Filipino-Indians are an under-represented minority, but we’re actually a big and thriving community present not just in Metro Manila, but also in other cities like Cebu, Davao, Tagbilaran and Bacolod. Some of our sisters are known for their beauty (Sam Sadwhani and Venus Raj), and our brothers (Sam Y.G.) are known to be funny.

Growing up in this big, bad metropolis, we had to balance the relatively liberal Filipino lifestyle outside the walls of our houses with our parents’ semi-conservative Indian background. If you grew up in a Filipino-Indian household, or if you have friends who are Filipino-Indian, then these situations will be very familiar to you:

Upon finding out that you’re Indian, your Filipino classmate/co-worker/friend would inevitably ask, “Oh, do you know [insert name of random Indian person who lives in the Philippines too]?”

The strange thing is, most of the time, you do.

You were “vegetarian” long before it became a thing, thanks to your family’s religious beliefs.

When you had to eat out on certain days of the week, you became an expert in finding vegetarian restaurants or those with vegetarian food options, because hunting for palak paneer, daal or fluffy idlis with a medley of chutneys in Metro Manila is kinda like searching for needle in a haystack.

Indian movie block screenings were a huge deal.

These one-time-only, specially organized movie screenings always started an hour late, but it was no big deal since you’d be munching on pani puri, chanachur or dosas anyway, while comparing BQ (Bollywood Quotient) and discussing how you’d rather meet Amitabh Bachchan in person than Raymond Bagatsing.

When mom asked you if you wanted biryani or sinigang for dinner, you literally could not decide.

It’s like choosing between breathing and eating.

You have had to endure people randomly shouting “Huy, Bumbay!” at you.

Until now, you don’t know how to react to this, but one thing is for sure — not all of us are from Mumbai.

You were most likely not allowed to date, ever.

But once you graduated from college, “Beta (child), there is a nice boy in Hong Kong who’s rich. Do you want to get married?”

You dreamed of a white wedding dress, like the ones in the movies.

However you were informed that white signifies death, and is bad luck to wear at a wedding. Sob.

You sometimes think and talk in a strange mixture of English, Filipino, and Hindi or Sindhi or Punjabi or Bengali or Malayalam, depending on where your parents are from.

Plus you speak with a Filipino accent, which really throws people off.

People try to speak to you in English but once you speak to them in fluent Filipino, “Pilipino ka pala?”

It has saved you from being scammed more times than you can count. 

People have asked about bindis (aka the red dot on the forehead).

Is it a recording device? A target? We’ll never tell.

When someone gets married, it’s a huge deal, even for the extended family.

You had to choreograph a Bollywood dance number with your siblings and cousins to perform at the reception. This is mandatory. Since you are Indian, the bar is set high.

You’ve been asked if your family engages in 5-6, if your father wears a turban, and if you ride a motorcycle.

Depending on your family, these don’t apply to you, but you might give a sarcastic answer. (That’s why their turbans are so big. It’s full of secrets.) 

When people find out you’re Indian, they ask about Sushmita Sen, or Mahatma Gandhi.

The essence of being a woman is being a mother. Yes, we know. But seriously there are like a billion more of us in the world. There is a ton of Filipinos of Indian descent worth noting. How about Sam YG, Venus Raj, Von Pessumal, or Sam Sadhwani? 

You had to explain countless times that belly-dancing and shawarma are not technically Indian.

And no, we won’t belly-dance for you.

Your surname ends in “ani”.

If you have a long surname, you can be sure that you’ve heard and seen it butchered many times throughout your life — and don’t get us started on the jokes. Trust us, we’ve heard them all. 

You could also be a Singh or a Kaur.

And when people ask why your last name doesn’t end in “ani,” you have a practiced speech on the various castes and sects in India that show how diverse a nation it really is. You really don’t mind explaining because in the end, you hope that people have a better understanding of the culture that makes up half of your heritage.  

You were a little miffed that you never got the day off for Diwali.

Ramadan and Chinese New Year get their national holidays. Why not the beloved Festival of Lights?

All your Indian aunties banded together and formed the Indian Ladies’ Club.

Indian Titas of Manila duties would include holding kitty parties and gossiping about their kids’ love lives, so they are not so different from their Filipino counterparts tbqh. 

You have so many relatives in different parts of the world.

You will probably never meet them all. Sometimes, you don’t know how many cousins you actually have. But you do make sure to call them on their birthdays!

You never really understood much of what goes on in the temple.

Please don’t ask us, neither do we.

Take part in Holi Festival 2016, an ancient Hindi religious festival, on Mar 20 (3:30pm-7:30pm) at SM by the Bay Central Park. Tickets via SM Tickets (PHP150, pre-event; PHP200, includes gulal powder). The event is co-organized by the Embassy of India, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce, Indian Ladies Club, and SingIndia Music of the Soul. Coconuts Manila is a media partner.​ Read details here.