Coming from a University that has a relatively significant population of Filipino-Chinese folk, there’s a 99.9% chance that I’ll meet even at least one of them during my whole stay in college. While I’ve had my fair share of Chinoy friends back in high school, I wasn’t really close with them nor had the opportunity to really deepen our friendship. It was only until college that I was able to gain a few constants that really gave me perspective on the whole “Are you Filiino or Chinese?” debate. But beyond that, it’s more of the values that enlightened me, and how despite cultural differences, they are still very much both Chinese and Filipino at heart.
Practicality At Its Finest
Among my Chinoy friends, one trait that is evident is their practicality. Some would think that because they’re Fil-Chi, they have the luxury of breaking their bank accounts without a sweat; that they have rich dads and moms to pay for whatever they want. But on the contrary, despite some of them being pretty well-off, it’s their practicality that pushes them to the top.
My friends rarely act on impulse. Most of the time, they really ponder about it before making a decision. I think it’s something that will be beneficial in the long run, especially with how fast the world changes. One day you’re on top, then the next thing you know, you’re on rock bottom. It’s important to learn and adapt new values that could actually make you a better person. And because of how frequent we’re together, it rubbed off on me and I’m not complaining.
Persistence Is Key
When I say my Chinoy friends work hard, I mean they work HARD. There isn’t a day that I see them slack off–it’s like they’re drinking productivity in a bottle every single day. Not to say that I’m not productive myself, but their persistence in achieving their goals is quite contagious. I find myself hustling every time I would work with them, and eventually, come up with pretty good outputs in the end–a win-win situation indeed. I’m not surprised why some big names in the industry are FIl-Chi–it’s in their blood.
Family First
Apart from being goal-oriented and hardworking, what I love about my Chinoy friends is how much they value their families. As a family person myself, I find comfort in knowing that they also give utmost importance to the people who raised them. As far as I know, in the Chinese culture, they also put priority on familial matters, whether it be in terms of business or personal concerns. Having that as the core of their being, it brought me to a lot of realizations as well–that no matter what path you take, at the end of the day, you have a support system that will never leave your side.
Bridging Cultures
As a non-Chinoy, it’s enlightening to see and learn from these people I have adored for years. With open arms, I was able to grasp a slice of their lives and get a glimpse of their roots in some way. Above everything else, my relationship with them continues to grow and further strengthens the bridge between the Chinese and Filipino cultures.
