How to recover your ‘Filipino-ness’
Admittedly and with much pride, it is difficult to shake off our “Filipino-ness” - in heart, looks, speech and manners. But after years of living as an expat in the US, it’s easy to lose touch with our culture. For a start, my disclaimer: I find nothing wrong with acculturating and embracing your adoptive country’s culture, because you have to, and you want to, in order to survive and fit into your new life. BUT, if we’ve lost touch, and want to recover the cultural heritage we left behind… how do we do it? Here’s my take:
1. Get a Filipino Channel. Be it cable or satellite, this is by far the best way to re-immerse yourself in what’s up, what’s down, what’s in and what’s out in the Philippines. Local networks ABS-CBN, GMA, ABC-5 etc. are there to provide entertainment and news for the hungry. I was out of it for a while and was quite shocked to see how much entertainment has evolved, with new faces being introduced almost every month. One plus - the telenovelas are getting much more sohisticated now… Gone is the ‘pity-me’ soaps ala-Anna Lisa.
2. Get involved with your fellowmen. Be it with a civic organization, student-led groups, the Filipino basketball leagues (yes, there’s plenty in the US!), or a church, you’ll find other Filipino-Americans eager to welcome you. I go to one great church that’s 90% Filipinos, and they helped me survive the transition and adjustments the first few years. I never had to speak American-accented English around them (because honestly, in the first few years, it was taxing to speak English all day long!). I get to join the fiestas, participate in a folk dance, sing Karaoke with gusto, wear barong tagalog or other folk costumes too. I get to eat all the great Filipino regional dishes like pinakbet, sisig, arroz valanciana, sweet spaghetti.
3. Find a Filipino store , or ask someone to point you to one. And if there’s none in your area, there’s bound to be an Asian store for your bagoog, Mama Sita mixes, soy sauce (toyo), fish sauce (patis), Mang Tomas lechon sauce, achuete… you get what I mean - “imported” products and spices for the Filipino taste. yummy!
4. Buy or rent Filipino movies and magazines, for the ultimate gossip on who’s hooked with who among your favorite actors. Comics too, for your fill of local humor and stories.
5. Go to the web! Networks and newspapers have their websites filled with the latest news and events from back home… And of course, there’s Filipina Soul, your Philippine culture blog. :-) (gotta plug that, of course).
6. Call home.
7. And when you really miss the Philippines , pay it a visit. You will find welcoming arms and lots of new relatives at the airport waiting for you. :-) And travel again to the most beautiful spots on earth.
Here’s to always being Filipino, wherever we are.
Tags: ABC 5, ABS-CBN, Filipino blogs, Philippine culture, Philippine tourism, GMA
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POSTED IN: General: Philippine Culture, Personal Experiences
September 22nd, 2006 at 3:32 pm
hi grace,
pasensiya na, nandito na naman ako. eh kasi gusto yung mga paksa dito sa blog mo. mag dadalawangpu’t limang taon na ako dito sa amerika. dito na ako namuhay at nag kapamilya gaya ng libo-libong filipino dito sa california. hindi pa ako nakakauwi sa pinas buhat nang unang pagdating ko dito sa amerika. wala naman kasi akong malapit na ka-pamilya na uuwian.
sa totoo lamang, ang sanhi ng pagka-giliw ko sa ating bansa ang siyang nag painit ng aking damdamin upang siyasiyatin ang aking pagka-filipino. sa tulong ng mga aklatan at internet, nagbigyan ng sinag at liwanag ang aking mga tanong higgil sa ating lahi, kultura at ang makulay nating kasaysayan.
sa wari ko, marami pang dapat na usisain hinggil sa ating kasaysayan subalit sa ngayon sapat na ito upang muling buksan ang aking puso sa pagka-filipino.
maraming salamat po!
September 24th, 2006 at 12:24 am
i have been in the states for the past 32 years. i speak fluent pinoy and other languages, fluently and will never part away and disregard my roots. i will not go to a pinoy store, becuase i find it expensive. i prefer to go to a chinese wholesaler store. i don’t subscribe to TFC, but it does’nt mean to say i hate it. i get involved to activities of the church. i am a member of ex-priest and ex-SVD seminarians called PAX. (i am an ex-SVD seminarian) we always do concerts and sends money to the mission. i always call home that is reason i am on the budget plan of AT & T. if i am lonely, i go to the blogs and open up photo blogs and Filipinasoul to enliven me. HAVE I TURNED MY BACK ON PINAS. HECK NO. I AM A PINOY ALL THE WAY TO THE CORE OF MY BONES.
September 27th, 2006 at 11:27 am
DatuPanot and Melsantos - good for you both, to know that despite long years in America you’ve never lost what it means to be a Filipino. I envy your ability to speak deep Tagalog, DatuPanot… :-) i was born in Negros and moved to Laguna when we were young so I never learned to speak like that. I love how it sounds though! so pure. And melsantos - we need more people like you in the US who remain Filipino and yet have learned to adapt in our adoptive land. we’re grateful to enjoy both cultures, aren’t we?
thanks for dropping by and good talking to you both!
September 27th, 2006 at 1:54 pm
Kutsara’t tinidor pa rin pag kumakain ka maski saan! Pakita mo sa lahat na Pinoy ka! Pinaka-malaking Plasma TV sa living room at wag mong aalisin ang plastic wrapping ng remote siyang mag-papatunay na Pinoy ang bahay mo. Yung malalaking kutsara at tinidor carving from Baguio sa may dining room at yung “Man on a barrel” ay dapat ibalik nating mga accessories sa bahay dahil yan ang mga Pinoy orig na nik-naks. Balikbayan boxes at mga exercise equipments na ina-agiw ay siyang magpapa-ala-ala sa iyong Pinoy ka pa rin habang ipinaparada mo ang mamahalin mong Mercedes Benz katabi ng iba pang mga abubot mo sa garahe. Kung kasal ka sa banyaga at sabik kang mag-tagalog, Imbitahin mo sa bahay mo yung mga Jehovahs Witnesses na mga Pinoy na naglalakad sa neighborhood niyo pag Sabado ng umaga para makapanayam mo sila. Magaling silang managalog minsan with bisaya o ilokano accent pa kaya mapa-praktis mo ang tagalog mo. Sa Walmart ka mag shopping o kaya sa Costco at marami ka ring makakahalobilon’g mga kababayan natin duon. Sa swap meet din marami kang makikitang mga kabayan at madalas ay may mga balita sila tungkol sa buhay sa atin. O ayan filipina soul ka na lagi. Ako pinoy na pinoy pa rin ako. ni-rerecycle ko pa rin ang mantika pagkatapos ko magluto. Signature tabo sa banyo, karaoke at ang aroma ng lutong pinoy sa bahay ay siya pa rin ang nagdadala ng mga masayang ala-ala ng Pilipinas.
May 13th, 2008 at 7:56 am
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