Desperate Housewives

Desperate Housewives is probably one of my top 3 favorite shows. The other two are Family Guy and Golden Girls but I digress. Although I enjoy the plot, characters, and most of all Eva Longoria, I didn’t think it was a very good idea for the writers to come up with that offensive line referencing the Philippines in such a negative way. With a large number of Filipinos working in hospitals and that stereotype of all Filipinos are nurses you would think the Filipinos working in the hospitals know what they’re doing. And from what I’ve learned in a previous Ethnic Studies class in 1901 there was a heavy shortage of teachers in the Philippines which led the United States to send 1,ooo American teachers, called “Thomasites” over to open barangay schools. They taught in English and attempted to “Americanize” their classes. Unfortunately they did not succeed but even so American education was brought to the Philippines so I find it somehow ironic that Terri Hatcher’s character, Susan, would make fun of where the doctor got his diplomas and the way she referred to the Philippines was as if it’s some place where even a monkey can get a diploma. The scene was very offensive because Filipinos have a deep regard for education. Education is viewed as the primary avenue for upward and social mobility.

-ashley