I grew up in a town in Metro-Detroit that happened to be predominantly white at the time when I was growing up. I was one of the only Filipino kids in my grade and if there were any other Filipinos, I knew them and their families. Being in an environment where there weren't many people that looked like me, it made my childhood really interesting. It's like I'd go to school and be immersed in a very American or Westernized culture, but I'd come home and it'd be a different world. Nevertheless, my childhood and the childhoods of other Filipino-Americans were/are nothing short of entertaining.
How your friends know you're Filipino, but never think you’re Asian.
Me: Haha, yeah I’m Asian!!
Friend: What? No, you’re Filipino!!
Why your parents give you random ass nicknames.
Ex: you have people in your family called Baby, Bong, etc when their names are like David and Mark. My nickname was actually "Ching." How you get Ching from Chelsea is something I'll never understand...
Why your family that was born in the Philippines pronounces “F” as “P.”
Seafood city turns into Seapood City and Filipino turns into Pilipino.
Wondering why not every bathroom had these things…
Why your family pointed at things with their lips…
Why Filipino Moms spent lifetimes talking to their friends in public places like Costco or Seafood City while you were just ready to GTFO...
Why you have the same last name as some Hispanic people…
until you learned that Spain conquered half the world, like, what the hell, Spain…
Why ube was so purple…
Why people saw the need for forks and spoons when hands are clearly viable eating utensils…
