Reflections on Filipino-American Identity

The month of October in the U.S. is recognized as Filipino-American History Month and commemorates the arrival of the first Filipinos to North America. The following blog post was contributed by Keanu Gaite, Program Associate for International Visitor Leadership Program Collaborative Services at the Meridian Center for Global Leadership.  For most of my life, I have identified as Filipino. No hyphen. No Filipino-“American.” I would wear hats with “Pinoy” across the brim and shirts embossed with the Philippine flag, presents from titos and titas (also known as uncles and aunts) when they returned from trips to the islands.   But at some point, this cultural pride started to dim. I came to question how connected to...

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