I knew I was a true American when I rejected learning Tagalog when I was a kid. That's what all Filipino Americans would say. I am now almost 16 years old and I still need my younger cousins to translate when I’m lost in a conversation of Tagalog, my native tongue.
Well of course I don't remember REJECTING all the Tagalog books my Lola (grandmother) sent me or refusing to listen to my parents when they wanted to teach me Tagalog, but Filipino's born in America tend to not learn Tagalog. Plus my sister and I were stubborn. We understand some Tagalog but can’t speak a lot of it. We know the basics. Growing up I did learn the naughty words first (of course). Like stinky, ugly, and such, but of course I do address my relatives as Kuya (older brother), Lolo (grandfather), Lola (grandmother), Tito (uncle), Tita (aunt), and so on.
When I meet Filipinos that come from the Philippines and they do speak Tagalog, the question comes up. "Hey, do you speak Tagalog" and I reply "no". Each time I say no, I act as if I know a lot. But once I open my mouth and tryyy to say something in Tagalog my accent defines ----
a true American Filipino.
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