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Filipino Identity II

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When Filipinos say, “I don’t look Filipino, huh,” it doesn’t imply that Filipinos are ugly; they are simply referring to the fact that they don’t typically look of Austronesian descent. It can also reflect a feeling of being somewhat disconnected while still embracing their culture. In actuality, these individuals represent the faces of Filipinos from the colonial era—the true Filipino identity. As for me, with a mestizo mother, I know I am Filipino, and I don’t even question that of my identity. Growing up, I was aware that the Philippines was once under Spanish rule and that this is why we have Spanish names. However, it wasn’t until my mid-30s that I began to notice that my mother has strong Latin roots, especially when I saw a wedding she participated in during her teenage years. She is on the far left in the picture and was pointing out her relatives who don’t typically look Austronesian but appear more European, perhaps Italian; their surname is not typically Spanish but seems t...
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Filipino Identity

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There were occasions when a Filipino friend said to me, “I don’t look Filipino, huh,” meaning that he lives in the Philippines, speaks the language, eats the food, and parties there like a Filipino, typically participating in singing karaoke, drinking Ginebra gin or Ginebra beer, along with pulutan (Filipino street bar appetizers). This could even apply to someone born in the USA who has never been to the Philippines but has Spanish or early 1900s American ancestry. Typically, Filipinos who are Mestizos stereotype “Filipinos” with Austronesian or Indo heritage, often describing higher cheekbones, kayumanggi skin, which is a golden dark brown color, or typical Southeast Asian features. The Spanish pronunciation of “Indo” is “Indyo” or “Indio.” Now my question is: what or who are the true Filipinos? Some might suggest Lapu-Lapu as the true Filipino tribal warlord who fought Ferdinand Magellan. However, Datu (chief) Lapu-Lapu was not a “Filipino” in the modern sense and had never heard o...
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  I was in Mexico around the turn of the millennium, in the year 2000, during the summer with some college friends. Most of them were Latin American. We stayed near the border in well-known party areas like Tecate, Ensenada, and Tijuana. As we drove around, I saw houses that were quite nice and colorful. I also saw the devastating side of what people describe as a developing or third-world country, similar to what I had seen in the Philippines. Besides the wild parties, there were some real dangers that we managed to avoid, whether on the road or inside restaurants and bars. At the time, I was still naive about the dangers of cartels and kidnappers. I think my Latin American friends who were US Citezens, along with a few white American friends, were also unaware of the deeper risks. I never experienced other parts of Mexico beyond those border cities, like Acapulco, Mexico City, the pyramids, and many other cultural and historical places. However, the food was excellent. I imagine ...
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