SBD1

I am Filipino and Portugese. I grew up a city boy from Los Angeles, NYC, to Washington D.C. And everytime I go to Hawaii for vacation, it feels like home. So I have been wondering what the lifestyle is like out there, to live that is, speficially in the countryside (waimanalo, haleiwa, etc)? Because I am really thinking about relocating.

I come across these questions about are Filipinos considered Asian, Pacific ISlander, or Hispanic? My theory is that most Older Filipinos, F.O.B's. or Filipinos from the PHilippines consider themselves asian cus they are amongst the Chinese, Korean, etc in the Philppines or if they live here in the Los Angeles now they just gravitate toward them. However us Fil-Ams gravitate toward Pacific Islanders or Hispanics because we do not feel a connection with Chinese, Korean, etc. We dont feel we look like them, talk like them, act like them, nothing. Filipinos live in places in Los Angeles where they share it with Pacific Islanders like Gardena, Carson, LB, also Filipinos live in places where they share it with Mexicans, Highland Park, La Mirada, Norwalk, Eagle Rock. So, I will keep it real and say MOST, I said MOST, Filipinos in Los Angeles would get insulted if you look at us like Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, etc cus we arent. Why cant we just be who we are FILIPINO, not PI or asian!

I am NOT being disrespectful, I am just curious, because I am Filipino and as a whole we are typically not that tall and stocky in stature. In all acutality, I am kinda envious.

Personally, I feel that if we claim to be one or the other we disrespect the people that fought for our country and the people who got us where we are now such as our grandparents and our parents. I personally dont feel Asian cus I am brown in skin tone and not yellow. Also, Filipinos do not fit the steroetype of what "Asian" is (no disrespect). Those who question your identity, please do research of you family roots and Filipino history. The name "Filipino", originially was a Spanish person born in the Philippines. The Philippines has such a rich history that if we (Filipinos) chose to be PI or Asian, we then lose ourselves and I feel that would be a dangerous thing for us. If we forget who we are, what we are about, and claim to be one thing or another, so will the rest of the world. Do you want that? Yes, some of us look chinese, hispanic, Pacific Islander, etc and our last names reflect it as well. Some of us have hispanic, chinese, or real Filipino last names. BE Filipino

Keep in mind that the retail business will be for action (extreme board) sports.