Canadian | Filipino

Photo credit: Provided by subject

I identify as White Canadian and Filipino. I am Catholic & straight. My Mom is from the Philippines and my Dad is from Saskatchewan, Canada. They met on my Dad’s travels to the Philippines. He was a traveller. 

My Mom is a good cook and my Dad likes to eat, but since my Mom only knew how to cook Filipino food he signed her up for cooking classes when she came to Canada. But her food never tasted Filipino. They are both Catholic, so I grew up going to church every Sunday. 

When I was younger and sometimes now I do hide my identity, but I find being mixed you do draw attention to yourself even if you try to blend in. I think in my parents generation interracial relationships were slowly emerging and there weren’t so many mixed-race kids. Growing up there were only a handful of us in a class now it seems like there’s so many more mixed people. 

People have mistaken me for other Asian backgrounds, so I have had to correct them, which can be annoying. Some days I want to be less Asian and then other days I feel like being more Asian. I also used to have Blonde hair for most of my life which was a huge part of me, because I felt like it was part of my uniqueness. 

I have a son who is a quarter Filipino, his Dad is Canadian with red hair, so I tell him he can tell people he’s part Filipino. We are both living with my Mom, so I feel like he understands it. I have visited the Philippines and one day would love to take my son, so he knows where his Grandmother was from. When I was younger I didn’t understand my background and used to hide it. 

Growing up I always was asked where I was from. I still get that now, so I guess it’s part of me, and I embrace it. I tell my son he’s part Filipino, so he doesn’t forget it. I live in Vancouver BC, there is lots of diversity. 

If I had the opportunity to be reborn I would maybe be just a little bit taller, like 5’2 since I’m 5 feet.