Between The Morning Calm and The Orient Seas: Exploring the Kopino Phenomenon through Narratives, and Gauging the Role of the Kopino Children Association Inc. as an Assisting Non-Government Actor Liezl Ann D. Lansang Submitted to Prof. Josefina G. Tayag, DPA Department of Social Sciences College of Arts and Sciences University of the Philippines Manila In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of BACHELOR OF ARTS IN POLITICAL SCIENCE May 2017 For the mothers who continue to live every single day making ends meet for their Kopino children. For the Kopino youth, who to this day, still long to be able to meet their fathers, and constantly aspire for a better future. For the people, who dedicate their advocacies in bridging the impoverished towards a better life. For the underserved and the marginalized. ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to my family, friends and colleagues who generously gave insights, and never stopped in pushing me towards finishing my thesis. Thank you for being my support system despite all the lows and difficulties that I have encountered. I am very grateful to my different sets of parents—Lolo Ding, Lola Ning, Daddy, Auntie Cecille, Mama, and Auntie Joyce—for always motivating me and bringing my self-esteem back, whenever I feel tired from all the data gathering and manuscript writing during the past months. To my siblings, Kuya Ken, Ate Sharie, and Tin Tin, thank you for always being understanding and listening to me whenever I needed to vent. To the Kopino Children Association Inc.—Mr. Cedric Son, Kuya Rommel, and Ate Lala—I am very grateful to you, for opening your organization’s doors to me, and allowing me to study how you work in the pursuit of helping Kopino children and mothers achieve better lives. I would also like to thank Professor Kyungmin Bae, not only for promptly accepting my invitation to interview, but also for helping me with my resources and contacts. To my thesis adviser, Dr. Josefina Tayag, thank you so much for being patient with my work. It is a rigorous process to pursue my topic of choice, due to it being understudied, but you understood the many limitations that I faced in making my thesis happen. To a certain person whose own determination and passion inspired me to always bend over break from all the challenges, thank you. You continue to be one of my sources of inspiration. Lastly, and most importantly, I would like to express my deepest thanks and admiration to all the mothers who have bared their lives to me. You will always be unspoken heroes in my eyes. iii ABSTRACT The research seeks to lay out an approximate description of the actual current living conditions of Kopinos in the Philippines, and identify the common problems that they are experiencing, particularly in the light of their living conditions. Given the situation of the children, the research seeks to explain the ways on how non-governmental actors, such as in the case of the Kopino Children Association Inc., stand as duty-bearers in helping address the problems of Kopinos and in the process of achieving their basic needs, and in the midst of limited state action. Due to the biracial nature of the Kopinos, the perspectives of both Korean and Philippine societies on multiculturalism were also included in order to be able to analyze the problem from a larger perspective, and assess the degree of exclusion that they experience. In the study, it was seen that the perspectives offered by Kopino mothers highly differed from the stereotypes established by the media due to the nuances in their experiences, as well as the nature of their respective relationships with the Korean men. The study was also able to establish that NGOs are indeed instrumental with regard to solving the issue, but with corresponding disadvantages. The study asserts that Kopinos are not fully integrated into both Korean and Philippine societies, andis reflected in the lack of multicultural policies in both countries, which are tailored for them. Thus, there is a need to explore the possible interdependence between NGOs, who know more in terms of handling the issue, and the state, which has the access into policy-making. Keywords: Kopinos, non-government organizations, social exclusion, multiculturalism, globalization iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgments ii-iii Abstract iv Chapter I a. Introduction 1-2 b. General and Specific Objectives 2-3 c. Main Research Question 4 d. Thesis Statement 4 e. Review of Related Literature 4-13 f. Theoretical Framework 13-15 g. Conceptual Framework 16-18 h. Definition of Terms 18-19 i. Research Design 19-23 j. Ethical Aspects 23-24 k. Scope and Limitations 24-25 l. Significance of the Study 25-26 Chapter II: A Background on Philippines-South Korea Relations on Migration, and the Implications of such in theStandpoints of Philippine and South Korean Societieson Multiculturalism a. Filipino Migration amidst South Korea’s Industrialization 27-30 i. South Korean