Filipinos were labeled as belligerent and public health liability, and were considered unfit for American society. From a moral and social viewpoint, the Filipinos did not improve life in the U.S. The absence of home life and Filipino women led them to undesirable associations with white women.
Finally, in 1946 Filipinos were granted independence. With that and the 1952 immigration law, all Filipinos who had come to the United States prior to 1934 were eligible for naturalization. Also eligible were citizens of the Philippines who came with a certificate of arrival (Melendy, 1977). With the independence of the Philippines finally recognized b the United States, the Philippine Republic became a sovereign state. The citizens became full-fledged Filipinos with the right to decide their own future. The Filipinos now lost their status of being nationalists of the United States, and they now become aliens. Those who decide to settle here are given permanent resident status. They could qualify for citizenship after five years of continuous residence in the U.S (Bonpua, 1979).
3.
Cultural Characteristics.
The Filipinos are a happy blend of several races, basically Malay with Chinese, Spanish, Indian and American admixtures. Their values and ways of life were shaped by several, sometimes-conflicting cultures and the resulting blend is what makes their own uniquely Filipino. The religion breakdown of Filipinos is 83% Roman Catholic, 9% Protestants, and 5% Muslims. Filipinos have a strong belief in faith. Filipinos believe that whatever happens is to him is the work of fate. They often say the phrase "Bahala na" which means "come what may". Tagalog and English are the official languages of Filipinos, however there are over 100 different dialects in the Filipino language. Tagalog is spoken by more than half of its populace while English is the medium of instruction in school and is widely used by the government and businesses.