Hello Everyone,

Long time threads browser, but first time contributor. Let me tell a story first before I ask a question, OK. I was chatting with this white guy at Home Depot, and he was telling me about his work as an independent windows installer. I took his business card. Then his family joined him. His wife is a Filippina and their little daughter looked cute and mixed. To my eyes, the girl looked more Caucasian. Politely I complimented their daughter and then the wife started telling me that she is mixed with the Spaniard on her dad's side. Naturally, I acknowledged her information, but in my private thought and observation she looks completely Asian. This is not just one case. At work my filipina coworker also claimed to have Spaniard ancestry and she tried to show me the shape of her eyes, but I only see Asian feature. At another time, I was at a hospital and I was complimenting how the Filipina nurse lady was doing a good job for my mom. She also told me that she is mixed with the Spaniard blood. Somehow, I just don't see the dominant Spanish genes in here at all. I think the Indians of Mexico and South America have more Spaniard genes in them because they do look more or less like the Spaniards in Europe. What is interesting is that the great majority of them don't even claim to have Spanish blood in them. So what is this Filipinas' obsession or pride about having the Spanish ancestry in them all about? Enlighten me.

Having Spanish ancestry doesn't necessarily mean you're going to look European.

Excellent point and I don't overlook this fact at all. However, from my experience with a few Filipinas, they seem to EXPECT that I should see them as different from the "Asian" women. That is why I want to understand the purpose of this "obsession or pride" of having an association with the Spanaird ancestry. From my research of the people in Mexico, long ago, if a person is mixed with a Spaniard, then that person's place in the society is higher than that of the pure-blooded Indians. At the top, you have the pure-blooded European (white) Spaniards, then below that level is the Mexicans, then below that is the Indians. Could classism or preferential treatment be the source of the Spanish pride for the Filipinas as well???

Well, probably. The Philippines were one of the places in Asia where colonial mentality ran deep, they were a colony for a very long time.

why do you cambodians care so much

Its good to learn?^ Mainly because although we were a colony, we don't idolize the French. Cambodia had a long history as a powerful empire, so its hard for the French in a span of less than a hundred years to make us feel inferior. In fact, Cambodia has a rather small European ancestry population.

It's almost 500 years since the spaniards landed in the Philippines, there is going to be quite a few mixed by now. Most cambodians claimed their chinese to feel superior

Really? The Chinese are consider foreigners, and no one claims Chinese ancestry to feel superior. The Khmers had an old and complex civilization, we're not going to feel inferior to anyone.

Obviously, you are not qualified to participate in this thread. In addition, don't you dare "you Cambodians". I am just one Cambodian who is curious. If you don't have anything constructive to say, please f*ck off.

i have spanish in me ^^ but everyone says i'm caucasian. they don't see my warm side personally i love spanish people! ^^ i love the culture and all. a few of my friends are! eurasians and are mixed with spanish and they don't really look spanish. they look pure kiwis! lol


sometimes people aren't what they seem to be just gotta remember that before you judge others ^^

faggot Filipino sucks

Hey thanks for the reply, but yours has nothing to do with my question at all. Thanks for telling me about your genetic makeup though. I do not judge anybody. I respect their personal information. However, I think usually people would identify with their dominant physical feature. You will certainly don't see mixed African-Americans go around saying hey I am part English, Irish, or German, Italian, or whatever. They just identify themselves as "black". Let me give you a real life example. In my college class, my English teacher was this good-looking woman with long flowing hair. Most people in the class identify her as a "Latina". However, the African American (black) students there just know that the professor is a Black woman. So we asked her personally and she said that she is a black person originally from Luisinana. Then one of the black students said that they know a black person right away when they see one because black comes in all shades and forms. In Cambodia, there are Cambodians of mixed French and Portugese ancestries, but you certainly don't hear them going around telling people, hey I am mixed with this European and that European even I am a Cambodian. That is unheard of. Even the current Cambodian king is mixed with Italian (his late maternal grandfather was a pure-blooded Italian). He does not go around telling people that he is mixed at all, except he is a proud Khmer King, protecting the land and interests of the Khmer people.

