Is there a more, I suppose, humane explanation about the support for Trump in the Filipino diaspora imagination? One that doesn't oversimply them as merely blind to their own migrant oppression as a function of their delusion of superiority?
Will try to synthesize here the points that were made in the replies that I think might be helpful to those who are wondering about the same things (thanks for the exchange, @charli_sctex, @glennndiaz, @nikayparedes, and @Absolutalbert via dm):
It turns out Filipino-Americans have some of the highest median household earnings in the US, creating this veneer of privilege that differentiates them from the collective immigrant experience of other races, and by extension, from the collective oppression.
We can assume that that veneer of privilege merely exempts them from the consequences of their political choices and that they are better off being apolitical (as opposed to rabidly supporting Trump), but we have to keep in mind that preserving one's privilege means asserting it.
With wealth insulating them from political realities coupled with our unique appreciation for Manifest Destiny (e.g. while other races consider it a curse or a last resort, we see immigration as a gift), Filipino immigrants feel the need to reinforce the ideas of the powerful.
Which makes sense considering our history of assimilating with the powerful instead of delineating ourselves from them (e.g. the absence of a "Filipino town" as opposed to neighborhoods formed by immigrants from China, Korea, India, etc.)
Of course, all this is still a product of years of colonial indoctrination and miseducation that has put the powerful, therefore the west and their ideals, at the center of our dreams and aspirations.
So I guess the short answer is that yes, there is some truth in the delusion of superiority that makes them blind to oppression, but when put into context, it's still the years of colonial upbringing that ultimately formed these dangerous political preferences.
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