Bienvenido Santos’ short narrative “When the Dancers Came” shares a common theme with the rest of his stories in “Scent of Apples.” This theme explores the sense of loss experienced in the Filipino American community, whether it be a loss of home, identity, or family. In “When the Dancers Came,” Santos conveys this loss through the main characters, Filimon Fil Acayan and Antonio Tony Bataller.
The main focus of this dramatic narrative is the nostalgia that exists between the two characters. It portrays how the past affects their own emotions and how society’s perception of the past is misleading. This has a significant impact on their current lives.
Fil is depicted as a very simple character in the story, often appearing naive compared to Tony, who has a different perspective on life. Fil has a desire to connect with his fellow countrymen. Upon learning that these Filipino dancers were coming, he eagerly anticipated meeting them and showing them around Chicago. He is more connected to his Filipino heritage and refuses to be Americanized. He proudly exhibits his pride in his culture, even humming melodies from his homeland while working (116).
Despite displaying proficiency in the Tagalog language, Fil’s mannerisms were flowery, sentimental, and poetic. He fondly recounted his first encounter with snow, where he playfully gathered some, compressed it, and put it in his mouth. This immediately reminded him of a similar experience in his homeland of the Philippines, specifically the shaved ice that Chinese vendors sold near his childhood home. This was where he played a game called “tatching” with his older brother. The memory of that day when the dancers arrived remains vivid because he anticipated them to react the same way to snow. However, he later realized that they didn’t even recognize the presence of snow.
While Fil is excited about watching the dancers, Tony stands out as being annoyed and anxious. However, Tony’s personality is more intricate compared to Fil. He appears to crave his home country and desires to be with his fellow countrymen. At the same time, he holds bitterness towards himself for not achieving the success he had anticipated in America. The term balikbayan, which pertains to someone who leaves the Philippines and comes back wealthier, highlights how Filipinos perceive those who have prospered abroad. Throughout the story, it becomes evident that Tony is unsatisfied with his current life circumstances and experiences a feeling of disgrace for falling short of his American dream.
Like many Filipinos, he probably had a low-paying job. At that time, Filipinos were often seen as inferior and experienced discrimination. Fil described his idea of an American occupation, which included working in factories or hotels, as well as being a server or cook. These professions were not considered respectable (114). One Christmas, both men got drunk and Tony laughed uncontrollably while cursing all the railway companies in America (118).
This demonstrates the types of occupations that Filipino-Americans held during that time, which were either low-paying jobs or jobs that required strenuous labor. It is clear that they could not live comfortably because Tony questions Fil, “Why would you want to associate with these people? Here? Aren’t you embarrassed by this poor living condition?” (116).
Due to his excessive pride, it is probable that he refused to acknowledge his failure to his family back home. Hence, his statement acts as a means of concealing both his family and his past. As all of Fil’s relatives have deceased, he has no one to return to. This could clarify why he fails to comprehend Tony’s perspective and why he maintains hope that the dancers will indeed accompany him for dinner.
It is intriguing to observe Tony’s attempt to adopt a more American lifestyle compared to Fil. At one point during a jesting moment with Fil, Tony jokingly stated, “I’m going to become a white adult male” (114). This remark holds two possible interpretations. On a physical level, Tony is suffering from a medical condition that causes his skin to have a white coloration, specifically around his neck and extremities, with the whiteness spreading across his skin (114-115). Additionally, Tony becomes more willing to embrace his new surroundings and essentially gives up on returning home. Fil notes that it was evident Tony was the more proficient English speaker when compared to the two of them (117), indicating that he speaks less of his own native language.
The central theme of this narrative is the snow, which starts falling on the day the dancers arrive and stops at the exact moment when Fil meets them in his hotel room. This observation is fascinating because it symbolizes the hope and promise that Fil longed for, in his desire to connect with fellow Filipinos.
