Filipino vs. American and Filipino identity prt. 2

"I say if you identify yourself as Filipino, who's to say that you're not? I mean sure most of us share commonalities in how we were raised and our views on things, but that doesn't necessarily make it "criteria"
- Kristine (not so small talk)


"i been through this my whole life folks always say im not good enough because i am mestizo im not full blooded im not "filipino enough" that type of shit really strikes a nerve with me because no matter what to me you are filipino weather you are half a quarter or weather you can speak the language or not"
- Daniel

"Being Filipino shouldn't be about a list of requirements, IE: 1) Speak Tagalog, 2) Eat rice, etc. It should be about the values our parents instilled in us, and the unity that our communities and families provide. You shouldn't give someone shit or call someone a fob if they have an accent, and you shouldn't give someone shit and not call them Filipino if they don't speak Tagalog. "
- Lance (the coolest kids in the room)

These quotes i took from the comments section in my previous post had really good points in my opinion. My personal opinion is i am Filipino, American second. I figure my parents are Filipino, therefore i am. I mean my whole life my family has tried their best to instill Filipino traditions/values and the Filipino way of life while trying to balance American ideologies and quite frankly i think they did a good job. I identify as Filipino and no i don't believe that there is a certain criteria you have to follow to be considered filipin@. It's unfortunate that pin@ys from the Philippines don't see us (fil-ams) as FILIPIN@, but rather they see us as Americans and only Americans. As much as it is unfair that they see us as only Americans, we in turn look at them differntly because they aren't from here, what is it? is it because he/she talks with an accent they are different, when in reality, WE should be learning from them. Insead of us detatching ourselves from our "filipinoness" we should be embracing it, love it, be proud of it. The blood of our acestors runs deep within us, their struggles, and their history is apart of OUR lives.

MABUHAY!