oh my gawdness.. where do i start reading that? hehehe alright well i'm just saying how they should be proud being spanish because spanish people are so innocent and soo goooooooddddddd and the guys are so hot(it's not even funny)

plus.. yes people won't go around telling people how they are this and that just like me, i don't go and say what ethnicty i am. i just say "i'm a caucasian kiwi" it's because i was born and bred here, my parents are also kiwis but my ethnicity is different. i guess they basically go with what nationality they are and not how mixed etc..

not to mention their facial features.. it's all about how they look, people can be so judgemental. for me, nothing bothers me, i don't know how people are always commenting others on the way they look. lol how short or tall, how pretty or ugly, how boring or entertaining. i guess i'm just very innocent hehe

What makes you think that Filipinos are obssesed or proud of having Spanish blood? Does talking to few filipinas means it represents the whole Filipino race? If I say my mom has a Spanish blood means I'm a show off to you?... 300 years of spanish presence in the Philippines means something. so knowing some Filipino with spanish ancestry is not surprising.

As far as I know here in the Philippines, foreigners which Filipinos are fond of are Japanese and Americans, Koreans.. some Europeans, Chinese (in that order) then Spanish --- because aside from our religion and names, there's nothing to be proud to people who colonized us for 300 years.

it's just a repetitive cultural thing: The Spanish created a system in which Spanish was good and native was inferior. Not in all terms, but as the master, much like in all colonial situations ie Anglo Saxon supremacist ideology in the 19th century, racial prerogatives endured in this situation.

and today that endure. but most of the time it's not really out of bad intent, it's mostly ignorance and habit hard to quit.

The Indians in Mexico look nothing like Spaniards in Europe. They look like other Native Americans. Some might have small traces Spanish ancestry.

I think The Philippines had a similar caste system as Mexico's, and the same mentality exists today. I could be wrong though. The Spanish culture is big on pride and honor. It's something most outsiders can't understand.



No, but you'll probably have some Caucasian features.



No, it's Peninsulares -> Criollos -> Mestizos -> Indios

Although the caste system was supposedly abolished long ago, a Mexican's self worth is usually measured the same way as 300 years ago. It's probably the same thing in The Philippines. The two countries aren't too different in that sense. The thing that separates the two is the fact that there really aren't many pure blooded Spaniards left in The Philippines. It seems the white mestizos make up much the ruling class.

Asia is a REGION! and just because someone has Spanish ancestry, that does not mean he/she will look caucasian. Depends on the DOMINANT gene..I've seen half Filipinos who look more like typical Filipinos, and Full(as in non-white blood) Filipinos who look more mixed...Depends on nutrition and environment..

Ha, I hear this ALL the time. Most of the black kids I went to high school w/ claimed to be part white and/or part Native American. I dont doubt it though. Black kids who had lighter skin or straighter hair would usually attribute it to their mixed ancestry.

And please dont get Filipino-Americans confused with Filipinos in the Philippines. Filipinos in the Philippines usually dont go around claiming to be part Spanish. I was there a couple years ago, most ppl dont know or care about being Spanish. My family does in fact have some Spanish blood. I believe my mom is 1/4th or 1/8th Spanish. But thats so insignificant that she hardly mentions it, neither do our relatives.

Here's a picture of my aunts & uncles and my grandma:




Half of them look Mexican to me, and the other half just look Filipino.

Bro, you don't have to get confused if filipinas in the US claims they have spanish blood. they can even claim they have limahong blood, pig's blood or whatever blood it may be running in their veins but one thing they're sure of is that they're still filipinos.

your question regards what is their obsession having pride of their spanish ancestry, well, i don't think it is a bad thing though acknowledging your ancestry as long she's not claiming she's actually spanish.

we as a filipino takes pride on who we were and what we have become, the FILIPINO people. no matter where you put a filipino, even if he/she looks like spanish or chinese or aborigine looking, we still call ourselves FILIPINOS, an amalgam of different culture and etchnicity. so don't wonder if lots of westerners don't consider us as asians at all but that doesn't mean we don't know what we are either. (some flips might be confused too but not as many as you think so)

whatever damaged heritage that were left on us we are trying to piece back together, but we are not abandoning either what's been inculcated in our minds and hearts also. it just won't happen and i don't think the rest of us would let that happen also like some posters here before who keeps insisting we should go back to our spanish ways. yes, most of our tradition and culture ain't really ours but we made it our OWN in our own version so it irritates me if some guy suddenly insist on correcting us on how to properly use it, like "iyot de puta!", now why would a foreigner insist on making us use the correct word "ijo" instead of "iyot" when it's already a filipinized version?

