Jill Wallace & her relationship with her Filipina Identity
Filipino-American History Month Reflection
Filipino-American History month is over but I had so much positive feedback on my blog post on Jordan Risa and her relationship to her Filipino community that I wanted to share another Influencer’s perspective on their Filipino Identity. I’ve followed Jill Wallace on Instagram for some time now. Her style is effortless and her stories are very entertaining. From taco runs, cooking and a dose of her nieces.
MS: What does being Filipino-American mean to you?
JW: Being Filipino-American to me means having two cultures that I love and embrace.
MS: What do you like the most about your culture ? (Food, traditions, etc)
JW: What I like the most about my culture is definitely the food! Growing up, food was always the centerpiece to every holiday, birthday, or special occasion. It’s our love language.
MS: I agree with you, food definitely is our love language. I love how much joy it brings during gatherings.
MS: What are some values in your culture that have become a principle of yours ?
JW: In Filipino culture family is extremely important. I always know I have a foundation of people that support me no matter what and vice versa. We really look out for each other.
MS: I love that we have family as our spine.
MS: Were you born here or immigrated here from a young age?
JW: I was born in Southern California and have lived here my entire life.
MS: Do you speak / comprehend the language?
JW: I don’t speak the language and still am bitter my parents didn’t teach me! Not speaking the language definitely made me feel like I wasn’t entirely integrated with the Filipino community. A bit of an outsider in some aspects.
MS: Thank you for sharing that. It seems like there is a significant amount of Filipino parents that don’t pass down the mother tongue. Perhaps it’s a form of survival in terms of assimilation into the American culture. I can also see how difficult it is to teach one language in the household when it’s not spoken much elsewhere.
MS: Were you pressured to become a nurse, engineer, doctor, lawyer and what led you to pursue social media instead?
JW: My mom always encouraged me to pursue whatever I was interested in. However, my dad definitely nudged me towards a more traditional career path in the medical field. There are tons of nurses in my family, including both my parents, and I tried to follow suit without much success. I took accounting classes in college and considered grad school to become a speech therapist. During that time I re-evaluated my life and what I was interested in and decided I wanted to work in fashion. That pursuit is what led to my career in social media.
MS: There are tons of nurses in my family as well and also dipped my toes into the nursing path during college. I’m glad you followed your gut! You’re still making an impact as a fashion and beauty influencer.
MS: You have a huge platform and recently spoke with Naomi Biden. What have you learned about Filipinos and their relationship to making a change in the United States? What message do you have for them in these final days of voting?
JW: Filipinos are very passionate and outspoken people when it comes to issues they believe in. I’ve learned that they aren’t afraid to speak their minds and I think it’s great. My message would be simple- VOTE!
MS: Cue Lizzo “It’s time to vote” song
MS: Do you have any close Filipino friends and how has that shaped your identity?
JW: My best friend growing up was Filipino. Outside of her and my family, everyone else close in my life was different ethnicities. There’s an unspoken sense of comfort with having Filipino friends. They understand all the nuances, traditions, and family dynamics without having to explain anything.
MS: I can attest to that. Most of my friends growing up are from different ethnicities, it wasn’t until recently that I developed a strong friendship with a couple Filipina gal pals. There definitely IS an unspoken sense of comfort in just knowing they already understand certain dynamics without much explanation.
MS: Have you dated any Filipinos ? How has that dynamic shaped your romantic life? If in an interracial relationship, what are some of the beautiful things about being in an interracial relationship and what are some things that you think would have came easier if your partner was Filipino?
JW: I have never dated someone Filipino but I was in a relationship for a long time with someone Asian. Even though we weren’t the same ethnicity, we were able to relate on a level that I hadn’t experienced before- it was nice. I’m currently in an interracial relationship. Beyond my own relationship, I think there’s nothing more beautiful than two cultures coming together and embracing each other.
Some things that I think would come easier if my partner was Filipino would be understanding family traditions and dynamics. It’s probably very confusing why I call so many people my aunt or uncle who aren’t my actual aunts and uncles.
MS: I agree. I am in an interracial relationship as well. I think that’s when communication becomes so integral in soothing out some cultural differences that they may not understand so easily at first.
MS: How is mental health treated in your family / current circle ?
JW: In my family mental health isn’t discussed much if at all. As I’ve gotten older it’s become really important to me to not hide when things go wrong or avoid uncomfortable conversations. I embrace open communication and not viewing being vulnerable as a weakness.
MS: This is definitely a prominent issue in our culture! I’m glad the younger generation is taking steps to change it and embracing vulnerabilities.
MS: How has living in the United States shaped your identity? What are some comparisons you’d like to share ?
JW: I’ve only ever lived in the United States so it is a huge part of my identity. I’m very grateful that I grew up in Southern California because I’ve been exposed to so many different cultures. It’s allowed me to cultivate an appreciation and genuine love for the melting pot we live in.
MS: I wouldn’t want to live anywhere without diversity. We’re so spoiled in Southern California to be exposed to so many different people and food.
MS: What are some changes you’d like to see in the Filipino-American culture, especially in the demographic that follows you on social media ?
JW: I would love to see more representation. Growing up I didn’t have anyone in mainstream media that I could look up/relate to. With social media I finally am able to see Filipinos in all realms excelling and it’s been beyond refreshing and inspiring.
I hope we can continue to put our stamp on industries across the board. Filipinos are such dynamic, talented, passionate people that I know will continue to support each other and do great things!
MS: I hope so too! It is great that most of our fellow Filipinos are in healthcare but I hope more Filipinos try out other pursuits that they’re talents truly lie in.
Thank you for supporting me for this Q & A. I really appreciated learning about your relationship with your Filipina Identity.
If you’d like to follow Jill on social, her Instagram is @littleblackboots . Her feed and stories range from fashion, beauty, food and recently an interview with Joe Biden’s granddaughter, Naomi Biden.
*Filipino = male / neutral description of someone of Filipino ethnicity
*Filipina = Female individual of Filipino ethnicity