Book Report on Rolando Tolentino

8/13/2019 Book Report on Rolando Tolentino

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Blake Clinton Y. Dy/March 31, 2007

National/Transnational: S!"ect #or$ation an% Me%ia in an% on the &hili''ines

The conce't o( the nation has al)ays !een the s!"ect o( %e!ate

thro*hot the history o( the aca%e$e. +hile it is si$'le in %e(inition, !ein*

$erely a share% i%entity !et)een a sia!le *ro' o( 'eo'le the s'eci(ics o( its

e-istence, o'eration an% alteration hae arie% (ro$ athor to athor. +here

%oes in%ii%ality en% an% the share% i%entity !e*in +hat !rin*s a!ot chan*e

in the national i%entity This isse is (rther $%%le% )ith the intrsion o(

(orei*n i%eas intro%ce% !y a conerin*/he*e$onic 'o)er an% the ineita!le

inter$in*lin* )ith other nation *ro's %e to *lo!aliation, tra%e an% $e%ia. The

en% reslt is that the in%ii%al is le(t )ith a h*e $orass o( co$'etin* tterly

%ier*ent i%eas (ro$ )hich to co!!le to*ether a )orkin* i%entity (or hi$sel( that

is a co$'ro$ise o( his or her in%ii%ality an% the nations collectie i$a*e.

This is 'ointe%ly %e$onstrate% !y the )o$an )earin* !oth natie an% )estern

*ra! %e'icte% in the !ooks coer an% re(erre% to in the intro%ction.

The latter sorce in 'articlar na$ely $e%ia has !eco$e 'o)er(l in the

last %eca%e in s!"ectiely %e(inin* the nation, !ein* !oth a sorce o( chan*e an%

a re(lection o( the nations crrent 'erceie% state o( !ein*. t is also thro*h its

aryin* re'resentations o( the &hili''ines that )e can clearly )itness the

inter(acin* !et)een the nations'ace an% he*e$onic 'o)er, !et)een national an%

transnational in the nations s!"ect (or$ation t is (or this reason that 4olan%o

Tolentino has taken 'articlar interest in this (iel% o( st%y. t is in his !elie( that



$e%ia re'resentations hae !eco$e the 'ri$ary terrain in )hich the inter(acin*

$ani(ests itsel( into !ein* an% that it 'roi%es !oth tension an% aryin* %e*rees

o( a**raation to the analysis o( cltral 'olitics. Thro*h the st%y o( $e%ia

re'resentations )e can locate the %is"nctres or chan*es o( the aryin* $o%es

5s!ersion, ne*otiation, %o$ination, etc6 o( the inter'lay o( 'o)er in s!"ect

(or$ation. co$'rehensie analysis o( sch )ol% yiel% a !etter n%erstan%in*

o( the 'o)er relations !et)een the national an% transnational (orces that sha'e

the &hili''ines i%entity.

Tolentino acco$'lishes this task !y 'resentin* to s a series o( essays

that locate the arios sites o( 'o)er 'lay in s!"ect (or$ation. This is %one !y

the scrtiny an% analysis o( arios $ani(estations o( the $e%ia on ho) they

sitate% the #ili'ino !o%y in the national an% transnational s'ace. 8e then *oes

(rther to sho) s the reasons an% $otiations (or sch a 'ortrayal an% cross

re(erences sch i%eas )ith e-istin* $e%ia %iscorses !oth national an%

transnational in ori*in.

The athor has %ii%e% his )ork into three sections, the (irst section )hich

he has title% National/Transnational Dis"nctre, 'resents arios conten%in*

isses in the (or$ation o( the nation. The to'ics !ein* 'ri$arily associate% )ith

national in(lences )hich hae arisen in the )ake o( the contrys aryin*

'erio%s o( coloniation. The (irst essay, #ili'inas in the Transnational S'ace

%iscsses the sitation o( the $ail or%er !ri%es 'roi%in* an analysis o( their

$arketin* $o%es 5letters, 'acka*in*, catalo*s, etc6 at the cltral leel 5racial

stereoty'es, *en%er roles, etc6 an% the socio'olitical leel 5econo$ics,



%eelo'$ent, etc6. t also st%ies their 'osition in the transnational s'ace in the

conte-t o( the colonial an% ca'italist history o( he*e$onic 'o)ers 'articlarly

the 9nite% States an% ho) it s'eaks o( the relationshi' or nation has )ith the

)orl%s sole re$ainin* s'er'o)er. nan*!ayan, the secon% essay is a st%y o(

%irector ino Brockas t)o (il$s Bayan ;o: ;a'it sa &atali$ an% <ra'rono!is in

the conte-t o( the conce't o( nan*!ayan, the (e$ale cltral re'resentation that

ins'ires the 'eo'le to nationalis$. 8e also %iscsses its aryin* inter'retations

o( this conce't across aryin* lines o( class an% nationality citin* the =DS

reoltion as an e-a$'le. #inally the thir% essay, sses o( the #ili'ino/a in

sia&aci(ic $erican Me%ia rts tackles the isse o( the #ili'ino$ericans

chan*in* re'resentations in the eyes o( $erica an% its %istinct character that

stan%s se'arate o( the !lanket cate*ory sian &aci(ic $erican.

