Why are more Filipino-Americans starting to call themselves Pacific Islander?

Question

The Philippines is of course part of Asia. Filipinos in their native country refer to themselves as Asian, the same as people from Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam, Taiwan, China.

But based on some Qs here at YA, it seems that some people of Filipino descent based in the US are starting to call themselves Pacific Islander, which refers to groups of islands in the Oceania not part of the official 7 continents.

Nitpicking aside, what I'm really curious about is what would cause many Filipinos in the US to stop calling themselves Asian and start identifying with the people of Hawaii, Samoa, Tahiti, Guam, New Guinea?

Is it just ignorance? or is there a racial issue here? or did somebody popularize the term?

Answer 1

Lack of national pride. Negative news about corrupt politicians in the country. Negative news about extreme poverty. Colonial mentality. Poor self-esteem. Inferiority complex. And almost everybody keeps saying they have "Spanish" blood, as if that would make them any better. And everybody takes taking that stupid pill that's supposed to make them whiter. I could go on and on, but what's the point?

Answer 2

maybe these specific kinds of Filipino-Americans don't know themselves...

Answer 3

i'd been in the usa for a long time and i never call myself a pacific islander. i'm asian and will always be asian. my fil-am friends feel the same way. we are filipinos therefore we are asians.

Answer 4

we are asian american

Answer 5

I haven't been home n a while and never heard the term until I heard it here.

It could very well have racial tones.  It could be a way of saying simply I'm not from China I come from the better parts of Asia please don't profile me.  the Pacific Islands are becoming more well known and lots of people want to see them.  That's a way of directing to the places they want only the Philippines instead of Malaysia.

Who knows?

Answer 6

They simply don't like to be called Asian or to be part in Asian people. They want to be in the high class that very trying hard to be one of. wheew!

Answer 7

The only time I heard Filipinos being called Pacific Islanders is thru here. I stayed in the states for a few months and I have never heard anyone introduced themselves as Pacific Islander...not unless they really are.

This is what I think, to some countries, being Asians is like being in the 3rd kind. What Filipinos sometimes dont understand is being Asian is not just Southeast Asian. There are the Middle Eastern, South Asian (Indians, Pakistanis...), East Asian (Orientals), even Russian are Asian!

Filipinos would usually break away with the race because of that mentality. Since our looks are somehow similar to those in Oceania...we can claim that we are so we can be treated differently.

Answer 8

You know Filipinos are the only ones that don't know what they are. It's so pathetic. Everyone else in the world knows who they are but why Filipinos? Give me a freaking break! HELLO! YOUR ASIAN!!