r/FilipinoAmericans

I'm curious because everyone seems to struggle with different things.

Is it:

• Finding time to study?
• Remembering vocabulary?
• Grammar?
• Pronunciation?
• Not having anyone to practice with?
• Staying consistent?

For me, it seems like the biggest challenge people mention is that life just gets in the way.

What's been the biggest obstacle for you?

That's it, the title says it all 🥹

I did public health because I really resonated with its message. Public health is more on prevention and bigger populations while medicine focuses on treating individuals, but it's been really hard finding a decent pay that's also full time.

Even my own dentist (who's Filipino) is low key shaming me and keeps telling me to do nursing.

I’m referring to white westerners, not Filipino blood. These are the descendants of people who beat down my ancestors, and now they go there and make content - it is very obvious to me they think they are better than Filipinos based on how they talk and act, even if they come across as nice. It is a subtle thing sometimes - maybe they don’t even realize their own bias.

Curious if anyone feels similarly.

Im 18 now and have been in the US since I was 11. Since im living in california, i believe that my lifestyle and household income is considered lower middle class, but i wouldnt say that my family is really struggling. We can afford things and madaming savings ang parents ko. Literal na ever since nakapunta ako dito, i just feel depressed and that im never really able to connect with the people here the same way i did at home.

7 years na akong naghihintay na bumalik sa pinas, pero lagi napupush the next year. As in when its suggested, sasabihin next year, then the next year comes and the same thing is said. Ayoko naman magsound na spoiled, pero its so frustrating na talaga. Pag isusuggest ko na umuwi sa summer, masyado daw mainit, pero pag december, masyado naman maulan at mahal. Its almost like hot and wet lang ang seasons ng pinas right?

I feel like (almost sure) my parents just dont want to go, which makes me really sad because this is all ive looked forward to, my wish every birthday, and im starting to lose hope.

Im so grateful na nakapunta ako sa states, especially that im in california, and ive adjusted well, pero iba talaga when youre home. I just wanted to let this out in this subreddit because maybe there's someone who relates and kung may tips kayo 🥲 I know mahal ang tickets, so i think i might get a part time job to save up a little

I'm from Bacolod, Negros. Anyone interested in learning Hiligaynon? Just hit me up.

I hope those foreigners are also willing to communicate and learn their partner's language to avoid any misunderstanding.

Hi everyone! I’m (full white male) here on behalf of my wife who does not have a Reddit account. She is a wonderful half Filipino woman who is on a quest to connect to her culture. Her full Filipino side here in the US is very white washed and didn’t really bother raising her with any of the traditional values (other than maybe religious guilt) At least that’s the way she feels. Our kids are very white passing so they have a hard time identifying with this side of themselves, especially when they compare themselves to their very dark skinned Lola.

So I come to you, what are some recommendations for how to incorporate more Filipino culture into our lives, something we feel we are deeply lacking? I understand it may not be physical things, probably more intangible like a way of being. I’ll take any insights, suggestions, experiences that you can offer. Thanks!

Hi there fellow pinoys,

Recently some relatives who are living in the Philippines just messaged my mom, asking her to pay for her daughter's nursing school tuition. We live in the US and while we are financially okay, we are definitely not earning enough to pay for someone else's tuition. While I understand that life in the Philippines is harder for them and they must've asked for help because they really need it, my mom feels that this is a little burdensome because we are not close with them and only greet each other on social media for birthdays and holidays. I know tuition is relatively cheaper in the Philippines compared to the US but I feel like this is a big request to make of someone else. A lot of times it feels like the view us as "rich" and have money to spare even though that is definitely NOT the case. My mom and I are at a loss for how to respond?

The Philippine school shooting has raised difficult questions. Reports say the 14-year-old suspect idolized American mass shooters and even copied the Columbine shooter’s clothing.
America once influenced the Philippines through education, infrastructure, and other positive changes. But with today’s internet culture, many Filipinos are exposed to violent, toxic, and extreme online content.
Are Filipinos blindly copying harmful trends from the West, or is it unfair to blame American culture for tragedies like this?

hello everybody, i'm a dual citizen of the philippines and the USA. i have a question on voting in the philippines. can i vote, like in any electoral voting here in the philippines? i was born in the united states, but became filipino at birth because when my mom had me, she wasn't a united states citizen. do i need any paperwork for that even if i have a PSA and my filipino passport? thank you so much :)

Hello,

I recently became naturalized US citizen and now applying for PH dual citizenship. I am married and therefore my name is different now from my birth certificate name. Do I need to submit an affidavit of explanation for the name change, if so do I need to have it notarized beforehand?

