Mga Anak ng Araw
Bakit Iba-iba ang Kulay ng mga Lahi
(Children of the Sun: Why Different Races Have Different Colors)
This charming tale of how the earth’s first people came to be can open up several enriching discussions on creation and unity in diversity.
Mga Anak Ng Araw weaves the legend of how Bathala created the earth’s first inhabitants, who were given color with Mother Sun’s rays. The story tells how the different races came to be. In the morning, the white people were created, the brown people at noon time, and the black people during the evening. Yet despite their varying skin colors, they remain tied together as brothers and sisters because of their single origin.
IDEAS FOR DISCUSSION:
A. Legends and Creation Stories
What are legends?
Legends are famous myths or stories passed down from earlier times detailing how certain things came into existence.
Creation Stories
Famous stories of creation include Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution, which states that the human species originated from a common ancestor. Certain beneficial traits are preserved through time and passed down to the next generation through a process called natural selection. Natural selection refers to how the most successful in adapting to the changing environment survive, thus the phrase, “survival of the fittest.”
One example of a local story on creation is that of “Malakas at Maganda,”which originated from the Visayas region. In the beginning, there were only the seas and the sky. A magnificent bird wished to find land to perch on, and asked help from the gods of the seas and the sky. The two gods ended up arguing over who was more powerful and in the midst of whirlwinds, land was revealed to be underneath the seas. As the battle drew to a close, the bird happened to hear voices from inside bamboos asking him to free them so they could maintain the peace and populate the lands. The bird opened the bamboo which contained the first man and woman.
B. Science of the Sun
The Sun, source of life-giving energy to the planet, also plays a role when it comes to skin color or pigmentation. Three pigment factors contribute to skin color:
a) melanin, dark brown pigment granules found in the epidermal cells
b)melanoid, a dissolved material in the epidermis (outer layer of the skin)
c)carotene, an orange pigment located in the outer layers of the skin
There are different skin colors because of the different amounts of pigment in the skin. Skin color ranges from the lightest (Caucasian), yellow-brown (Chinese, Eskimo, and North American Indian), to the darkest (Negroid).
Generally, people who have descended from a line hailing from tropical regions or those in higher altitudes have darker skin because of greater exposure to ultraviolet light, found in sunlight.
Sunlight’s Ultraviolet B radiation is a primary source of Vitamin D, which is greatly beneficial to one’s health. Some of its benefits include the potential to inhibit the growth of certain cancers.
However, excessive exposure to sunlight can cause certain diseases like skin cancer. Warning signs include brown blemishes on exposed body parts, skin thickening, inflammation and ulceration without healing. The lighter your skin color, the more sensitive you are to sunlight.
C. Sarimanok
The Sarimanok comes from the Itotoro, or legendary bird of the Maranao tribe in Mindanao. It is believed to represent good fortune. The Sarimanok is a chicken-like creature with colorful wings and a long feathered tail, holding a fish in its beak or its talons. (In this story, he is simply known as tigmamanukin, Bathala’s first companion.)
A certain Islamic legend tells how Islam founder, Muhammad, discovered a rooster in the first of the seven heavens. Due to the sheer enormity of the rooster, its head had already reached the second heaven. When it crowed, it awakened every living thing except man. Should the rooster stop crowing, it would signify that Judgment Day has arrived.
D. Is Whiter Really Better?
Stop and think…
- Have you ever counted how many whitening products there are in stores?
- What about print, TV, and billboard ads talking about the benefits of fair skin? l Have you ever wanted your own skin to be lighter?
- Why is our culture so obsessed with being white?
- Do darker-skinned kids in school have derogatory nicknames?
- Are our students learning that having darker skin is bad?
Talk about this with your peers and see what insights they have on the topic.
E. Cultural and Ethnic Diversity
Discuss the reality of diverse nationalities and cultures present in our country, and how there is a need for acceptance and openness to embrace these differences.
Ask your students:
- What do you think of when you hear the word Muslim? Intsik? Kano? Hapon?
- Do you think all people of these races are what you think they are?
- Do you think it’s possible for them to be just like you?
- Where did your beliefs about them come from?
Teaching your students to be more aware of where their beliefs come from is the first step to critical thinking.
