Princess for a day

Filipino Flag

How do you identify yourself racially/ethnically? 

At first, when I was ask that question I didn't really know how to answer it. Asian? But the word that came out of my mouth when I answered it seemed just typically right. Filipino.

I love being Filipino. After taking a few classes in high school, improving the way I spoke in Tagalog, and the understanding of my culture, I really found so many unique qualities about being Filipino. And as for being in the Bayan community, I feel I may enhance my knowledge of the Filipino-American culture by the end of this semester.

Manny Pacquiao

Have you ever had one of those days where you're just so proud to be apart of your culture ? Like when Manny Pacquiao won multiple rounds of boxing nonstop, or Roosevelt standing up for her race and refusing to sit in the back for a white person ? People just get the vibe to feel so good about their self and being able to experiences these type of things.

One of the things most Filipina's get to experience is being a princess for a day.

"Princess for a day? What do you go to Disneyland all dressed up or something?"
"Um. . NO."

When a girl turns eighteen, she has this big big birthday celebration called a debut. For those of you who doesn't know what a debut is well for starters it a big party with lots of food, family and friends and a night to get dressy and what not and also to celebrate that the debutante (birthday girl) has reach the age of maturity. But really take a look at the Mexican and the American culture. For the Mexican culture, when a girl turns fifteen, they have a really big party called a Quinceanera, as for the American culture, they celebrate a girl's sixteenth birthday with a Sweet Sixteen. But as the culture differs, then likely you get a hint that a debut is celebrated quite different than these two cultures.

A debut contains quite a few things: eighteen roses which are the boys the debutante honors on her own and also the honored eighteen candles which are the girls who give speech about the cherish memories with the debutante.

Having my own debut was just so magical, it felt as if I was really a princess for a day. Although really I didn't get to have a prince charming. .but anyways, I've been to debuts where they were in fancy halls, had all these fancy dinner, fancy table cloth, fancy fancy fancy. I mean many of us were able to afford it. But really, I didn't worry about all the fancy things, although I really thought it's be nice, but pricey. I worried more about who I really wanted to invite or actually be there.

Whenever we have a big celebration like the holiday celebrations, my family come over from LA and such just to so we can celebrate the holidays together or to just catch up and see whats going on in our lives. It just something I've been taught since I was young where it's "Family comes first" and whenever we all get a chance to be together, it's just those moments you want to cherish the most.

It was really the best day ever, seeing my friend and my family, talking about how much I've grown after all these years. It was one of those stress free days where everything went the way I pictured it and nothing went wrong. It's the little moments you want to cherish.

My Family<3

Grew up in the Filipino culture, having all these family bonding moments even if it's just with my parents and my sisters I still have an on going smile on my face because my parents told me they never got to really expirence this at the same age as me, having to live with strict parents and doing what they were told. But you know sometimes you have to really try to blend into your cultural to actually know about it and be able to say to yourself or to the world alone that this is your culture and there's not a thing you wish to change about it, even if you have to go through strict parenting or rules.