For Context I'm nearing 29 and I spent years of my life despite growing up having the desire to explore my heritage since I was 6. Any attempts at me trying to reconnect with my heritage has never been supported in any meaningful way, by my family.

So I need to admit, as much as I've love my Filipino family, my Titos, Titas, Lola and Lolo (May he rest), they've never been the most proactive in fostering that in me, what's even weirder they noticed I had a thing for languages growing up, learning Spanish, Japanese, Italian, but not once did they think to put me through and Tagalog or Bisaya courses or connect me to extended family to teach me, at least every other summer as a kid I wanted to go to the Philippines, they always promised but never delievered. I was one of the only FilAm's I knew that has never been to the Philippines, and to top it all with the fact I was never taught to speak Tagalog I felt so embarrassed by how out of touch I was with my heritage, and till this day I've never gone. As an adult and with easier access to resources like Italki tutors, learning Tagalog has definitely become easier, but what really killed my connection, was when I decided I wanted to pursue dual citizenship.

Now I'm only a 2nd generation and my Tatay (Dad) was born in America and although he was raised in the Philippines, never went through with acquiring dual citizenship even though he had every opportunity to, had he gotten it before I was born I would have been eligible, but even then there was a grace period that was available to me that is no longer available. Had he acquired it before I was 18, I would have qualified for dual citizenship. Now the only way for me to get Filipino citizenship now is through standard immigration routes on top of renouncing my American citizenship. Which defeats the purpose of what my grandparents wanted for me, but there could have been measures taken in place to ensure and foster I maintained my connections to my ancestral land, but now that is being denied to me, and I feel a hole in my identity over it.

A Heritage I've spent trying to come to understand become a part of, every family gathering where all my extended family are speaking a language I'm left out of, it kills me to see the practical exclusion I and some other FilAm's go through EVEN WITHIN OUR IMMEDIATE FAMILIES!

And when I brough this up with my family I was met with a "so what?". Every family gathering and stories I heard was never expanded upon for me, and you didn't think I would have cared to pursue something that was a birthright? Whenever I meet Filipinos from the homeland, I don't call myself Filipino I just say my family is, but I'm not as much as I wish I can call myself one. I hate this short sighted way of thinking, and my grandparents didn't help with the situation only providing snippets and empty promises to immerse myself, I never even got to master Tagalog, my Lolo's native language before he passed. 

Hi everyone. I'm Sean, half-Filipino.

I imagine everyone has felt the pain of losing their family's Filipino language - whether it be Tagalog, Bisaya, Ilocano or one of the many other languages.

I felt this throughout my entire life and I'm genuinely sad that I was never able to properly talk to my lola before she passed away.

As I've grown into an adult I've been trying to work out how to actually learn Tagalog (my family is from Batangas). But the resources are so scarce, and the situation is even worse for other Filipino languages.

I'm also a UX designer by trade and so with AI coding tools I've finally been able to turn this long-held idea into something real.

The app is called Ugát You start by collecting root words (kain, sulat, takbo) each one represented by a little character, almost like a collectible Pokemon card. Then you do activities that teach you how to build from those roots, to try and make learning the really complicated parts of Filipino language learning, the tinatakbos, kumakain and other long-chain words, actually something fun, rather than a grammar table.

It's totally free at ugat.app/get or search Ugát on the App Stores. Tagalog is properly released, Bisaya still being worked on and Ilocano after that.

I made it with a real hope that the next generation of Fil-Ams kids can have a fun way back into a language their parents or grandparents speak. Would love any feedback, especially from other diaspora Filipinos losing language or wanting to pass language to their kids. And if there's anything you'd want to see please tell me. Reach out at sean@ugat.app.

Hello,

So my Mom was born in the Philippines (1963) in ilocos sur and was forced to give up her citizenship when she moved to America (1980). She had me in 2002 as an American citizen. She is currently in the process or reacquiring her citizenship then getting her passport. There are dates wrong with her psa birth certificate, so she is on the way to the Philippines to have a hearing about getting it changed. Anyway, I am trying to get recognized as a Filipino because I am currently playing football here in the PFL for Stallion Laguna in hopes of playing for the national team. Can anyone help me with the best route or if it is even possible to get it quickly.

Thank you!