December 14, 2022

Jordan Delos Reyes, 12th Grade, MITA High School

When traveling to another country, there’s always new experiences that await: unique culture, food, fashion, and even architecture. It is almost like you are in another world. You feel overwhelmed by the unfamiliar, since you carry the culture of where you live as part of your identity. But what if you are in a situation where you travel to another country, but it’s also where you emigrated from or were born in? I may have grown up here in Vallejo, California, but I was actually born in the Philippines, in the city of Valenzuela. Me and my parents emigrated from the Philippines to here at Vallejo in the year of 2006, when I was two years old. Yet, despite growing up in the U.S, I don’t consider myself American in identity (although legally, I am). 

As a person carrying the cultures of two completely different countries, I can say that I do not carry both the influence of U.S. and Philippine culture equally and that it is an ever changing cycle with no culture dominating the other.

Every two years, a few days before the end of October until a few weeks into November, my family, church family and I go to the Philippines. Since we are a satellite church here in Vallejo (a satellite church is a small congregation planted by a larger one), we go there for a multi-day event at our church, which usually takes place in the first week of November. 

Every time I’m in the Philippines, there’s always new people I meet, and also people I meet again. 

Based on my social experiences, it seems there’s always one defining trait of us Filipinos (obviously, there would be those that may not have this trait); our energetic way of expressing ourselves, the sense of enthusiasm even in the simplest of conversations, and complex sense of humor. In addition, you can whip up a conversation with anyone, despite being strangers. It’s like this sense of community that as Filipinos, we all carry. 

Although I do carry the enthusiasm and energy in socializing, I am more reserved, similar to the U.S, where it’s “if I don’t know you or are close with you, I’ll ignore you.” But, if a person asks any questions, and they have proved worthy of my trust, I will answer. My sense of humor is also mingled with U.S. and Filipino influences.  Unlike the U.S, where a certain area of humor is mostly based on circumstances, Filipino humor is more anecdotal. But anyone can laugh at things that sound or look silly. 

Despite living thousands of miles from the Philippines, I still hold a sense of belonging to my native country. The people, the sense of community, and the friends I make all contribute to my sense of belonging. This is where I belong; with my church family. Even when I interact with those who I do not know closely at church, there is always that atmosphere of family that is with me.