How I Became Filipino

In each of our lives, we have things that are important to us, people that are important to us, certain groups we associate with, and in a sense a certain discourse community. That being the people that we communicate with, or that we identify with. My life started as part of a discourse community that could be labeled with terms such as “white,” ‘middle-class,” “Utah kid,” etc., though I feel I do not truly identify with any of these. I want to speak to you today of the journey I made-the process of becoming part of a special discourse community–the Filipino people.

In my younger years I communicated (with rare exception) with my neighbors–other white, middle class Utah kids. That is who I identified with, and I never even considered branching out to different discourse communities. That is until I was 18 years old. That was when everything changed.

In July of 2016, when I was 18 years old, as a missionary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints I was taken out of my normal community and placed in a town in the heart of the Philippines called Dasmarinas. I had been given some language training and small bits of information on the culture the previous 6 weeks in Provo, Utah at the Missionary Training Center, but that did little to nothing to really prepare me for what I would be experiencing over the next two years of my life.

Upon arrival in the Philippines, what hit me the most was not the intense heat, the overwhelming humidity, or the beautiful beaches that the country is known for. What hit me about the Philippines was the culture. The way people acted. The way people treated one another. The culture and community were so different from my own as to completely overwhelm me.

And I loved it.

Some of the big differences I noticed upon my initial submersion into the Filipino Community were the language, living conditions, attitude, and even just the general environment. Filipinos are accustomed to having so little, and yet being so happy. In America it seems as though money is a constant topic; a constant thought that never fully removes itself from the mind. Compared to the average American, Filipinos have nothing. Nevertheless, I watched Filipinos be extremely happy, even with the little worldly wealth they possessed.

I saw Filipinos treat others with kindness and love, being close with their neighbors and spending time out in front of the house actually talking to people instead of hiding inside watching TV.

I saw Filipinos joke around with one another in ways that would have set the average American off into a rage, and it was okay. They are honest with each other, joke with each other, tease each other, and not become offended.

I saw them show tremendous faith and trust that everything would work out despite the struggles they experienced, and the dim potential for circumstantial improvement. I saw them press on working hard and giving their best no matter what their circumstances.

Maybe biggest of all the important things I learned from the Filipinos was how to become a part of your culture. I started out an outsider, watching as they spoke a language I couldn’t understand, joke with one another, and being happy together. But bit by bit, as I learned their culture, and took it upon myself to become a Filipino myself (a white Filipino at least), everything changed.

A big part of being accepted into any discourse community is learning the specific language used in that community. You can hardly be accepted into a community of doctors not understanding their lingo, and you cannot be expected to be fully accepted into a group of football players without knowing how to communicate about that passion with them. Thus, to become part of the Filipino discourse community, you must speak the Filipino language: Tagalog. That was a big part in my becoming part of your discourse community and culture–mastering your language.

Another big part of becoming part of the Filipino Discourse community was in learning and mimicking their attitudes. The elderly must be respected in ways such as “mano” which is touching the hand of the elderly to your forehead, play with the children and learn their silly games, and eat everything that is placed in front of you. You must be giving, straight-forward, and caring. You must genuinely love people.

This is Filipino Culture. This is how I became part of the Filipino Discourse Community.