Who am I?

The three kinds of Filipinos in our modern American society are labeled as such:
- The Twinkie
- The Ghetto
- The FOB

The Twinkie: yellow on the outside, white on the inside. These Filipinos have embraced American culture to the fullest in their attitude and style. These are the Abercrombie, the Hollister, the American Apparel; they try to fit into the 90210 and OC crowd in their lavish lifestyles and gatherings. In reality they are superficial and shallow, only caring about who they’re with, what toys they have, where is the next drunken party at, and what crazy picture they are going to post on the internet.

The Ghetto is the Filipino assimilating into American black culture: hip-hop, dancing, and basketball. These Filipinos are the most creative of the three as evidence to their rebellion to society: crazy hairstyles, hip-hop groups, and baggy-styled outfits. They are deep thinkers, but are guided by their emotion that is expressed in music, dance, and art. They want to be accepted for who they are and stand out to get attention.

The FOB (Fresh off the Boat): the Filipino who totally embraces his/her culture and then some. This person is easily spotted by their accent, their lack of style, and refusal to eat a meal without rice. They have strong values heavily influenced by family whom they refused to disobey. Are very respectful people, often seen as shy and friendly as evidenced by their smile. They don’t like to cause problems, but are not strong instigators. They are known for being hard workers, but lack strong leadership.

There are course hybrids and mixtures of the 3, but these are the three general types of Filipinos I see in today’s society in America.

What am I? I feel that I am a mutt of the three, but am stronger in the FOB area. I believe this because of how I was raised. As I see myself relate to others everyday the more I start to understand of who I am. Only time and experience will show me who I truly am.