From a stranger’s perspective, the qualities of my appearance may have the standards to add up to the conclusion that I am an average male Filipino teen. However, my ethnicity is not the only thing that defines my identity. I came up with the term “Fil-Cali” to define my identity, both culturally and ethically. Fil-Cali stands for my ethical Filipino identity and my cultural identity as a Californian teenager. In each of my identities, I have a certain mentality which influence the choices I make in my life and each mentality is different because they are different cultures.

Ethically speaking, I am a Filipino and my cultural identity is native to the Visayas, which is located in the southern region in the Philippines. As a Filipino, my …show more content…
I hang out with my friends out of school, I listen to today’s hit music, I spend hours of my day on social media, and I am slowly adjusting to adulthood. I have the stress of preparing for college while I try to become more physically fit for when I do not depend on my parents anymore very often, which is coming soon. Although trying to balance my time for my education, my family, my friends, my sports, and my responsibilities is uncomfortable, I find it enjoyable because my life would be boring if I do not have anything to be busy with. I also understand that it is a part of growing up.

Moreover on my culture in metaphorical terms, my cultural identity is a bamboo. When bamboos are young, they are short and flexible. Also if you bend them for so long, they will form in the shape they are bent. However when they mature, they are very tall and they are not so easy to be bent. The short bamboo represents my youth of maturity. When I was younger, I was more easy to be influenced from the cultures I was exposed to because my mind was in the stage of developing. The strong bamboo symbolizes my adulthood because after I become an adult, I will be independent and I will not be as