I’ve been studying in the US for two years now. Every time I meet someone new, they’re usually surprised to hear I’m an international. Sometimes, I take pride in not sounding like a foreigner.
Every time I get asked where I’m from, people are surprised to hear the Philippines as an answer. Then, they start reconciling their memories of Filipino-American friends who don’t look anything like me or my family. I think this ALWAYS causes them to remember me as a Singaporean even if I’ve never talked to them about Singapore. In fact, this happened again last Saturday. Also, I don’t have an accent similar to theirs so why the confusion??
After a while, I’d answer the question as “I’m from the Philippines but I’m Chinese,” which always gets an OOOOHhh! in reply. Somehow being here confuses everyone.
(I think sometimes, people except America to be the only melting pot of the world. Sure, the Philippines is not as racially diverse but we’re not all from Filipino descent either. )
When I do get to talk about my family being in the Philippines for 3 or 4 or5 generations, they always end up wanting to call me a Filipino instead. They say technically I’m not Chinese anymore like how 3rd generation X(African, Chinese, Japanese, whatever)-Americans are just American. These Americans might retain some of their racial culture but they’re very much American. They also sometimes have close to no ties to where their grandparents grew up. Much like the Chinese community in the Philippines. To us, China is a cool vacation place. Only a few of us still actually have relatives there.
I wish the Chinese community, especially the 3rd generation kids like me realize that they’re Filipino and learn how to live with it. Your home is in the Philippines (unless you move and settle abroad, then that’s fine) so don’t go around feeling differently because in the eyes of the world, you’re only as good as your passport.