don't be amazed too if you find kids of white/filipino couple looks very caucasian, as i've told you, our blood is so diluted already so resultant mix would come out on the dominant genes. same with other races like chinese or khmer, mix a flip with chinese or khmer and their offspring would come out more chinese or khmer. (ok, this theory of mine is mine only. )

i have spanish ancestry also and i'm pretty sure about it as our genealogy tree is constantly updated but no, i don't look like one at all. i look more Shanghainese even though the only chinese relative i've traced and know of is not directly related to me. so why?

Graham_cracker is right too, we don't go around claiming we have this and that in the Philippines at all. I have neighbours then whose household speaks spanish (not chavacano) inside their homes but eventually got overwhelmed with the local dialect due to their househelp and the kids whose playmates outside only speaks the local lingo.

now why am i telling my history here? i better get back to work...ciao

I think Khmers of mixed Chinese and Khmer ancestry stands around 6%, while full Chinese stands at 1%. If I had foreign blood, I might flaunt it around. It isn't because I feel superior, I just want to stand out.

My Grandpapa on my father's side was Spanish.

Oh hallelujah god!

I can't speak for god. That's his call. He should be online again tomorrow. He seems quite intelligent but intelligence isn't a notable part of Spanish ancestry. Us Spaniards are more known for bravado, but we never fake it.

It's 100% authentic bravado.

Best if you ask of god himself for it's not my place to go mocking him...

Most of my cousins look spanish ....

i look chinese-spanish accd to some...

I only look Spanish when I grow a beard.

Now I look Spanish because it's Winter in the Southern Hemisphere and a beard keeps me warm in the cold wind.

i look like this...

Thanks everyone for contributing to my curiosity. I enjoy reading and learning from your assertions, claims, and opinions. Some popular mixed Khmer with the European genes include these last names: Fernandez, De Monteiro, Izzi. The last time, my girlfriend showed my wallet picture to her friends, all of them think I am mixed with African. I said WTF?

^^ aw cute

Me too! But my eyes are bigger.

Well, I'm guessing it's the same reason why White American's would claim they are "part-Native American" like an 8th Navajo or Cherokee or something.
I would argue that a huge unknown number of African Americans actually have white blood in them.

I think these Filipinas are trying too hard to differentiate Filipino from other Asians. My Father's side of the family claims to be mixed with Westerners as well, but it's way too long ago like more than a century. My grandmother was the first of her Chinese immigrant family to be born in the Philippines.


My cousins

My sis and dad and me

me and my cousin

I don't know, you decide.



LOL out loud.

man, you look like someone i know, a Japanese yakuza member. you sure you don't have tattoos all over your body?

A lot of Mexicans are also fond of touting Iberian (and other European) ancestry, although, as you've pointed out, even 'Amerindian' Mexicans tend to have more European blood than the average Filipino, and mestizo and definitely 'white' Mexicans have even more European ancestry.

Unfortunately, the tendency to push European ancestry among Filipinos seems to be based on shame of having 'normal' Filipino ancestry. Filipinos can't exactly be blamed that much. They were a possession of majority 'white' countries for almost half a millennium during which the people who were considered beautiful and successful were Europeans or people with European (and to a lesser extent, Chinese) ancestry. Then even today, look at these fora. In this forum, you have trolls insulting Filipinos for having 'flat noses' and referring to Filipinos insultingly.

Meanwhile, look at the Korean, Chinese, and Japanese threads. Their countries were under European and American influence for a much smaller era than the Philippines, yet you see there that they try to make themselves out to look European, the Koreans often pushing so far as to argue that they are practically East European. They mention light skin, hairiness, and noses (there seems to be some fixation with nose shape in East Asia--Northeast and Southeast), but don't point out things such as eyes, cheekbones, or lips which set them apart from Europeans (notably, Southeast Asians have a leg up on Northeast Asians in the eye category). Anyway, if THEY are so wanna-be-white, then you can easily see why Filipinos are; the Philippines was under far more European and American influence than Northeast Asians. [And Northeast Asians, as distinct as you are from Southeast Asians, you are far closer to Southeast Asians than you are to Europeans.]