Society on Multiculturalism 30-33 b. South Koreans under the Institutionalized Social Hierarchy in the Philippines 34-38 i. Philippine Society on Multiculturalism and Korean Presence 38-39 c. Conclusion 39-41 Chapter III :Introducing the Kopino Problem: Perspectives from the Media and Key Informants v a. The Kopino Problem from the Perspective of the Media 42-46 b. Perspectives of Key Informants on Some Discrepancies Regarding the Media Portrayal on Kopinos 47-51 c. Conclusion 51-52 Chapter IV : Presentation And Analysis of Findings a. Exploring the Narratives of Kopino Mothers 53-64 b. Ways on How Non-Government Actors Help in Addressing the Issue : The Case of Kopino Children’s Association Incorporated 64-70 c. Summary of Findings from the Data Gathered 70-73 d. An Analysis of the Kopino Problem in a Larger Perspective 74-76 Chapter V : Conclusion and Recommendations 77-79 References80-85 Appendices 86-161 vi Between the Morning Calm and the Orient Seas CHAPTER I Introduction The Philippines‘ historical experiences on colonialism and past wars have led to the diversification of the country‘s population in terms of race. Mixed-race children, thus, have been relatively welcomed in a heterogeneous society. Issues on Philippine mixed-race children, however, had become evident when problems experienced by Amerasians (American-Asians) first surfaced in the media. News articles and studies attribute the rise in the numbers of these children to the boom of tourism and sex trade brought about by the existence of the US military bases in the Philippines. Due to their obvious physical biracial features and given the ―predominantly conservative Catholic society‖ that there is in the Philippines, Lowe (2014, May 20) particularly reports that these children have been ―discriminated against for being illegitimate, mixed-race, or the children of prostitutes‖. This stigma attached on Amerasians has then been the cause of the discrimination that they experience from other Filipinos. Another major factor that contributes to this pressing problem is the lack of paternal support and recognition—studies have claimed that these children suffer from the emotional, social and financial effects of being abandoned by their fathers. Today, globalization has made the movement of goods, ideas, values, and people among national frontiers easier. In the Philippines, one of the manifestations of globalization is the observable influx, as well as the changing demography of tourists visiting the country. This, in turn, has paved the way for the rise of other mixed-raced children—especially those fathered by East Asians. Lansang | 1 Between the Morning Calm and the Orient Seas Following the arrival of more Korean tourists in the country is the corresponding rise in the births of ―Kopinos‖, or children fathered by Korean men and born with Filipina mothers. Similar to Amerasians and other mixed-race children, the media has portrayed Kopinos as children who experience problems related to race and paternal abandonment. Specifically, Kopinos in general are reported to be impoverished children who have been left by their fathers. On the other hand, while news reports with regard to state action from both the Philippine and Korean governments in terms of helping Kopinos with their plights remain limited, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and foundations such as the Kopino Children Association Inc. (KCAI) have been active in providing assistance to these children. There have been studies on other mixed-race children in the Philippines and their respective situations, but literature on Kopinos remain scant. Thus, the researcher is prompted to pursue a study that aims to contribute in bringing forth awareness to the actual experiences of these mixed-raced children. The study also seeks to gauge the role of NGOs, particularly in the case of KCAI, as being instrumental in helping Kopino achieve better lives. General Objective To explain and discuss the phenomenon of the Kopino problem in the Philippines and to identify how the KCAI, as a principal non-government organization, helps address the existing plights of these mixed-race children for the achievement a better quality of life, as well as paternal recognition and support. Specific Objectives Lansang | 2 Between the Morning Calm and the Orient Seas 1. To discuss the current standing of mixed-race individuals and the acceptance of multiculturalism in both Korean and Philippine societies respectively 2. To describe the living conditions of Kopino children and identify common problems, particularly looking onto : a. Poverty b. Access to basic rights (e.g. proper healthcare, housing, education) c. Educational attainment and quality of education received 3. To identify the different measures on how NGOs help Kopinos achieve sustainable living conditions, in the case of KCAI 4. To assess the role of KCAI in helping improve the lives of Kopinos, as well as the limitations faced by the said NGO by : a.