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Kimber Mapili
WRTC 103-0029
Dr. Sheila Fielding
Growing Up as a Filipino-American
Growing up in America as a Filipino has constructed a life enriched with diversity,
hardships, and growth. My parents were born and raised in the Philippines during the twentieth
century, a lifestyle and childhood that differs significantly from mine. The blending of the two
cultures has created a unique experience in my life thus far. Although being raised in America as
a Filipino negatively influenced other Filipinos opinions of myself, both American and Filipino
cultures have enhanced the incredible person that I am today.
Filipino culture has a strong affiliation with the Catholic Church and the church plays a
role in many aspects of Filipino social life. For example, families take Sunday mass very
seriously (Miller). Holidays like Christmas are heavily focused on God, rather than on gift
giving, as it is in America. Additionally, many in America would describe the way that Filipino
children are raised as strict. Most children attend private schools due to high standards demanded
by their families, and respect for the elderly is taken very seriously. In addition, the man or father
in the family is viewed as the head of the house, a provider for his home. Though my family
practiced Christianity over Catholicism, these aspects of Filipino social life clearly played out in
my life.
Identifying as a minority within my community in the United States has led to a variety
of stereotypes and preconceived notions towards Filipinos. While some may be true, others are
thoroughly false. Filipino parents are commonly known as being strict. My parents raised me in a
very rigid manner because they wanted the best for me. Their goal was to provide and shape a
life for their children that was better than theirs, a life in which worries and hardships were

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reduced to a minimum. Filipinos are also recognized to be generous. In the Philippines, signs of
respect include cooking plenty of food for a guest when they arrive, upkeep of the house
regardless of who and who isnt there, and arriving at a later time when an event is held. In
addition, Filipinos have a tendency to be overconfident. The countrys status as a less developed
country fuels a very materialistic personality when Filipinos are able to own more in America
than what they once had in their home country (Philippines: Economy).
I may not identify completely with one label or another, but I was still able to hold many
qualities in both cultures. Growing up as a child, many of my friends were Caucasian and
inhabited family traits such as smaller families, a variety of food diets, and different housing
environments. I assumed that everyone was the same, that no race was greater than the other, and
that everyone lived under relatively similar conditions. As I got older, I found significant
differences in my etiquette at home compared to my etiquette in school. I ate Filipino food on a
regular basis, but I never learned how to speak the Filipino language, Tagalog. My parents kept
up with Filipino media, but I never paid any attention to it myself. Shoes were never worn inside
my house for the purpose of keeping the floors clean, but had to be kept on at all times when I
was a visitor in my friends home. Throughout my childhood, I found myself constantly adapting
to the differences between American and Filipino cultures.
Growing up Filipino and American led to feelings of cultural ambiguity not only with my
friends, but within my own family as well. As a family, we used to visit the Philippines annually.
The lifestyle there is very different than that of America, in that the Philippines is considered to
be more dangerous with higher crime rates. As much as I loved coming to the Philippines, I
found that it was not an easy place for me to be. I had a rather difficult transition. My first

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language is English and many people in the Philippines were not able to speak or communicate
with me. The

9/13/15 at 6:34 PM. Photograph in college residential hall depicts the relationship with my
Caucasian friends in which I physically do not fit in. Regardless of my ethnicity, I still identify
with my friends and have absolutely no intentions of using race as a barrier in my friendships.
act of opening my mouth to speak English rather than Tagalog would draw a lot of negative
attention to my family and myself. Even among my own family members, my sibling and I were
looked down upon for not identifying as 100% Filipino. Although these experiences were
difficult to overcome, struggling with my identity has constructed me into the person that I am
today.
Though my Filipino-American identity has led to conflict in my life, I still love to share
and experience my culture. I had the opportunity to further furnish my culture in an American

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society and setting throughout my high school career. My high schools specialty program was
the Center for International Studies and Languages, a program in which I was very involved in. I
was able to demonstrate traditional dances, offer food, and play music for my high schools
students and their families. Sharing my culture with others became a passion of mine, and I knew
that the more I had done so, the more that my longing to return to the Philippines grew. I also
had the ability to further foster my culture through my participation with the Northern Virginia
Rondalla. The Northern Virginia Rondalla is a Filipino music group accompanied with a variety
of instruments that sound of traditional, Filipino-folk music. We performed at a few events every
month, sharing our culture with the public. Partaking in this specific sub-group gave me the
opportunity to learn more about my country with other kids who were identified in a similar
manner as myself. We were all born and raised in the United States but our parents originated
from the Philippines. This gave us a sense of common ground, some form of community, which I
found to be very favorable regarding the circumstances. Despite the both external and internal
conflict that came with being Filipino-American, I continue to love expressing my culture and
sharing it with others.
Various hardships and conflicts throughout my childhood regarding my cultural identity
have resulted in both good and bad times. As a Filipino-American, I am more than able to thrive
as the courageous and self-reliant person that I am today. My character has been strongly
influenced by these struggles. My parents, along with other Filipino adults in my life, have made
a large impact on my morals, beliefs, and character. I know that as I engage in the next chapter of
my life, I will not only use what they have taught me, but foster these traits to continue to
progress as a person. I will always have a love and respect for both America and the Philippines.

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Works Cited
Miller, Jack. "Religion in the Philippines." Asia Society. Asia Society, n.d. Web. 20 Sept. 2015.
"Philippines: Economy." Asian Development Bank. N.p., 26 Aug. 2014. Web. 16 Sept. 2015.