This Filipino-American Hated Being Filipino... Until THIS Happened!
Summary
TLDRThe speaker recounts a personal journey of self-discovery and pride in their Filipino heritage. Initially disliking being Filipino due to negative stereotypes, a trip to the Philippines at the age of forty changed their perspective. Experiencing the people's pain and joy, they felt a profound connection, realizing their shared identity. The speaker's mission is to inspire and educate, highlighting the unity and potential of the Filipino people, aiming to empower them to embrace their heritage and strive for greatness together.
Takeaways
- đ The speaker initially felt no pride in being Filipino due to negative perceptions and stereotypes.
- đ A transformative trip to the Philippines in their forties changed their perspective on Filipino identity.
- đ Witnessing the contrast of poverty and joy in the slums led to a profound emotional connection.
- đ€ The speaker questioned their previous assumptions about Filipinos and their homeland.
- â€ïž They experienced a personal revelation, feeling a pure and unexplainable happiness and connection with the people.
- đą The speaker returned to America identifying as Filipino, with a newfound sense of belonging and pride.
- đ The creation of 'The Filipino Story' aims to educate and inspire others about the true essence of being Filipino.
- đ The goal is to unite Filipinos globally, emphasizing the shared journey and identity.
- đȘ The speaker wants future generations, including their own children, to understand and take pride in their heritage.
- đ€ An invitation is extended to join the movement to embrace and celebrate Filipino culture and history.
Q & A
What was the speaker's initial feeling towards being Filipino?
-The speaker initially did not like being Filipino and did not feel proud of their heritage. They wanted to be Hawaiian because it was more popular and positively perceived.
Why did the speaker's perspective on the Philippines change?
-The speaker's perspective changed after visiting the Philippines and experiencing the country firsthand, including walking through slums and feeling a deep emotional connection with the people.
What emotions did the speaker experience while in the Philippines?
-The speaker felt both the pain and joy of the Filipino people, which led to a profound realization and connection that they had never experienced before.
How did the speaker's visit to the Philippines affect their identity?
-The visit transformed the speaker's identity, leading them to embrace their Filipino heritage and feel a newfound pride in being Filipino.
What was the turning point for the speaker in terms of their Filipino identity?
-The turning point was when the speaker felt the emotions of the Filipino people and realized that they were part of something bigger, leading them to identify as Filipino.
What is the purpose of 'The Filipino Story' mentioned in the script?
-'The Filipino Story' is a narrative created by the speaker to encapsulate their feelings and experiences as a Filipino, aiming to inspire and educate others about the true greatness of the Filipino people.
What message does the speaker want to convey to the Filipino community?
-The speaker wants to convey that there is a shared identity and journey among all Filipinos, regardless of whether they live in the Philippines or abroad, and that together they can achieve greatness.
How does the speaker view the term 'FOB' (Fresh-off-the-boat) after their transformation?
-After the speaker's transformation, they no longer view the term 'FOB' as a derogatory term but rather as a symbol of unity, recognizing that all Filipinos are part of the same journey.
What does the speaker hope to achieve by sharing their story?
-The speaker hopes to inspire others to understand their heritage, embrace their identity, and join them in a collective journey towards recognizing and celebrating the greatness of the Filipino people.
Why does the speaker want their children and future generations to know about their Filipino heritage?
-The speaker wants their children and future generations to know about their Filipino heritage to instill pride and a sense of belonging, ensuring they understand they come from a land with a rich history and great people.
What is the significance of the 'boat' metaphor used by the speaker?
-The 'boat' metaphor signifies the collective journey of all Filipinos, regardless of their location, towards a common goal of recognizing and achieving their potential and greatness.
Outlines
đ Discovery of Filipino Identity
The speaker recounts a personal journey of self-discovery and connection with their Filipino heritage. Initially, they felt no pride in being Filipino due to negative stereotypes and a lack of positive representation. They aspired to be Hawaiian, as it was more popular and less stigmatized. However, a transformative trip to the Philippines in their forties changed their perspective. Experiencing the country firsthand, they felt a deep emotional connection with the people, despite the poverty and challenges they witnessed. This connection led to a profound realization of their identity as a Filipino, a sense of belonging, and a newfound pride. The speaker's mission became to share this story and inspire others to recognize the strength and unity of the Filipino people, regardless of whether they are Fil-Am or from the Philippines. The narrative concludes with an invitation to join in celebrating and understanding Filipino heritage, emphasizing the shared journey and potential for greatness.
Mindmap
Keywords
đĄFilipino Identity
đĄCultural Pride
đĄStereotypes
đĄImmigrant Experience
đĄEmotional Connection
đĄSelf-Discovery
đĄPhilippines
đĄPain and Joy
đĄFil-Am
đĄThe Filipino Story
đĄShared Journey
Highlights
The speaker initially didn't like being Filipino due to negative perceptions and stereotypes.
A desire to be Hawaiian in high school because of the positive image and lack of negative stereotypes associated with Hawaii.
