Still, if the Philippines was America’s “first real temptation,” as Mark Twain wrote, then America, given its imperialist history, also became a temptation for Filipinos eager to escape poverty and provide for their families. After all, if Americans could come and claim the Philippines, why can’t Filipinos move to America? Colorism cuts deep in any colonized country, and I was born to parents who were considered the mestizos (light-skinned ones) in their own families. I am the only child of Emelie Salinas and Jose Lito Vargas.
