Perspectives of College Students on the Filipino Rescue Mission to the Jews

Abstract

This research explored the participant’s sensemaking capacity using their written narratives on the documentary on the Filipino rescue mission to the Jews during the Nazi holocaust. The study used the framework point of view (POV) and perspective as these two are considered the main cognitive processes that help shape a person’s narrative. Through the lenses of POV, the research sought how the participants positioned themselves to understand the character’s stance in the documentary and the type of POV they used as a point of angle in writing their narrative. More than organizing their thoughts, the concept of perspective gave a background of how the participants attached personal meanings to the character’s story during the rescue mission, and weaved these to draw their interpretations of this historical event. The study, with 37 participants, applied frequency counting, percentage calculation, and thematic analysis for the data analysis. The findings revealed that participants primarily used the first-person POV as a point of angle to express their thoughts about the rescue mission. On the other hand, their narratives revealed different themes that emphasize how Filipinos accepted the Jews, the endearing Filipino trait that surpasses hospitality, the humanitarian legacy etched in history by President Manuel Quezon, and their reflections on the event which most of the participants does not know about. The study also highlights the importance of incorporating emotional cues to effectively shape the writer’s perspective in a narrative to vivify not only the understanding of historical events but also the personal meanings the writer attaches to them.