amenaje

Pinay’Merican is a series of personal entries about exploring identity, as a Filipino-American, an aspiring writer, and a millennial. This is also kinda sorta for my final project in Asian American Media this semester.

 “So if you’re Filipino, then why do you have a Spanish (last) name?”

At some point in his or her life, every Filipino has been asked this question when introducing himself/herself to a new acquaintance. (Or in some cases, a curious friend who may have waited for the right moment to ask this important question, regardless of how long he/she has known the person.)

It is a question that causes (subtle) frustration, from either the frequency in which this question has been asked before or the inability to provide a satisfactory explanation. But sometimes, the thought may not have crossed the name-bearer before. That happened to me a few times, whenever people asked about my last name. (more…)