Revisiting the question of whether Filipinos are Asians or Pacific Islanders

pacificislanderfilipinoAre Filipinos Asians or Pacific Islanders?  That is a question we dealt with on 8asians a long time ago, and most questionnaires and surveys put Filipinos into the Asian category.  The question does come up peridiocally, as the Fung brothers put out a video on the subject in 2014 and here on Quora in 2016.  When the Adobo Chronicles, an Onion like fake news site, put out a story in 2015 that the US Census Bureau would reclassify Filipinos as Pacific Islanders, enough controversy ensued that the US Census bureau responded a month later saying that they would continue to classify Filipinos as Asians.  The Adobo Chronicles was delighted, saying that they were happy that the US Census bureau follows them!

Still, not everyone follows the Census Bureau guidelines.  The Wife was renewing her Registered Nurse license at the California Board of Registered Nursing web site when she didn’t find Filipino under the Asian Category.  Turns out that Filipinos are under the Pacific Islander category, as shown in the screen capture above.

Looking over how the question has come up so many times in the past, two other questions come into mind.  First, why do people really care enough about this question to bring it up so often, and second, why do so many people take the Adobo Chronicles as real news?

 

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About Jeff

Jeff lives in Silicon Valley, and attempts to juggle marriage, fatherhood, computer systems research, running, and writing.
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