Filipino Americans and the Rise of Anti-Asian Hate

Abstract

The recent rise in anti-Asian hate amidst the COVID-19 pandemic provides a novel circumstance within which to investigate Filipino American ethnic and racial identity development. Existing literature on this topic highlights the impact of colonization on present-day Filipinos, regarding their ethnic identification, panethnic consciousness, and responses to discrimination. Most of this research focuses on college-aged and second-generation Filipino Americans. However, victims of the rise in anti-Asian hate include older Asian Americans. Therefore, this study explores Filipino American identity and experiences with racism through 10 interviews with first-generation Filipino Americans, aged 65 and above. The study finds that, although Filipino Americans experience racial discrimination, many are resilient. However, their resilience may reflect internalizations of Filipino cultural values, the colonial mentality, and the model minority myth, as well as the search for a positive identity. Additionally, this study has an unexpected finding that Filipino Americans may collectively construct their identities, with many of their ethnic/racial identities reflecting that of their spouse. Ultimately, the lives and identities of Filipino American involve a dynamic process that adapts and reflects shifting political, social, and cultural contexts.