From the tiny mothers to the turon cravings, all Filipino-Americans can relate.
1. There aren't enough Filipino restaurants in this country - especially on the East Coast.
What is a Filipino to do when their mom won't cook them pansit? Also, where's the closest Jollibee?
2. You can't eat mangoes in the States after you've tasted the sorcery that is the Philippine mango.
Trust me.
3. Your friends don't understand why you refuse to throw away food.
I can just hear my mom's voice in my head "Sayang naman!"
4. When your friends come to your house, your parents will force an unhealthy amount of food on them.
They just don't take "no" for an answer.
5. Don't even think about leaving shoes on past the front door of a Filipino's home.
6. If you don't greet all of your relatives at a party, your life is basically over.
Even though you can't remember the names of at least a third of them.
7. You have 523 titas, titos, lolos, and lolas — and a most of them are not related to you.
8. Christmas shopping = balikbayan box mania.
Traveling to the Philippines during the holidays involves buying Christmas presents and pasalubong
9. When you visit the Philippines, you realize your family is twice the size you thought it was.
That also means there are twice the number of names to forgetremember.
10. Your Tagalog isn't good enough in the Philippines to follow what your relatives are saying about you.
I may have heard the words "mataba" and "pangit damit"... Just kidding.
11. Your "American-ness" sticks out like a sore thumb when you're in the Philippines.
12. The Philippine Peso to US Dollar exchange rate always throws you off while shopping.
200PHP sounds like a lot - until you realize that it is equivalent to about $5...
13. Speaking of shopping, you can never find your mom in a store, because she is shorter than the shelves.
My mom claims that she's "fun sized"!
14. Your grandparents are probably also really adorable.
15. You know that hilarious moment when you're with your non-Filipino friends, and your grandparents ask if you want to go to the "beach"...
"Oy, lets go to the b**ch!"
16. While you're at the beach, you're probably soaking up the Vitamin D as your mom is hiding under a big sunhat or umbrella.
She must "protect her skin."
17. Your mom gets your attention by making a "shhhttt" noise.
Because when she actually tries to call you by your name, she ends up saying the name of every other person in the family before landing on the correct one.
18. Or when your mom can't think of the name of an object or person, she just says "ano"
"Oy, ano. Bring me the ano from the fridge!" Sometimes she even uses her pursed lips to point the object instead of using words.
19. Your mom tests if a stranger is Filipino by suddenly speaking to them in Tagalog.
If the person is Filipino, RIP. You won't be moving for hours.
20. Just like your mother, you also love finding other Filipino-Americans your own age so you can laugh about your stereotypical families.
Also, you will always find someone with the dried mango hook up.
21. You love reppin' the Filipino flag on your clothes, room decorations, or basically anything you own.
Gotta love that blue, red, white, and yellow!
22. You brag about how cool our traditional dances are.
Of course, the tinikling is a crowd favorite, but let's not forget the pandanggo sa ilaw, where people dance with candles (yes, real fire) balanced on their hands and head.
23. You may come across some people who will insist that you are Hispanic because you're Filipino.
We've been independent from Spain for over 100 years, we do not speak Spanish, and oh, right, we are located in ASIA.
24. Your Filipino community is like a second, giant, extended family, and you don't know what you would do without them.
** Shoutout to the Cornell Filipino Association, aka my second family. Thanks for helping me with this article. #CFAm
