#DearFilipinoAmericans Since FB & IG are down, let’s have a conversation on Twitter. Many people have asked me if we should start using #Filipinx. I’ve shared my answer privately, but maybe we should talk about it publicly. Here’s a thread of some initial thoughts. 1/17

The pros of #Filipinx are obvious. It is an acknowledgement of looking beyond the gender binary; it models after the #Latinx movement; and it moves beyond the tradition of centering masculine/male identities. For these reasons, some say the term is a sign of decolonization. 2/17

Some historical context: in the 80s & 90s, many people started to use #Pilipino as a way of acknowledging the lack of “F” in precolonial Pilipino alphabet. One is my first academic papers is on Pilipino American identity. 3/17 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/264471415_Pilipino_American_Identity_Development_Model

In the 1990s, pinays like @pinayism & @drdawnbm used Filipin@ and Pin@y as a way of promoting gender equity and Pinay Power. I believe Pin@y Educational Partnerships (PEP) is the first organization to use the “@“ in its official name. 4/17 http://www.pepsf.org 

In my understanding, the “@“ in Filipin@ and Pin@y was always meant to be inclusive of Filipinos, Filipinas, and everyone beyond the binary. So, I was surprised when people started using #Filipinx. Perhaps they didn’t know these terms existed? 5/17

Further, it’s hard to decolonize a word like Filipino when the root of the word is screaming colonialism. I can’t say #Filipinx is decolonizing when the term still pays homage to King Philip II of Spain (who never once set foot in the Philippines). 6/17

If people want to decolonize the term, maybe we should just choose an indigenous gender neutral term altogether. Some people have suggested the Philippines be renamed Maharlika, which would then make us Maharlikans (or Maharlikan Americans)? 7/17

However, Maharlika as a new name for the Philippines was propagated by Marcos (and is now being advocated for by Duterte) who have argued the term equated “nobility”. For me, choosing a name supported by these two would not align with the country’s revolutionary history. 8/17

Other names were proposed. For example, some pushed for Bayani, (which would have made us Bayani Americans?!) All attempts failed, with a main argument that we should accept it was just a name (in same way America was named after Amerigo Vespucci). 9/17 http://cpcabrisbane.org/Kasama/2003/V17n3/ColonialName.htm

Some may argue #Filipinx is positive because it was initiated by actual Filipinx people. However, Filipino people in the Philippines don’t seem to be using the term, so it seems like “Filipinx”=“Filipinx American”. 10/17

It also seems that #Filipinx is generational, in that younger people use it way more than older people, and that older people may even dislike the term. So perhaps it would not be representative of everyone, which seems to negate its inclusive intentionality. 11/17

Others may argue #Filipinx is simply copying #Latinx movement without understanding our different gendered nuances. For example, there aren’t words for “her” or “him” in Tagalog; instead, there is “siya” which is gender neutral and basically means “them”. 12/17

Further, even though we share a common colonizer with #Latinx people, we can also revolt and decolonize in our own ways. Do we have to choose something that ends in an x? Can it be Filipini or Filipiné or Filipinu, or Filipinao? 13/17

At the end of the day, I support however people identify. Personally, I‘ve moved between Filipino, Pilipino, Pinoy, Pin@y, Fil-Am, & Filipino American. In my writing, I try to use Filipina/o/x or Filipinx/a/o (intentionally centering women or gender non-binary people). 14/17

I also still just use Filipino or Filipino American as an umbrella term, mostly because I don’t know what else to use that would be most inclusive, accurate, or representative. But I am open to the change - especially if it reflects our community. 15/17

Language changes all the time. It went from Oriental to Asian to Asian American. From Hispanic to Latino to Latinx. From Negro to Black to African American and back to Black. So maybe it’s time for change too. I’m curious what you think. Vote below! 16/17

#DearFilipinoAmericans How do you think we should identify as an umbrella group? 17/17