Great article! This reminded me of what my professor said regarding LGBTQIA+ research in the Philippines, like there’s so much research regarding LGBT but how would it make sense if in the context of our country, SOGIE is still being hindered as a law? Where is the application? Anyways, just my thoughts. Something I also had to ponder on, haha!
Thank you for bringing this up, and I appreciate the opportunity for honest discourse.
1. "Westernized" doesn't simply mean people who live in "the west" or those who go outside the Philippines. I say "westernized" in the sense that the societal structures prevalent in what we consider "the west" have influenced people elsewhere around the world in such a way (i.e., "westernized" them) that their identity may align more towards those foreign structures than their own culture. We can very much recognize "westernized" Filipinos here in the Philippines by their upbringing, way of speaking, preferences, social circles, and so on. Much of the "burgis" (upper-middle to upper class) are, generally speaking, "westernized" due mainly to their media exposure and private education. Admittedly, I am, in many, many ways, also somewhat "westernized" as a person, so I've had to unlearn a lot of things.
2. I only refer to the "diaspora" once in the essay, and that's to acknowledge that there are differences in the way we perceive the world. As you know, I write this essay not as an impartial observer but as someone with their own context, and so my choice of words here (e.g., "native," "local") must be understood as part of the larger position of that entire section, which is that the use of "Filipinx" seems to come from a western context that does not seem to be "native" to us. We must then assess whether it is, in fact, useful depending on one's sociocultural context. (I have expounded my position on cultural identity in my other essays on this blog, such as in "The Danger of Too Much Nuance," where I challenge the notion of an "atom" or essential core of Filipino-ness.)
Yes, there are many observable realities that show the variety and vibrance of “Filipino-ness.” Ironically, to ignore these go against the notion of inclusivity, because there really are many intersectional, socioeconomic differences. Notice how I do not stigmatize this at all, saying, rather, that terms like “Filipinx” simply come from specific social contexts. And therefore its usefulness will really depend on context—the more important question here is “Will using the term ‘Filipinx’ be helpful in the liberation of various socioeconomic contexts?”
It also seems that we are straying away from the actual topic of this essay, and focusing too much on something I’ve already discussed in other essays, rather than recognize the larger discourse within which this discourse is operating in. This is an essay on the realities faced by the LGBTQ+ community. The term “Filipinx” is here assessed in the context of queer activism.
I hope this clarifies things further—I appreciate the openness and desire to revalidate our cultural identity!
Great article! This reminded me of what my professor said regarding LGBTQIA+ research in the Philippines, like there’s so much research regarding LGBT but how would it make sense if in the context of our country, SOGIE is still being hindered as a law? Where is the application? Anyways, just my thoughts. Something I also had to ponder on, haha!
Happy Pride!
Thank you for bringing this up, and I appreciate the opportunity for honest discourse.
1. "Westernized" doesn't simply mean people who live in "the west" or those who go outside the Philippines. I say "westernized" in the sense that the societal structures prevalent in what we consider "the west" have influenced people elsewhere around the world in such a way (i.e., "westernized" them) that their identity may align more towards those foreign structures than their own culture. We can very much recognize "westernized" Filipinos here in the Philippines by their upbringing, way of speaking, preferences, social circles, and so on. Much of the "burgis" (upper-middle to upper class) are, generally speaking, "westernized" due mainly to their media exposure and private education. Admittedly, I am, in many, many ways, also somewhat "westernized" as a person, so I've had to unlearn a lot of things.
2. I only refer to the "diaspora" once in the essay, and that's to acknowledge that there are differences in the way we perceive the world. As you know, I write this essay not as an impartial observer but as someone with their own context, and so my choice of words here (e.g., "native," "local") must be understood as part of the larger position of that entire section, which is that the use of "Filipinx" seems to come from a western context that does not seem to be "native" to us. We must then assess whether it is, in fact, useful depending on one's sociocultural context. (I have expounded my position on cultural identity in my other essays on this blog, such as in "The Danger of Too Much Nuance," where I challenge the notion of an "atom" or essential core of Filipino-ness.)
I hope this clarifies things.
Yes, there are many observable realities that show the variety and vibrance of “Filipino-ness.” Ironically, to ignore these go against the notion of inclusivity, because there really are many intersectional, socioeconomic differences. Notice how I do not stigmatize this at all, saying, rather, that terms like “Filipinx” simply come from specific social contexts. And therefore its usefulness will really depend on context—the more important question here is “Will using the term ‘Filipinx’ be helpful in the liberation of various socioeconomic contexts?”
It also seems that we are straying away from the actual topic of this essay, and focusing too much on something I’ve already discussed in other essays, rather than recognize the larger discourse within which this discourse is operating in. This is an essay on the realities faced by the LGBTQ+ community. The term “Filipinx” is here assessed in the context of queer activism.
I hope this clarifies things further—I appreciate the openness and desire to revalidate our cultural identity!