Pilipinos are not Orientals

Pilipinos are not Orientals

EDITOR: The Pilipino population is one of the fastest growing minority groups in the Bay Area. Every year families migrate to this area from the Philippines in search of a better way of life. In spite of this growing population, very few people know anything about Pilipinos, and sadly enough, many Pilipino-Americans now very litter about their own customs and traditions.

As a group, Pilipinos have never really had a true sense of their own separate and distinct identity in this country. For many years, we have fallen under the statistical category of "oriental" or "other." In a sense, we have become a minority within a minority.

Contrary to popular belief, Pilipinos are not "orientals." Our heritage is composed of several racial groups, the main group being Malayan. Other significant groups include Indosian and Chinese. Arab, Indian, Spanish, American and Negrito factors are also present, but only to marginal degree. 

As a result of being a mixture of all these ethnic groups, it is quite easy to see why Pilipinos are mistaken for other nationalities. However, there is a distinct Pilipino culture which, although influenced by other ethnic groups, is a separate and autonomous culture by itself. 

One of the main functions of the Pilipino American Students Association (P.A.S.A.), which exists on campus, is to share the beauty and uniqueness of the Pilipino culture. We hope to accomplish this by participating in the Spectrum of the Arts (Sunday, April 27), in which Pilipino arts and crafts will be exhibited, Pilipino foods will be sold, and some traditional folk dances will be performed. We invite all interested students and faculty members to join us, and learn more about the Pilipino people and our culture.

Randy Sabado