Mark your Ethnicity
When filling out forms, whether they be tax forms, job application forms, gym membership forms, etc., one would invariably run into a “check your ethnicity” section. It is usually accompanied by a blurb saying that information gathered is for statistical purposes only. Filling it out would not affect the eligibility of an applicant, it assures. One can choose to skip the section altogether, of course, with no consequence whatsoever.
Below is an example of this type of checkbox section. It is from a form that I had to fill out for my sons’ school this past week. You’ll notice that “Filipino” is the only nationality that gets listed as a major category. The other categories are general ethnic groups such as “African American or Black,” “Asian,” “Hispanic or Latino,” “Pacific Islander” and “White.” The only other major category that gets close to being listed with the same specificity as Filipino is “American Indian or Alaskan Native.” “Asian” and “Pacific Islander” are further broken down into nationalities. I wonder why “Filipino” doesn’t fall under either of these categories.
Forms have always been laid out this way as far back as I can remember as a California resident of 20-plus years.
I’m reminded of our visit to the “it’s a small world” attraction in Disneyland. As our boat went through the “Asian” room, I craned my neck looking for little Ms. Philippines. I didn’t find her. Hmmm, maybe it was the Disneyworld Small World that had Ms. Philippines, not Disneyland’s, I thought. Next, we entered the “Pacific Island” room. There, tucked in a corner, was Ms. Philippines in a Filipiniana dress, all by her lonesome self. The other real Pacific Islanders followed, with their more elaborate setups.
September 2nd, 2006 at 9:49 pm
Odd, I know. My dad always told me that Filipinos were of Malay descent but the land masses were technically in Oceania. Maybe that’s why Pacific Islander is the most common group Pinoys get paired with. Some Latinos I know consider Pinoys to be Hispanic. The other week I saw a form that listed Philipino all by its lonesome.
I play it safe and just “decline to state” whenever that question comes up. Am just on my way Home anyway.
September 2nd, 2006 at 11:59 pm
Yes, I noticed the same thing when we bought our house. It had a separate box for “Filipino”. I thought it had more to do with our population in the West Coast as I hadn’t seen this back when I used to live in the Midwest.
September 3rd, 2006 at 4:21 pm
Phisch: According to this Wikipedia article Filipinos are indeed Malays but what surprised me is that it also says “that the Malays of Malaysia and Indonesia originally migrated south from the Philippines during the prehistoric period.” This is the prevalent consensus among contemporary anthropologists, archaeologists, and linguists. Interesting eh?
Marie: I think it has something to do with population as well but the Chinese are more numerous than Filipinos in California so why aren’t they grouped separately? Same thing with Mexicans. mmm…
September 3rd, 2006 at 6:48 pm
We are not Pacific Islanders and it irks me that some people keep filling out their ethnicity as that. Why the heck would we be in ASEAN (Association of Southeast ASIAN Nations) as founding members if we were Pacific Islanders? Hahaha.
September 3rd, 2006 at 7:17 pm
Blame it on “It’s a Small World”?
September 3rd, 2006 at 7:39 pm
Also, they should add this inaccuracy to the Disney Lies page on “it’s a small world.”
September 6th, 2006 at 1:53 pm
hi ! no problem with the ethnicity here….i’m filipino by DNA. the filipino IDENTITY poses more of a puzzle to me.
September 17th, 2006 at 11:54 pm
the filipino identity is indeed very complex and complicated. ‘malay’ by descent, with a mixture of chinese and japanese blood, culture and influences thrown in, colonized and ‘acculturized’ by both spain and the u.s.a., it is no wonder that we need to have another category all our own.
regardless of the complexity and the occassional ‘confusion’ (more external than internal), i hold my head high and make sure everyone i come in contact with know i’m filipino and proud of it.
September 18th, 2006 at 3:57 pm
Filipinos are perhaps easier to identify by our vibe, which is that we are marked by an essentially non-violent, kind, self-effacing, child-like character, and we are also very open, very permeable to all influences that we like. But we are a young nation and just coming into consciousness of ourselves. I think that in today’s world the political divisions and black-white national definitions are already on their way out, they only keep us warring or mistrusting and excluding each other. The Filipino in this sense has an identity more suited to future definitions than to classical ones. BUT we do have a problem with our past because of our double — and today, triple (by our oligarchy) — colonization. My website http://www.xeniaeditrice.it contains all my reflections on this subject, including “Sampaguitas in the Andes” — you are all welcome to visit. Thanks for reading. Mabuhay at nagmamahal — Elizabeth Medina, Santiago, Chile.
September 19th, 2006 at 10:13 pm
Petite: So true. And although some have a hard time classifying or identifying us, we Pinoys can spot another Pinoy from a mile away (no matter how non-Filipino looking he/she may be).
Elizabeth: You have an interesting take there. I’ll check out your writings soon.
DatuPanot: Maybe Elizabeth’s website can help.
November 12th, 2006 at 10:58 am
Filipinos are ASIAN. Philippines is located in south/southeast Asia. Look at the map for Pacific Islands. It’s somewhere next to Australia, I believe. And do you see Philippines around there? No.
Just because we’re dark skinned and don’t have chinky eyes doesn’t mean we can’t be Asian.
April 17th, 2008 at 3:51 pm
OMG. I am still really confused even after reading the main entry and all the comments. I’m currently trying to fill out this scholarship application and the choices are: African American, White, Asian American, Hispanic/Latino, Native American, Other. So Am I Asian American or “Other”? I guess my real question is What is the difference between one’s nationality and one’s ethnicity? I know I’m Filipino but am Asian or Pacific Islander or Hispanic or what.
April 17th, 2008 at 4:18 pm
Hi Suven,
If you’re Filipino-American and it’s not listed, go for the larger category, which is Asian-American.