Monday, January 26, 2009

"My Grandma is Spanish"



Most Filipinos that I know of thought that a Hispanic surname automatically equates to a Hispanic lineage. Little did they know that Malayo-Polynesian natives during the Spanish period lacked a family name and it was only in the 1800's that a Spanish Governador General ordered that all natives be given a family name. Having a family name definitely makes identification a lot easier.

Because of this apparent lack on information, it will not be surprising to find yourself speaking to a local, proudly telling you that his ancestors were Castilas (Spaniards or at least of Spanish ancestry) even if his facial features say otherwise.

The fascination that we-might-be-Eurasians must be a regional thing since I know of a Thai acquaintance who frowned to admit that he was a pure-bred Thai and not a luk kreung (half-Thai). A Canadian once told me that Thais are hot on their own, so why bother creating the illusion that you're half this and that?

Can't we accept that we might be pure Filipinos after all? How would that be a problem? I thought it would be exciting to know how a real Cebuano or a real Negrense would look like. I just thought it sickening to think that our ancestors come from Europe because of the spanish surnames we carry with us.

I don't carry a Spanish surname, meaning, my ancestors has carried with them the centuries-old surname that they've got. My paternal roots hail from Pampanga and Bicol and my maternal roots hail from Zamboanga, La Union, Panay Island, and Japan. Aside from the obvious fact that I'm Filipino, the only other obvious clue to my ancestry was the Japanese roots of my mom's maternal family.

That thing I've learned thru family history and genealogy, something our Church has been doing for decades.

There are two things that I wanna point out thru this post. One, know your family history first before having the balls to brag about your family's European roots and two, be proud of the fact that your flat nose and brown skin spells that you are indeed, a Filipino.

6 Responses to “"My Grandma is Spanish"”

Anonymous said...
January 27, 2009 at 5:03 AM

im proud to say that im a pure filipino.

anyway,i agree. thais are hot. but i know some who are not. haha


Jerick said...
January 27, 2009 at 5:08 AM

wow! i'm impressed! you are pretty quick! just finished writing the article!


pusangkalye said...
January 28, 2009 at 9:04 PM

before---I had the fantasy--then when reality set in---the dreaming ended ika nga---now I accepted that I don't have the genes to give me an extra investment in life---looks. wl lang----then again, okay lang. hehe. anu ba sinasabi ko----parang puro self lahat. pero I guess most of us have the same story.


Jerick said...
January 28, 2009 at 10:15 PM

whatever that meant...


anonymous said...
February 10, 2009 at 12:15 PM

i work with a thailander and his not hot at all. I know I am, because i am a flipino thru n thru...lol. just kidding!


Jerick said...
September 2, 2010 at 10:23 PM

about a month ago, my mom did a research and a certain Mexican surnamed Guerrero was a 17th century ancestor.

officially, i'm filipino with japanese and mexican ancestries. the chinese is still quite unsure though.


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