I grew up in Metro Manila (the melting pot for various regions in the Philippines) so I guess I'm a clear manifestation of the melting-pot ideologies, where we're all equal despite being different, hence no need for group pride.

Whether it's group pride, community pride, regional pride or national pride, I just see it as a sort of negative trait that promotes narrow mindedness by being biased in favor of your own group, whereas the melting pot ideology promotes openness and tolerance to others' ideals.

If a foreigner would ask me about my nationality, I would not hesitate in saying that I'm a Filipino. And nope, I wouldn't say that Spanish/Chinese/Filipino crap, but still, I don't think that there's a reason to brag about one's heritage. That'll just create more prejudice.

For example, let's compare Dave Batista to other Mexican WWE wrestlers (as well as their fans). Batista's tattoo is enough acknowledgement of his Filipino roots. Whereas the other Mexican wrestler as well as their fans have Mexican flags all over them. Rey Mysterio has that MEXICAN tattoo, while Super Crazy has that Mexican flag outfit. If I were a foreigner watching WWE, I'd probably get the impression that those Mexican wrestlers are propagating the negative stereotype of Mexicans by being needlessly proud that it's not even amusing anymore. This is a scenario where I think pride does more harm than good. At least Batista does things more subtly, and he's hardly a pinoy stereotype. He's 300 pounds for Christ's sake.

My take on pride is, I'll take whatever that suits me, may it be Filipino based or foreign based. E.g., if I find Nissin Cup Noodles from Hong Kong more delicious than Lucky Me La Paz Batchoy, then to hell with national pride, I'll eat the better tasting one. But I'll never deny that I'm pinoy. I guess that should be enough.

My mom is a native Ilocana and my dad is native tagalog (Batangueno). I never considered myself Batangueno or Ilocano, ever. Of course, sometimes I would be envious that I'm not able to understand anything Ilocano that my mother says (that makes her tri-lingual and me only bilingual but I don't care.), but in the grander scheme of things, I don't really think that it's important for me to learn her language. I just don't need it.

Isn't it ironic that in the native homeland, everyone wants to be white (in one way or another), and then you go overseas like in the US and then you have a younger generation of pinoys all wanting to track down whatever remaining Filipino attributes that they still have? Doesn't it beat the intention of their parents for them to completely assimilate in the foreign environment?

As I stated earlier, I'll take the melting pot ideology over the national pride anytime, and never in my life did I feel a sense of identity crisis of being a pinoy despite trying to embrace a lot of things that are foreign based.

If you don't want to take pride in the Philippines, fine. But... I don't think it would be right to take pride in anyone elses culture either. So you would just be a prideless man. This way it dosen't look like your taking pride in somthing your not.

And your point is? You just don't have pride in your own country that's it. You're not the only one, there are a lot of them.

Your not alone some pinoys act like complete sheep sometimes, they display so much pride whenever they hear of anything remotely filipino. It can be excessive and anoying, like all the Paquiao Homers talking $hit even if they have never seen or cared about boxing prior to Paquiao LOL.

But it makes no sense if you refuse to display any kind of pride simply because you want to be different? Im proud to be Pinoy because thats what I am and I will always support my fellow pinoys in my own way and that should be good enough.

It's not an issue of being different but an issue of preference.

Personally, I wouldn't restrict myself to the bounds of my national culture if something else outside is more preferable.

E.g., I'm born Catholic (like most Filipinos), but then I grew up more logic-oriented, and then Catholicism (at least the way understand it) no longer makes that much sense.

So once in a while I go church hopping. I've attended masses from Unitarian Universalists, Born Again, and Iglesia ni Cristo. I really don't care if 80% or so of Filipinos are Catholics. I just need to find the things that suit me.

Being a melting-pot kid just for the sake of being different is just a matter of making a statement, which I find a bit shallow.

^ hi nice to meet you. If you are pinoy then you are pinoy! What does religion have to do with it?? Anyway, Pinoy pride!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i have pinoy pride, but not as much like other people do it.


thing is that, alot of filipinos at school thinks i'm backstabbing my culture
just because i dont stay in their little group and make, sweet little chit-chats.

i'm not doing anything bad though. i just wanna get to know people and
secluding myself to their "so fu-king exclusive" group would not help me
meet other people.

I just used religion as an example. Of course, when you belong to a certain group you're expected to behave in a way that group tends to behave. With Catholicism being intertwined with the Pinoy culture, naturally we're expected to behave sometimes in Catholic-rooted ideals.

I don't know, I was raised INC so I dunno.

@Cypoclapyse, Good for you my friend but uve come to the wrong place. Here we promote National pride cos we see young generation of Filipinos in America or Canada dont have it and i could see you're one of them.

I'm not into that filipino pride thing, but I've never been ashamed of being filipino or asian.

No, we Filipinos should be prepared to take criticism that we can get as much the same what we give to others. We will go nowhere in particular if we keep agreeing and agreeing with each other in here. I think this is the very point why forums exists.

I joined this forum expecting to read some of your precious thoughts....good or bad, hoping some of it would bring us the right understanding. I don't mind digging in a discussions and debate hoping to find some polished politness at the bottom.

