Are Your Calling Me a F.O.B.?

A Filipino twenty-something puts a positive spin on a derogatory term

By Jei Franxis S. Garlitos
March 2002

F.O.B. n 1: fresh off the boat. 2: a derogatory term coined to refer to immigrants who are characterized by distinguishable accents, un-trendy clothing, and non-Westernized rituals.

Have you ever heard of this term, F.O.B.? Have you ever called someone a F.O.B.? Have you ever been called a F.O.B.?

When hearing such a remark, what is it that first comes to mind? Someone whose p's sound like f's and f's sound like p's. Someone who points with his or her lips and answers to "pssst!" Perhaps it is someone who is well versed in the language of Taglish. Regardless the image, it has always been a negative one. A F.O.B. was the last thing that you wanted to be called when you first moved here to the U.S. Once you were labeled so, you could say goodbye to your social life.

Such a negative connotation drove new Filipino immigrants, mostly the youth, to shed the label in any way that they could.

First, their clothing would change as it is the easiest to imitate from this Western culture.

Then, certain mannerisms and rituals are soon forgotten. A simple "mano" or blessing is ignored because it is deemed a most overt sign of their F.O.B.ness.

Finally, they begin the process of losing the accent and eventually, unlearning the language of their homeland. Initially they may refuse to speak Tagalog and soon enough they even deny understanding it. Many go to the extent of calling their own parents and families F.O.B.s. if they can't keep up with the language/accent unlearning process.

How can a three-letter acronym turn into such a negative label? It is distressing to see such abandonment of culture for the sake of conformity. That's right. I believe that shedding the label of F.O.B. is a form of abandoning our culture.

Let me explain. Our accents and grammar do not indicate that we refuse to learn English but rather that we refuse to let go of Tagalog. Our insistence on retaining cultural rituals brought over from our native country is not an indication that we cannot learn Western rituals. Rather, it illustrates how tightly we hold on to the values that we were taught.

Being a F.O.B. does not mean that we cannot adjust to the culture of our adopted country. It means that we are holding on to the one we were born into. I am not saying that one or the other is better. I am not saying that we should shun the Western culture and values while we stubbornly hold on to those we grew up with. I am saying that a truly cultured person can learn to live with both.

Rather than making fun of F.O.B.s., we need to applaud them. Pulled apart by two diverse cultures, they struggle to find their own identity. They ignore all the teasing because they realize their heritage is crucial to realizing that identity. Theirs is a struggle to survive in a new environment without losing what's left of their Filipino-ness.

Calling them F.O.B.s therefore, is not a joke. They are, in one sense, cultural heroes. Unlike many young Filipino immigrants who turn their back on their homeland once they assimilate themselves into American society, the F.O.B.s. know it is difficult, perhaps even impossible, to get ahead without acknowledging where they came from.

So the next time that someone calls you a F.O.B. say "thank you." Maybe the person who called you that doesn't know it, but it is a compliment to anyone who takes pride in his heritage. You may have the thickest accent on this side of the Pacific Ocean, but if you take pride in your heritage, being called a F.O.B. simply means you are still well connected to the culture you were born into.

If someone calls you a F.O.B., think of yourself as a cultural hero...because in a very real sense, you are. Regardless of what a person means when he or she calls you a F.O.B., hold your head up high and be proud. You are an inspiration to your race. Perhaps one day we will all be F.O.B.s.

Jei Franxis S. Garlitos is a 23-year-old graduate student at Chapman University. He is Filipino, he is American, he is Filipino-American, but more importantly he says he is a F.O.B.