Welcome… to Jurassic Manila! (Queue music).

If you’ve ever been to Manila, these huge signs are on every busy street.

(via http://plopculture.tumblr.com/)

I do believe there is a difference between Fil-Ams and Filipinos but I am always in awe of both Filipinos and Filipino-Americans who can jump in-between both worlds seamlessly.

I really look up to people who can be in the middle and understand both worlds and fit in both worlds. I don’t care who you are or where you are from, if you have a good grasp of both sides of the debate, of two extremes, then you have accomplished something!

But the people I respect most of all are people who are true to themselves and true to others. You don’t have to understand “both worlds.” Just respect them. People who respect the opinions of others while respecting their own have already achieved half the battle. The other half is finding a way to make both parties better after hearing each other out. Not taking each other apart.

The question then isn’t “am I Filipino” or “am I Filipino-American…”

In the end, we’re all just trying to make better lives for ourselves. So the big question is how can Filipinos in the Philippines and Filipinos in America help each other create better lives for themselves and their children… together?

But its probably a bit late to post this. Eh whatever. Happy (belated) Valentines day!

(via crappykid.tumblr.com)

PS: If you visit the link above and don’t understand Tagalog (like me), use Google Translate!

Once upon a time I made a blog about Filipino culture. Or at least I thought it was about Filipino culture. I even started making rap music about it soon after that, thinking I knew what I was talking about.

But I was wrong =(.

What I was really blogging and rapping about was a Filipino-American’s point of view of a society I knew nothing about. So I stopped writing and rapping and started listening for a change. I love how life works that way, you’re doing one thing thinking you’re in the right direction and then you try something completely different and it gets even better.

For a more candid take on what i’ve been hearing so far can be found from a few Filipino-Filipinos contributing answers to my ultimate question:

“What do you dislike about Filipino-Americans?” (Click here to read some of the answers.)

Here are some quotes that stuck out to me the most:

“The moment they get off the plane in Manila, they instantly lose their pinoy pride and become either black (”bling-bling homie”) or white (”i’m stoked, dude”) when conversing with a local–and essentially spend the rest of their vacation making sure the locals know that they are NOT like them.”

“Filipino-Americans are way too cliquish.”

“If you don’t fit any of the stereotypes then you are definitely “WHITE WASHED” and can forget about calling yourself Filipino…..”

“Filipinos are amazing writers, I wish more Filipino-Americans would appreciate their literary heritage.”

“THEY USE TISSUE PAPER,WHICH IS MORE EXPENSIVE THEN USING RUNNING WATER.”

“and i dont even want to get into how many fil-ams got onto the pacquaio bandwagon when the getting was good. and while i understand everyone loves a winner, and he makes u proud to be filipino, barely any fil-ams (except ones that knew boxing) knew (or cared) that he had a less successful brother who’s a boxer as well or knew (or cared) about another successful fighter who came before pacman…luisito espinosa.”