My identity Crisis: “White-washed” Asian
Anonymous, USA Throughout my childhood I struggled with my identity as a Filipino American. I grew up in a predominantly white neighborhood where all my...
I am not a MAIL-IN-BRIDE
Kristal Vanessa Baradi, Milpitas, CA …or Domestic Helper. I am a Filipino- American, I was born in Hawaii. My husband is white, we meet in...
Filipino Puerto Rican, like Bruno Mars
Leandro Oquendo, Lake Forest, CA I am half Filipino and half Puerto Rican, and I have never met anyone with those same two ethnicities. So,...
“Talaga! I thought you were Pilipino!”
JSRL Padre, Glendale, CA. I am Filipino. Born in Quezon. Imported to East LA. Learned to walk and talk in Los Feliz. Never heard Tagalog...
Mom said brown girls are ugly.
Anna, Santa Maria, CA. I am a 47 year old Filipina. I remember being constantly compared to my lighter skinned cousins and feeling awkward to...
I’m Filipino and that means a-lot
Coby Guzon, La Palma, CA I’m born a Filipino, I speak English, Tagalog, Visaya, Cebuano, and a bit of Spanish. I live in America and...
Mom said brown girls are ugly.
Anna, Santa Maria, CA. I am a 47 year old Filipina. I remember being constantly compared to my lighter skinned cousins and feeling awkward to...
I ate pasta, family ate rice.
Melanie Vanderlipe Ramil, Sacramento, CA. Growing up, I wanted to be as “non-Filipino” as possible and felt great achievement whenever a friend said to me,...
My three boys will check “other”.
Elaine Oyzon-Mast Avondale Estates, GA Filipino, German, English, Irish, supposedly with a touch of Cherokee and Iroquois. The melting pot serving up three beautiful boys.
Wait, why is your grandma Asian?
Ryan Flanagan, Mountain View, CA A friend in high school asked me this question after meeting my grandmother, who is Filipino. I grew up eating...
I (Filipino) get mistaken as an employee often.
Toni, Winchester, VA There is nothing wrong with it, but it makes you think about how people see you. It happened many times at the...
Disguised by my pale white skin
Keagan Aviles, Saint Paul, MN My skin does not reflect who I am, though I may not appear so, I am without a doubt, culturally...
Full Filipino, but not quite full
Marsha, TX My name is Marsha, a student at HCC in the US. I am 100 percent Filipino, but there are times when I do...
I am not an exotic creature
Hana Peoples, Seattle, WA Being of Japanese and African American ethnicity has brought many interesting comments from people. Because I have an “ambiguous look,” I...
I’m White, I say I’m Filipino
Mia Inez, Rochester Hills, MI My parents tell me and my sister to call ourselves Caucasian if anyone asks are a nationality. My mom is...
After all, we all bleed red.
Moon Young Jin, San Jose, CA I am Korean. Husband is Filipino Indian American. We have Filipino, Korean, Chinese, White, and Mexican family members who...