The Philippines was often associated with negative topics like kidnappings, poverty, and corruption.
The term 'FOB' (Fresh-off-the-boat) was used derogatorily towards immigrants, including Filipinos.
A transformative experience in the Philippines at the age of over forty changed the speaker's perspective.
Experiencing the slums of the Philippines led to a profound emotional connection and empathy for the people.
The realization that the people in the Philippines, despite hardships, had a joy and strength that was inspiring.
The speaker felt that the people in the Philippines gave them something more valuable than material wealth.
The moment of truly feeling Filipino and the connection to the culture and people was a pivotal point in the speaker's life.
The speaker's journey to the Philippines as an American and return as a Filipino signifies a deep cultural and personal transformation.
The desire to share the true story of the Philippines and its people with others, especially those of Filipino descent.
The creation of 'The Filipino Story' as a means to educate and inspire others about the Filipino heritage.
The goal to move, touch, and inspire the Filipino audience to recognize their greatness as a people.
The realization that there is only one type of Filipino, regardless of where they were born or raised.
The metaphor of being on the same boat, signifying the shared journey and destiny of all Filipinos.
An invitation to join the speaker in their mission to understand and celebrate Filipino identity and heritage.
The speaker's motivation to ensure future generations, including their children, know and take pride in their Filipino roots.
The promise of a fun and beautiful journey towards a shared destination of greatness for the Filipino people.
Transcripts
Growing up I really didnât like being Filipino.
I didnât.
I wasnât proud to be Filipino, IÂ didnât have any reason to be proud.
Straight up, I wanted to be Hawaiian in high school.
I wanted to be Hawaiian!
Because everybody loved Hawaii.
They didnât talk about the Philippines, Â
and when they did talk about the Philippines, it was not good.
You know?
Kidnappings in the Philippines.
Poverty, corruption.
And youâre like, âWhy would I wanna be a part of that?â
And then those immigrants would come, and the jokes came.
Itâs like, âOh, theyâre a bunch of FOBs.â
Fresh-off-the-boat.
So growing up, I never really wanted to be Filipino.
It didnât change until I was over forty.
Before that, it was all business, it was all making money.
Thatâs who I was.
But it happened 16, 17 years ago, and I really saw the Philippines.
Thatâs when it all changed.
Being there and walking through those slums, and feeling what I felt.
You know?
I just felt their pain.
And I felt their joy.
And Iâm just likeâŠâWhat the hell is that!?â
How do you feel pain, and how do you feel joy?
What the hell is this thing going on in my heart?
Iâve never felt that in my life before.
These are like strangers.
These were supposed to be the bad people that made me look bad.
These were supposed to be the kidnappers.
And Iâm the guy who walks in there who has everything, Â
and I walked out of there with something more.
And instead of me giving them something, they gave me something back.
I felt something in my heart, I felt this connection.
And it was pure.
Thereâs this, like, thing that I was feeling about them
and could never explain what it was, but it made me happy.
And it made me feel good.
ItâsâŠIt was the day I became Filipino.
It was the day I felt them and they felt me.
I went on that trip to the Philippines as an American, but I came back as a Filipino.
And that wasâŠthe biggest gift that I could ever have.
I fell in love with a people, and I fell in love with a country that I never knew.
And I came back, and it lived right there.
And I said, âOur people need to know.â
âMy cousins need to know.â
âMy friends need to know!â
And thatâs really where I was on a mission to tell the truth.
And thatâs kinda where Iâm at today.
The Filipino Story is a cliff-note version of what I wanted to know Â
about my own people and this country called the Philippines, Â
where Iâve encapsulated everything that I feel in my heart as a Filipino.
Our goal is to move, touch, Â
and inspire a Filipino audience to realize our true greatness as a people.
And they can finish it with clarity, knowing, âOh my God. Iâm a Filipino.â
âNow I know where I come from. Now I know what happened.â
And, âOh my God, it moves my heart.â
âIâm not just Fil-Am. Iâm Filipino.â
âAnd when I thought there were two types of Filipino: a Fil-Am, and a Filipino. Â
Thereâs only one.â
And as much as I made fun of the immigrants and called them boat people, Â
weâre one people, on the same journey, on the same boat.
And I know that now.
And that boat, is how weâre gonna get to greatness again.
Iâd love for people to come on this boat with us.
If theyâre yearning to understand who they are and what happened, Â
I mean, join us, because weâre here to tell that.
Finally!
And Iâm doing this for my kids.
I want my kids to know and I want my kidsâ kids Â
to know that they come from a great land with great people.
If youâre one of those people, join us!
Just join us.
Cuz youâre gonna realize, that at the end of the day, weâre all on the same boat.
And the boatâs gonna get stronger and itâs gonna get faster until we get to Â
the destination that we wanna get to if everybody just hops on.
Thatâs all weâre asking.
Itâs gonna be a fun ride.
Itâs gonna be a beautiful ride.
I promise you.
Voir Plus de Vidéos Connexes
5.0 / 5 (0 votes)