This just hit me.

This is a blog post about Filipinos in America.

I have a lot of relatives who live in America. Like, a lot. And I will be talking about the ones from my mom's dad's side. I put that out right away so no one gets confused. :)

Most of them were born here, moved there when they moved there (I really have no idea when, probably during the 80's or early 90's, followed by my grandparents and aunt who migrated in '99), brought their children there if they're already married, the single ones got married and had children, and they even brought their parents there. Long story short: America is their home now.

Aside from my own grandparents and my aunt, I am not really close to any of them, obviously because of the geographical distance between us. I know, that's a lame reason especially in this day and age when you could literally talk to anyone at anytime if you really want to. Maybe there's some more reason, but I can't say anything because that's not my business and my Mom doesn't talk to me about those things anyway. However, since there is this thing called Facebook, I became in contact with some of my relatives who live there. Okay, not really "in contact," we are just Facebook friends, and that's all. The only time we talk is when we greet each other on our birthdays and when something special comes up like a marriage, a new baby, or whatnot. Those superficial things.

Despite the fact that we never talk about stuff, I feel like I know them in a way. Yep, because of Facebook. :P Like how M is this bubbly girl who's friends with everyone and how I think she's popular at school. Like how A is in a relationship with K but never tells anyone. Like how A is this supersmart yet superfriendly kid and how his current girlfriend is his ex's best friend. Like how G is an amazing swimmer and how his schoolmates respect him. I sound like a creep, I know. But Facebook stalking them is the only way I could get to know them, and I really would like to know them. Why, you may ask? Because we're relatives, that's why. And no matter how much I try to ignore this I-need-to-be-friends-with-all-of-my-relatives urge, I can't. There is a huge possibility that they don't give a shit about me, but that doesn't stop me. In my mind, we would be close if we lived in the same place.

Another thing I learned from my cousins' Facebook profiles is that they don't act like a Filipino at all. They're Americans, period. Not that there's something wrong with that. It just bothers me that their parents (or at least one of their parents) is a Filipino and they don't know how to speak Tagalog. I also think they don't know who Jose Rizal is. I'm 100% sure they can't sing the Lupang Hinirang. That's just, like, forgetting where you came from, isn't it? The only time I've seen (some of) them proud to be Filipino is when Manny Pacquiao wins yet another boxing match (most don't even care about Pacquiao, which is understandable, hah, but still...). It pains me to think that they wouldn't know about  the colorful history of the Philippines, how we have been under the Spaniards, the Americans, and lastly by the Japanese; how all presidents have sucked; how politics here is as dirty as a dumpsite; and how the Filipino people has been trying to live in the midst of everything. They would not understand the struggles the Philippines has been having since Day One. They wouldn't know how beautiful a language Tagalog is. They would only think of my country --their country too-- as a place where they spend two weeks of vacation every five years and as a place where their parents came from. Which is just plain sad.