Who is a Filipino?

Who is a Filipino?

Aspects of Filipino Identity

Being a Filipino can be based on three aspects:

• Citizenship: the concept of Citizenship or Nationality to define who is Filipino has been one of the most accepted viewpoint in the country. According to this aspect, a Filipino is classified as such when he has attained Philippine citizenship by birth, naturalization, or election, regardless of ancestry.
• Racial: this is one of the hazy aspects of being a Filipino. In this viewpoint, any person who has at least one Filipino ancestor can be classified as a Filipino. Hence, according to this aspect, a Filipino is classified as such when he has at least one ancestor who is or was a Filipino, or was a native of the Philippines.
• Affectional: one of the least accepted views concerning the Filipino identity, but propagated by Philippine Psychology, this view assumes that a Filipino is defined not by citizenship or ancestry, but by the cultural and emotional ties that he shares with his Filipino neighbors.