Pilipino Ako. (I am Filipino.)

One afternoon, I was crossing a busy street near Columbus Circle listening to my favorite Maroon 5 song, when the hand sign started blinking. I started to speed up when a Spanish girl, who was probably a few years younger than me, rushed past me, and yelled “Stop being so slow, you Chino!”

I kept on walking and pretended not to hear anything. As I got on the busy D train and found myself a seat, I began to think deeply about how often I’m mistaken for another race or ethnicity. This wasn’t the first time I was called or referred to as ‘Chino,’ which is a disrespectful way of referring to someone of Chinese descent.

Are we generally considered “Chinese” because the Philippine people fall under the ethnic category of “Asian?” Every time I’m in Chinatown or in Flushing, Queens, there is always that one Chinese man or woman who approaches me and begins to speak to me in Mandarin or Cantonese. I may spend time with a lot of my Chinese friends, but it does not automatically mean I can understand the language. When I don’t respond, they begin to look at me with disgust because they think I’m disrespecting them when in reality, I honestly just don’t understand.

There was a time when one of my Filipino friends went trick-or-treating on Halloween with other Filipinos and their parents. One of the parents accidentally stepped on a girl’s sneakers because it was so crowded, and she could not see where she was going. The girl, who was in her early teen years, got so angry and began to curse and shout at this mother. The girl was screaming racial slurs about Chinese people and how stupid and ignorant they are. My friend remembered her saying, “You stupid Chinos! Go back to where you all came from and leave us Spanish people here!” He was only twelve at the time, but my friend was very offended because he did not like being called any other race or ethnicity. Being Filipino is one of the things he is most proud of.

One of my Chinese friends jokingly made a remark about how the Philippines should be considered a third-world country because “it cannot compare to China.” While it may be a joke, the comment is politically incorrect, as the Philippines is a Developing Country by international standards, and the assertion that we cannot compare to China is such a vague statement. Another Chinese friend made another remark about how Filipinos should not even be considered Asian. Why not? Are we that inferior to people to not even be considered on the same human status?

Although I knew these were jokes said by my friends, ignorant as they may sound, I began to wonder if many other people of Asian descent thought the same way. Am I not considered Asian because my country geographically ‘far’ to the rest of Asia? I am proud to be Filipino, but I am uncomfortable with how people think being Filipino or Asian means you are automatically ‘Chinese,’ or that being Filipino means you are not even Asian. I would imagine that the Chinese also would not appreciate that stereotype with such a racial connotation.

But, all in all, a Filipino should not have to feel degraded or insignificant for being one.

The ironic thing is that many Filipinos are also referred to as “Mexican” or “Spanish.” I remember hearing a story on the train about how a high school senior asked his Filipino teacher if a Filipino was the result of a Mexican man and a Chinese woman having a baby. The Filipino teacher was able to laugh it off, but deep down, she was offended by the student’s remarks. The Philippines was under Spanish control for over 300 years, and so yes, many Filipinos do have Spanish blood in them. Our country is also historically linked with Mexico, doing barter trades with ships to and from Acapulco.

One close Filipino friend of mine was exiting a hotel and accidentally let go of the door. A white man who had to push the door himself, loudly muttered, “Stupid Mexican immigrant, go back to where you came from.” Though this insult came from something as small as accidentally letting go of a door for someone, it does not mean Filipinos or Mexicans should have to suffer from discrimination, even in its simplest and littlest forms.

I am constantly referred to as both “Chinese” and “Mexican” because I have “the brains of a Chinese person” and “the skin color of a Mexican.” I have Filipino friends who are seen as the “outsiders” because they do not fit in the Asian Club or the Spanish Heritage Organization in their schools. While we have traits that are similar to other ethnicities, this does not define who we are.

But here’s the thing. Filipinos are Filipinos. We are not the product of Chinese and Mexican parents. The Philippines originally have ancestors from Malaysia, Indonesia, and Africa, and as time went on, other races came over and they eventually became a part of our history, too.

We are the product of those born and raised in the Philippines, who are not without their own culture, heritage and pride. We belong to a people with a proud tradition of their own, emerging from slavery and occupation.

While we may be constantly linked with other peoples, racially or historically, and disingenuously or in any patronizing fashion, we also have to start recognizing among ourselves, and maybe we can create a more concrete identity.

I will always be proud to be Filipino, because without the Filipino traditions that my parents brought with them to New York, I would not be who I am today. Being Filipino is what creates my uniqueness the same way a Chinese boy or a Spanish girl would in my politics class. It gives me a sense of pride, to have my own heritage to turn to. I do not speak or understand Cantonese or Spanish; I speak and understand Tagalog and Kapampangan. That doesn’t mean either one of us should be looked upon any less as a person. We are just different, and it is not a bad thing.

Being Filipino is something I will never be ashamed of.

Mabuhay tayo, kapamilya!

“Wala akong mahanap na reason para ikahiya ko maging Pilipino.
Proud ako na Pilipino ako.
 (I see no reason why I should be ashamed of being Filipino. I’m proud to be a Filipino.)
– Charice Pempengco, singer and actress

“The Filipino is worth dying for.”
– Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino, Former Philippine Senator

(Feature Photo Source)

Total
0
Shares
Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Previous Article

Barack Obama Calls on... Kal Penn!

Next Article

Niccolo Cosme's "Resplendor: The Blinding Light"

Related Posts