Do Filipinos Identify As
Asians Or Pacific Islanders? Story by Katherine Abando Photo by Alyssa Almazan Design by Kiley Mourino & Momoko Watarai
Filipino is the Hispanized way of referring to both the people and the language in the Philippines. On the other hand, Pilipino, is how the locals from the Philippines refer to themselves, or to their national language.
My Filipino friend and I once had a conversation about which box we check for our ethnicity on job applications. I always checked off Asian, while she opted for Pacific Islander because the Philippines is an island nation in the Pacific. A look of bewilderment flashed across my face, and a burning question sparked in my mind. Do Filipinos think of themselves as Asians or Pacific Islanders? Here’s how the CSUF Filipinx community answered this query: “It is hard to say that we are one over the other because we are a mix of both. Technically, the Philippines is an island that is surrounded by many Asian countries.” - Amber Lim, communication disorders major “Growing up in the Philippines for 16 years, I never heard the term Pacific Islander until I moved to the U.S. I grew up thinking we are geographically part of Asia.” - Margarita Mariano, advertising major
42 TUSK MAGAZINE • Spring 2019
“Filipinos are Southeast Asian. They’re no more Pacific Islander than Japan lol. Of course there are lots of Filipinos in the Pacific Islands like Guam and Hawaii, where I grew up. But no, they’re Asian.” - Gene Park, CSUF alumnus, social media director, The Washington Post “It really comes down to how you identify. There’s a history of interoceanic travel between the Philippines and Pacific Islands to mainland interaction with Asia. Scholars will debate endlessly that Filipinos are more Asian or Pacific Islander. There’s no definite answer, but we are both.” - Ryan Leano, affiliate faculty member, Asian American Studies “My own definition of Pacific Islander/ Asian American is someone who is from and identifies with Asian culture. I met a friend in PASA (Pilipino American Student Association) who identifies as Filipino, but who’s Thai. He grew up with a parental figure
who’s Filipinx and connected to the culture. Ever since, he identified as Filipino too. I personally accept that because anyone who loves and accepts my culture is very much a part of it.” - Jiyo Cayabyab, journalism major “I think on paper it’s easier to identify as Asian versus Pacific Islander. When people think of Pacific Islander, they think of Guam or the Polynesian Islands. On paper, I identify as Asian, but if someone asks me in person, I will say Filipino. I have roots from Hawaii. So it would make sense to also identify with Pacific Islander.” - Chanelle Natividad, human services major “I think Filipinos are Filipino. They can identify as who what they want to. Personally, I identify myself as all three. Asian-American. Asian Pacific Islander. Filipino. Ultimately the Filipinx heritage and history have been a combination of all three.” - Alecca Tapangan, undeclared major
