma and reconnected with her former mentor and employer Joe. Through the years they started developing feelings for each other and they ultimately moved in together, with Jonalyn’s son, their dogs, Lulu and Lula, their chickens, and bunnies.  Another important part in Jonaly’s life is her life-long love for martial arts. She started in the Philippines with Karate and Tae Kwon Do, then continued in the US with kickboxing, Jujitsu, and Muay Thai. She trains regularly and takes parts in competitions. In 2017 Jonaly decided to further her education to change her career path. Now she is a student at TCC working towards an AA.

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Occupation: massage therapist and full time student at TCC

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Family in the US (from Philippines): everyone in her immediate family and on her dad’s side of the family. She still has cousins and uncles form her mom’s side in the Philippines

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Languages: English, Tagalog (Philippines former official language), Bisaya (Cebu’s main dialect).

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Favorite pastimes: art making, martial arts, hiking

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Favorite music: Gospel, Carrie Underwood, Beethoven, but it really depends on the mood. She really doesn’t like Rock ‘n Roll and Heavy Metal.

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Language challenges: Words with R and pronunciation in general which is not always clear to English speaking people.

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Could do without: Her first year in the US she changed her hair color to blond and she was attacked by two African American girls who tried to punch her yelling “Asian Blond.” In Gig Harbor, when she uses coupons at the checkout of certain stores, the cashier always seems irritated and unfriendly. Jonalyn asked an Asian American friend if she had a similar experience, and she confirmed that she was never treated that way, making Jonalyn assume that what causes the reaction might be her accent, and basically her not being originally from the US.

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Favorite expressions:   none

 

Object: Martial arts outfit, which came from the Philippines

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Jonalyn, Pilipinas

 

Si Jonalyn ay ipinanganak sa Manilla, Philippines ngunit lumaki sa Cebu. Sa dalawang lungsod, ang pinakamalaki sa Pilipinas, ang mga wika at kultura ay magkakaiba. Ang kanyang mga magulang sa oras na iyon ay nag-iisip tungkol sa pagpunta sa US. Ang embahada ng US ay nasa Manilla kaya lumipat sila roon, kung saan sila nanirahan hanggang sa humigit-kumulang na 5 taong gulang si Jonalyn, pagkatapos ang buong pamilya (nanay, tatay, at ang kanyang dalawang nakatatandang kapatid) ay bumalik sa Cebu habang hinihintay ang mga papeles. Nang maaprubahan ang mga papeles ng kanyang ama ay umalis siya patungo sa US. Ginawa ni Jonalyn ang lahat ng kanyang K-12 na edukasyon sa Cebu at doon nagsimula sa kolehiyo. Ang kanyang auntie, ang panganay sa panig ng kanyang ama, ay naging isang abugado sa Pilipinas at ang mga magulang ng kanyang ama ay mga pulitiko. Si Tiya ay nagtungo sa US para sa trabaho at dinala ang kanyang mga lolo't lola, na nagpetisyon para sa kanilang iba pang mga anak na pumunta sa US. Ang tatay ni Jonaly ay nais na pumunta sapagkat ang kanyang iniisip ay: "Ito ang Amerika, ang dakilang bansa at ang lahat ng pamilya ay dapat lumipat doon!"

Noong si Jonalyn ay nasa elementarya pa lamang ay nais na niyang pumunta sa US, ngunit sa pag-high school niya, nabubuhay na siya at nagpaplano ng isang karera sa Pilipinas. Nagsimula siya sa kolehiyo para sa pag-aalaga ngunit pagkalipas ng 3 buwan naaprubahan ang kanyang visa. Nawala ang tuwa sa paglipat. Siya ang una sa magkakapatid na nakarating sa US at medyo nalulumbay siya sa panahon at nag-iisa (ang kanyang mga magulang ay nagtatrabaho palagi). Sa Seattle nagsimula siyang mag-aral ng massage therapy. Bago magtapos, siya ay may nakilala, nagpakasal sila, at nagkaroon ng isang anak. Ang kanyang asawa ay nasa militar, isang beterano sa Iraq, na nagdurusa sa PTSD. Nagkaproblema iyon sa kanilang kasal at tuluyan na silang naghiwalay. Si Jonalyn ay nagtatrabaho bilang isang therapist ng masahe sa Seattle at ang timog na tunog at kalaunan ay nagtatrabaho sa Tacoma at muling nakakonekta sa kanyang dating tagapagturo at employer na si Joe. Sa mga taong nagsimula silang magkaroon ng damdamin sa bawat isa at tuluyan silang lumipat, kasama ang anak ni Jonalyn, kanilang mga aso, sina Lulu at Lula, kanilang mga manok, at mga kuneho. Ang isa pang mahalagang bahagi sa buhay ni Jonaly ay ang kanyang buong buhay na pag-ibig sa martial arts. Nagsimula siya sa Pilipinas kasama sina Karate at Tae Kwon Do, pagkatapos ay nagpatuloy sa US kasama ang kickboxing, Jujitsu, at Muay Thai. Regular siyang nagsasanay at kumukuha ng mga bahagi sa mga kumpetisyon. Noong 2017 nagpasya si Jonaly na ipagpatuloy ang kanyang edukasyon upang mabago ang kanyang career path. Ngayon ay isa na siyang mag-aaral sa TCC na nagtatrabaho patungo sa isang AA.

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Trabaho: massage therapist at full time na mag-aaral sa TCC

Family sa US (mula sa Pilipinas): lahat sa kanyang malapit na pamilya at sa panig ng pamilya ng kanyang ama. Mayroon pa siyang mga pinsan at tiyuhin na bumubuo sa panig ng kanyang ina sa Pilipinas Mga

Wika: Ingles, Tagalog (opisyal na wika ng Pilipinas), Bisaya (pangunahing wika ng Cebu).

Mga paboritong libangan: paggawa ng sining, martial arts, hiking, 

Paboritong musika: Gospel, Carrie Underwood, Beethoven, ngunit depende talaga sa mood. Hindi niya talaga gusto ang Rock 'n Roll at Heavy Metal.

Mga hamon sa wika: Ang mga salitang may R at bigkas sa pangkalahatan na hindi laging malinaw sa mga taong nagsasalita ng Ingles.

Maaaring magawa nang: Ang kanyang unang taon sa US ay binago niya ang kulay ng kanyang buhok sa blond at siya ay inatake ng isang batang Amerikanong Amerikanong Amerikano na sinubukang suntukin ang kanyang sumisigaw na "Asian Blond." Sa Gig Harbor, kapag gumagamit siya ng mga kupon sa pag-checkout ng ilang mga tindahan, palaging tila naiirita at hindi magiliw ang kahera. Tinanong ni Jonalyn ang isang kaibigan na Asyano sa Amerika kung mayroon siyang katulad na karanasan, at kinumpirma niya na hindi siya gaganapin sa ganoong paraan, na ipinapalagay kay Jonalyn na kung ano ang sanhi ng reaksyon ay maaaring ang kanyang tuldik, at karaniwang hindi siya nagmula sa Estados Unidos.

 

Mga Bagay: Damit ng martial arts

 

I apologize to Jonalyn and any Tagalog speaker because I could not find a Tagalog translation of her story. Tagalog used to be the official language of the Philippines,  but in 1987, Filipino took its place as the official national language.

 

Moreover, the translation in Filipino is from a free online translator, so it’s probably wrong in many instances. I apologize to any Filipino and Tagalog speaker!

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Also, I apologize in advance for the imperfect pronunciation in the English recording