Moving On: Claiming & Sharing My Heritage As a Filipino

Having the need to be at the bank today (by the way, I also bank with Chase, and I happened to have a review article about them), I took the chance, too, to request something from Customer Service. It took me some time to take my turn to be served, but the staff was very friendly and professional. Among other things, she became curious about me:

Just as I thought, you're a Filipino.

Yes! - as I smiled and pleased that she guessed it right without directly asking me, unlike some Filipinos (and other nationals I encounter) I meet here in NYC who think I'm Hispanic, or specifically from Mexico or Ecuador.

I always wonder why you have Spanish sounding names. 'Espinosa' hmmm. Why do Filipinos always have Spanish sounding names?

It's our Spanish heritage. We were part of the Spanish empire for 300 or 400 years. We were the farthest colony of Spain, actually.

Oh, that's why.

Then we became part of the USA for at least 50 years.

I see.

I don't really know if most Filipinos are aware of this, though. I happened to be interested on it because my own grandfather, paternal side, died during World War II. He served the US military - he was a soldier, and he died while in combat.

That's interesting. I learned a lot from you today.

And we were actually the first colony of the USA, including Cuba and Puerto Rico. But after the War, the US kept Hawaii and Guam, and gave independence to the Philippines - I was feeling like a lecturer at this point.

Is that so?

Then we proceeded to end our business as she was able to finish what I was requested from her.

Needless to say, I've always felt elated being given the opportunity to share knowledge about my heritage. Such encounters have always been part of the ongoing moving on process I've been facing ever since I decided to stay for good here in NYC, USA. It includes one of the many instances when complete strangers stop and talk with me anywhere I happened to be, to just to ask "where originally I am from?" I've since then mulled some ready answers, including "Make a guess" complete with gleeful smile.