A Travel To My Heritage: Why Filipinos Are More Hispanic But With No Identity

Without a pride of heritage, without strong identity compare to its Asian neighbors.

I travel once more to the Philippines, where my heritage started. But how Filipinos cope with the labeled of "Not really" Asians by its neighbors like Vietnam, Taiwan, Indonesia, and Malaysia.

My Family and I speak Chavacano, a Spanish creole dialect of the Southern Philippines. I was raised with Filipino values but with strong Spanish influences. A country named after the King of Spain's Philip II with over 300 years in the convent, 50 years of Hollywood under American occupation with different faces and skin colors. It encapsulates the long history of Filipinos but where is the Filipino-ness?

Young Filipinos including myself will sometimes feel that we don't have an identity. I can't ignore it as day by day I am living in a crowd or just sleeping in my room and the same question lingers my mind.

I am a Filipino. Yes, I am but I love Spanish and American movies. Lost.

I remember when I lived in Spain, I always share my Filipino heritage and cultures to my friends. I was often asked about "Where is the Filipino culture?" Again, I can't give a strong answer that identifies my culture.

1. No Culture Identity

I have no pride of place that I can call mine. But I am proud to be Filipino, we are just damn nice and kind hearted people. Call us a third world country, with the unstable political situation. I am hoping for a great change from the current government, though. I am fluent in Spanish than the national language Tagalog, but I love the dialect of my father which is Ilonggo.

I was lost with no culture identity. I was in the middle of rice fields thinking that someday I could bring my family in Spain and live happily.

But I was wrong. I was wrong that it can resolve the identity crises that I am going through. I am a Filipino and history makes me who I am.

A multi-culture people that was blessed by the God creator.

2. Multi-Culture

From foods of Arabs, Indians, Chinese, Malaysian, Spanish and Americans. The customs and traditions that I practiced, the respect to elders and paying attention to my parents when they are giving sermons, coming late to the meeting, the beliefs and superstitions, the Bahala Na ( system that Filipino utters which means entrusting the uncertainty of the situation to a higher fate or nature.

3. Own Culture is Quickly Fading

Aside from textbooks, young generations nowadays will likely to forget the long history of the Philippines. Filipino culture is quickly fading as the internet becomes accessible to all. I can barely see the Filipino houses which are made of Bamboo and cogon(Thatch) on stilts arranged in riverbank before the Spanish arrived.

With all the Spanish houses built and still standing a hundred years ago in old towns and cities, young generations are not giving interest much to the history of Filipino and the culture itself.

4. With No Pride of Heritage

Not to mention the crab mentality of some Filipinos anywhere in the world, I can say that at least I have to go home to the place where I belong. The Filipino culture can be an amalgamation of colonizing cultures but we have forgotten most of it because it was not as distinct compared to other South East Asian neighbors.

Although Filipinos have different opinions whether it became a copycat nation, a country who do not value freedom like Americans do, or we are just forgetting our identity because of social pressures, rampant corruption, and poverty .

5. Happy People and Unique Spirit

According to CNN Philippines Filipinos ranked 5th in the happiest list. This is so true. There is something that makes us happy whatever problem we may have, may be because we value life than things and the culture we got from colonizers.