Image by: Edd Aragon

By Mimmette Roldan

I started out with this great idea of writing an article about what it means to be an Australian-Filipina. It was going to be a well-researched and engaging piece with the concept of the Australian-Filipina identity neatly wrapped up and presented to you in a gift box.

Alas, this vision was too ambitious for a two-page story. If you’ve ever read up on Filipino history and how Filipinos formed their cultural identity with the 400 years of Spanish rule and another 50 years of American colonisation, you’ll know how very complex it is. Add to this the other influences from the beginning such as our Malay roots from Indonesia for example, and you get a clearer idea of the complexity involved.

Let me clarify first that when I write about an ‘Australian-Filipina’ I don’t just mean someone who has one Australian and one Filipino parent. Being an Australian-Filipina goes beyond this racial territory. It’s also about the culture, the morals, the beliefs, the values and the spirit that embody her. Any woman of Filipino heritage who calls Australia home is an Australian-Filipina.

Naturally, someone who moved from the Philippines to Australia in the last few years would embody more of the Filipino culture than someone who moved here when she was 10 years old. Again, someone who was born here of two Filipino parents would have a different experience to someone who only has one.

And let’s not forget that it isn’t just nationality or race that creates the difference. Like in any society today, a person’s education level and socio-economic status has a major influence on their identity. What suburb they grew up in, where they went to school and who their friends are can all make a difference. Someone who grew up experiencing a lot of racism will ultimately have different ideas to someone who’s been sheltered and oblivious to such a horrible experience.

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Tags: Arelene Chai, culture, Filipina, Hi-5, identity, Kate Ceberano, Kathleen de Leon Jones