Again, unfortunately there seems to be some shame among Filipinos for being 100% Malay/indigenous Filipino, while simultaneously there being a 'coolness' about having European blood. Also should be pointed out that much of the Filipino aristocracy has European blood, as do the Philippines' film industry. So they are heavily bombarded with the idea that European is successful, glamorous, beautiful, etc.

On a sidenote, they should overthrow their aristocracy, redistribute the aristocracy's landholdings, and not look to Latin America or Spain for ideas on development. Latin America and Spain, while generally more advanced than the Philippines are hardly great. The Philippines should also work harder to develop ties with Asian neighbors, even those pesky, racist Northeast Asians (and not all of them are, just way too many of them).

Hello AsiandescendantnotAsian

I enjoy reading your post. The causes given seem very reasonable. In fact, I think I will consider them as a general guideline to aid my understanding of the matter. Very informative post. Thanks.

your crazy cambodian never claim chinese. theres alot of mix chinese and cambodian , but never do claim to be chinese. We are proud of who we are. Even when our country was demolish we never claim to be anything but khmer. Thats what khmer pride all about

Buddy, I don't really talk about this but the reasons why most Cambodians claim they have some Chinese ancestory is because it is true - There is hardly anyone who can say they are pure Khmer without lieying - It does not mean we claim to feel superior or anything retarded you are thinking. Ask any Cambodians about their grandparents or great grandparents if they have any Chinese ancestors and the chances are it is very likely. There is no such thing as Homogenious 100% Khmer even though some Khmer claims that, it just goes to show that Khmer is the dominant culture of choice to Cambodia(ns) because even the Cambodians who have chinese ancestory would rather claim Khmer than Chinese MOST OF THE TIME. A lot of those so-called Chinese lost their mother tongue and intergrated/assimilated to Khmer culture and society. My grandpa is Chinese, yet he is fully intergrated as a Khmer. Thus, my mom's family were all Khmerized even though they have Chinese names. And guess what? My Grandpa's home country is Cambodia and not China. Does this mean I feel like I can relate to a Han person? Hell no. Does this make me feel any different? No, it doesn't really matter since I feel only Khmer.

Anyway take a good look around yourself and in the mirror before you open your ill informed mouth.

And yet you cambos question filipinos with spanish blood. It's the tea pot calling the kettle black

in america there's a misconception that spaniards are the same people as mexicans and other latin americans but i've been to spain and i've seen they're quite different. look more like italians or frenchmen.

but in regards to this topic, it might be all about that colonial mentality

Yeah, and there is no such thing as a 100% Filipino either. It's just a nationality. There is not ethnicity called "Filipino" Filipinos are pretty mixed themselves. In the Philippines, most Filipinos who have Chinese, Spanish, etc blood, just say they're Filipino. My family has Spanish blood but whenever I asked them about it, they acted like they didnt know or care. It seemed to me that being part Spanish wasnt anything special, or anything to be proud of. Nobody really cares.

And when did I question you guys about your lineage?

I really don't care if your chinese, dark skin or whatever

You said the tea pot is calling the kettle black, so I asked you when did I ever question your lineage and I get this retarded response. Typical.

HI TONE is a b!tch....LOL the same dude who got pissed off at cambodians when a LAO CHICK said filipinos are short and look like midgets next time, check their profiles before you start blaming an entire ethnicity

and you're from rhode island huh? LOL, i hear there's lots of cambodians over there....so what happened? a bunch of cambodian "thugs" beat you up and you're now trying to get revenge online??? LOL

HAMLET!!! Ban this troll and close this thread. It's breading dumbass cowardly trolls.

yo rhode island khmers....find this HI TONE b!tch...lol

and the thread starter isnt even khmer. here's a hint, he's one of you guys

Hitone does get unreasonably angry.

how many accounts you have now?

better go fu-k your dog again, she's still in heat...

You'll have to wait until ham_let gets back from The Philippines. When is that? My guess is as good as anybody's.

bro, he's from rhode island

cambodians outnumber filipinos over there....and you know the stereotype and reputation that some cambodian-americans have-laugh2 ....lets just say cambos aren't no pushovers or nerds

the safest way to talk crap about cambodians is behind the computer monitor....

have you lost your virginity yet? GEEK BOY