VC Writes Blogger

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...

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...