Taking pride in family ties

Bird's The Word

Ever since Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao stepped into the limelight, people - strangers included - have been telling me that he is the only person Filipinos can be proud of.

Excuse me?

Although Pacquiao has become a boxing legend all over the world, especially after his winning fight against Miguel Cotto last weekend, he alone does not take on the responsibility of an entire nation's pride.

One reason why I think people associate me with the famous Filipino boxer is because he may be the only Filipino they have associated with through the media.

But Pacquiao isn't the only Filipino who has seen stardom in the U.S.

Arnel Pineda, the new lead singer of the band Journey, was selected above all the rest because of a YouTube video that showed off his vocal talent.

Black Eyed Peas singer, Allen Pineda Lindo, better known as Apl to fans - pronounced "apple" - represented Filipino pride in his song titled, "The Apl song."

This song is partly sung in Tagalog, a Filipino dialect. The music video illustrates a lonely Filipino veteran who wishes his family wasn't too busy to visit him in a retirement home. Apl's lyrics describe what life was like in his home country before he moved to the U.S.

Charice Pempengco was featured on Oprah last year when she showed off her ability to almost mirror Celine Dion's vocals in her rendition of "My Heart Will Go On."

Most of my examples are about well-known Filipinos in America, thus not really proving my initial point.

So besides all the glitz and glamour, we Filipinos also have a rich history to follow.

Filipinos' migration to the U.S. was not an easy ride.

My mom, for example, waited until she was 18 years old to move here after her eldest brother joined the U.S. Navy, and her other siblings slowly made their way to the States.

They knew that their family would have a better future working and living in America.

My dad was also 18 years old when he migrated to the U.S. He was blessed to have a father who was recruited to the U.S. Army in the Philippines for World War II.

But becoming a U.S. citizen was not an easy journey.

My grandfather was part of the Bataan Death March in 1942. During this war, Filipino soldiers were captured and tortured by Japanese soldiers.

At some point, he was found floating in a river, half dead, by my dad's home town of Hagonoy, Bulacan in the Philippines.

After the war, my grandfather became a U.S. citizen, which made my dad and his 11 siblings U.S. citizens as well.

Of the different stereotypes I have heard about Filipinos - family always come first, we're always late, we're very loud, etc. - my favorite, and the most accurate, is that we have a lot of pride.

I am part of the first generation of kids on the Vallejo side of my family. If you count my extended family, there are close to 60 of us living in the Bay Area, and there are even more Vallejos in the Philippines.

As a child, I was taught to be proud of who I am and to know my roots. And although I'm not completely educated on my ancestry, it's always good to know I have plenty of people that can teach me.

As far as I'm concerned, all ethnicities have their own culture and history that they can take pride in.

So please, if you ever see me, know that I'm more than just a Filipina who can be proud of the latest trend. My background is much more colorful.- Stephanie Vallejo, http://www.thespartandaily.com, 11/19/09