https://alexagain.com/tags/culture/ Recent content in Culture on Alex Again Hugo en-us Thu, 09 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://alexagain.com/posts/the_airport_made_me_choose_filipino_or_non-filipino/ Thu, 09 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://alexagain.com/posts/the_airport_made_me_choose_filipino_or_non-filipino/ <p>I was 22 when I first visited the Philippines. The country where my father was born, and where all of my ancestors had lived before my grandparents moved to the New World, the Land of Opportunity— the United States.</p> <p>The first reckoning was before I had even left the airport terminal. “FILIPINOS,” one aisle was marked with in bold capital letters. “NON-FILIPINOS,” said the other. I stood between the two as the other passengers filed past me, confidently choosing the line they belonged in. Of course this was about what kind of passport I held, but in my sleep-deprived state it seemed like a question that rocked my very essence. My American passport suddenly felt foreign to me, despite it being my constant companion for the last several years. It named my origin, but could I claim it? After a halted breath, I chose the “Non-Filipino” line, and with each step forward, I felt the weight of that choice.</p>