I'm A Private Dancer

I'm a Private Dancer
Dancing for money
I'll do what you want me to do
I'm a private dancer
Dancing for money
And any old music will do
From Private Dancer, Tina Turner

When people ask me where I'm from I respond with either Seattle or the United States.

When people ask me what my nationality is, I respond with American.

When people ask me what my ethnicity is, I respond with Filipino.

Why do I do this? I want to make sure that people understand that I view myself as an American first, than where my family is from.

Not a Republican, hell no. But a person that wants to be labelled with the right labels.

In Asia, being a Filipino can be a curse. It is the stereotype of being a sex worker, manual labourer, a domestic, or some low paying job. I have studied in University, working in professional jobs, and live a normal life. Granted, I am an actor who can sing well, but I don't fit the stereotype of a Filipino entertainer. I insist on the American label. One of the few times I'm proud to be an American.

So, lately, I've been responding with: I'll be what you want me to be. I will let people think what they want to think. My friends and family know the truth, and that's all that matters.