The secon% 'ortion o( the !ook is calle% Colonial an% $'erial ocalities.

t %iscsses the historical 'enetration o( colonialis$ an% i$'erialis$ in arios

areas o( the contry essentially sho)in* s the i$'act or coloniers hae ha% on

the national i%entity an% )hat e((ect )e hae ha% on the$. Nations,

Nationalis$s, an% os lti$os %e #ili'inas 5The ast (ro$ the &hili''ines6 is an

analysis o( the S'anish =$'ire on the )ane thro*h the lens o( the (il$ The ast

(ro$ the &hili''ines. t analyes the 'rocess that #ranco le% S'ain, e$er*in*

(ro$ a !loo%y ciil )ar atte$'ts to (or*e its o)n nationalis$ !y $ar*inaliin*

another nations history. The essay also 'oints ot in its conclsion the lastin*

le*acy o( colonial $entality le(t !y the S'aniar%s. ;i%lat Tahi$ik in the 4hetori

o( the #irst +orl% Critical Theory is a critie o( #re%rick >a$esons analysis o(



in%e'en%ent (il$$aker, ;i%lat Tahi$iks $oies an% his %e(inition o( the Thir%

+orl%. S!"ectiity an% Nation in #ili'ino to!io*ra'hical Doc$entaries

tackles isses arisin* (ro$ ato!io*ra'hical ( il$s as a $eans o( sel(

re'resentation an% their e((ect on the national i%entity.

The (inal section o( the !ook has !een !%%e% sia &aci(ic $a*inations

an% these series o( essays analyes ho) the &hili''ine i$a*e is 'ro%ce% !y the

$any nations o( the sia &aci(ic *iin* s a nei*h!ors ie) on or o)n nation.

The (irst essay, rchi'ela*ic S'ace an% Sotheast sian Cine$as e-a$ines the

arie% notions that seeral contries hae on the to'ic o( nationhoo% an%

%eelo'$ent thro*h the lens o( the (il$, Sothern +in%s an% ho) these notions

are share% an% conteste%. ?eo'olitical S'ace an% the Chinese City #il$s

analyes arios (il$s set in the r!an enirons an% treats the$ as sy$'to$atic

o( the e((ect o( transnationaliation an% $o%ernity on the re*ion in its

con(i*ration o( the in%ii%al, city an% nation. The closin* essay o( this !ook

@S!contractin*A $a*ination an% $a*eries o( Bo%ies an% Nations %eals )ith

sias 'erce'tion o( itsel( thro*h its cine$as. ?ien the risin* 'ro$inence o(

the re*ion sians hae ha% $ore (ree%o$ to %e(ine the$seles on their o)n

ter$s as o''ose% to those i$'ose% on the$ !y he*e$onic 'o)ers in +est. This

essay e-a$ines ho) this ne) (on% (ree%o$ (or %e(inition a((ects the &hili''ine

national i%entity.

+hen taken as a )hole Tolentino o((ers a re(reshin* take on 'o)er

relations !et)een sia an% the +est )ith the a%%e% t)ist o( %oin* so thro*h the

lens o( one o( $e%ias $ost 'o'lar $e%i$s na$ely cine$a this tho*h can



also !e seen as its *reatest (ailin*. The se o( cine$a as a "sti(yin* (actor (or

$any o( its ar*$ents actally casts %o!t on the athenticity o( its assertions

that ha% they !een !acke% )ith n$erical an% (actal %ata )ol% hae %ra)n

a''lase (ro$ $any a 'olitical scientist 5$ysel( incl%e%6. This ite re*retta!le

since in its entirety the essays containe% the in the !ook are )ell researche%.

#rther$ore $st say that Tolentinos )ork )hile *rati(yin* to (inish is har%ly

an en"oya!le )ork to rea%. 8is e-'lanations are lon*)in%e% an% circlar

!or%erin* on 'reachin*, takin* seeral 'a*es to e-'lain re'eate%ly )hat can

nor$ally !e sai% an% illstrate% in less than a 'ara*ra'h or een a sentence

5tho*h the sa$e can !e sai% (or $ost o( the aca%e$ic co$$nity6. n (act yo

can *et $ost o( his core i%eas !y rea%in* his intro%ction rather than hain* to

slo* thro*h $ost o( the te-t. 8is oca!lary is hi*hly technical an%

co$'licate% an% this sitation is (rther a**raate% !y the (act that he %oes not

take the ti$e to e-'lain their sa*e an% $eanin*s or to 'roi%e a *lossary (or the

!ene(it o( the rea%er. <erall the !ook is an e-ce'tional )ell)ritten )ork !t it

is hi*hly selectie in its rea%ershi'. ca%e$ics )ol% (in% this !ook entertainin*

)hile the co$$on $an 5$ysel( incl%e%6 )ol% $ore likely *roan an% toss it

!ack to the li!rary (ro$ )hence it ca$e.

Book Report on Rolando Tolentino

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