I just hope we Pinoys kick @$$.

Lolz believe me criticism is one thing that we filipinos in here are already accustomed to. Other asians criticized us for not having National pride, for being white/black washed, for not having our own prespanish culture, for not being proud to be filipinos.

Money talks, and once our economy gets going, who gives a fu-k what they say??

You have to have cultural pride in order to have cultural diversity. The world would integrate into one (bland) monolithic cultural if no one had pride in their own heritage. The only reason you have the choice between Filipino noodles and Chinese noodles is because a difference between the two is maintained. If you think pride in one's culture causes narrow-mindedness, think of how narrow-minded a world with only one or a few cultures would be. Plus I don't see how pride (as long as it's tempered with education) has to necessarily lead to conflict.

OH deng you're right on the money on that one

Cypocalypse, brother, the reason you're here is you are actually longing to have Pinoy pride. Otherwise you won't even bother posting in this forum.

Know yourself man, dont just be just a run of the mill citizen of the world BS. You actually have a headstart among the younger generation of Fil-Ams who are searching for their identity. You have seen the best and the worst of us and you know why we are who we are.

Your noodle preferences does not translate to your pride in your heritage. Think it over.

Actually, most of us are searching for that identity.

In my case though, I couldn't care less about a national identity. It's my quest, and the quest of others matters less to me.

I don't think I'm already getting white washed but I'm starting to embrace the American ideals of liberty and individuality.

I'm your typical pinoy kid with high regard to ethics hence I'm that stereotypical pinoy kid who put too much regard on parental authority it even made me a mama's boy.

Years later I realize how conformity (parental conformity, at least) hurt, and I eventually started to blame everything, including this culture's mega high regard to figures of authority.

Someone else accused me of blaming the 'general' for my 'specific' situation. But then I thought, everyone's idea of the 'general' is always rooted to some degree on his specific experiences so I'm not alone on this.

Eventually I started looking outside (foreign ideals, that is). I guess I'm seeking for comfort, even if I have to leave my culture behind just to get it.

Yeah, welcome to the individualistic, a bit arrogant, a bit confrontational, me.

Damn it, ang drama ko. LOL!

Now you guys know why I advocate the melting pot ideologies.

What are you like 15??? Dont worry we all go through that phase. Youll start to accept yourself and others as you get older.

Since you brought up the mexicans and pride, I believe the strong pride is from people who were oppressed and must defend their culture.

^^^^ Exactly what I'm thinking. A strong pride is an acknowledgement of being oppressed.

NATIONAL pride confirms that we are a potent nation, and are no longer an oppressed poeple.
The Japanese, Chinese, Americans and all the powerful nations are exceedingly proud. If we do not show pride we would look pathetic. Who would want to invest in a feeble nation?

I don't think his ideas make him bad at all, if he takes that path then so be it, did he say anything bad against the Philippines? No. if he likes things from other countries then so what? Is there anything wrong with it? There isn't. He acknowledges that he is Filipino and doesn't brush it off, so I don't see any problem here.

i like this statement alot! this is why i made a decision a couple of weeks ago to juz let go of the pride thing within me (hopefully ppl read my comment the other day). its not that im not happy of being filipino and that i hate to be filipino, but ive juz noticed that pride is negative after all. even my parents dont say that theyre proud of me even if ive done something good, instead they say that theyre pleased of my deeds. juz take a look at recent incidents here in filipino chat! ppl are full of pride, im not saying its bad, but things kinda went out of hand and overboard. and because i let go of that pride thing, i dint join any contention.

juz to restate myself, instead of saying im proud to be pinoy, i now say im pleased to be pinoy. for all religious ppl out there, and for those who read the Scriptures, pride is never mentioned as a good thing once. and that inspired me to change my old attitude. but i will still show how much i appreciate being filipino to everyone!

thank u for this thread!!

pride isn't necessarily seen, heard, esp. not with tattoos, shirts and anything shallow. if somebody ask you, what's your nationality and you lied and said your Spanish and Nicaraguan well that's it.

actually if you pursue shallow forms of expression, im pretty sure you shouldn't be the perfect example of "pride". cuz I could blow myself up in the name of Allah or Jesus and that $hit don't make me Muslim or Christian...it's just the outward shallow manifestation of something.

Pride refers to a strong sense of self-respect, a refusal to be humiliated as well as joy in the accomplishments of oneself or a person, group, or object that one identifies with.

I don't see anything wrong with pride as long as it's not done excessively to the point of putting down other people in an unjust way just to maintain one's pride. Now there's nothing honorable about that reprehensible deed.

But having the right amount of pride could yield positive results. Like it could be used to set standards for yourself to meet, or be a source of inspiration and hope to overcome difficult times.

As for the melting pot ideology. News flash! The Filipino culture is the result of a melting pot ideology if you haven't realized it yet. If you see some good attributes that other cultures posses, then I don't see anything wrong with applying it and mixing it to your own. But if you're gonna totally immerse yourself to that particular culture you're so infatuated with, that you'd consume even their least desirable traits, then you'd just turn into a confused outcast with identity crisis. Just like Sirikittong.

some of the criticism could be true. it does seem like we let other cultures over ride our own.