Merwin CHAN

I am Merwin Chan, a Chinese Filipino, Chinoy, Lannang, Filchi, etc. of 3rd or 4th generation and as Filipino as any other. Growing up in Metro Manila, I grew up with family, peers, fellows, etc. all speaking Ph. Hokkien, and/or a mix thereof with Tagalog and English, or just the latter two. I myself first spoke both Tagalog and English tho, or whichever came first, and was taught English, Filipino(Tagalog), Chinese(Mandarin) at my school, all as if they were each our native languages. In college, we got to pick foreign language classes, like Basic Portuguese and Japanese. Upon managing to learn our history, language, social milieu, I noticed there was a disconnect with reality, and the "Chinese" that was always used in most our families for centuries was always relegated to the margins, despite its real role in our lives. I thought at least that I have the ability to make a positive impact for future generations.