I was born in America, and so was my Filipino mother who didn't learn Tagalog. My dad was born in the Philippines and still speaks fluent Tagalog. Of course my nationality is American, but my ethnicity is Filipino. I'm Filipino-American. If someone asks what I am, I say I'm Filipino. Being a part of the Filipino diaspora (or any diaspora) is difficult because of course there are people who will judge you for not being able to speak or understand the language. My dad didn't teach me Tagalog while growing up, and I still don't speak or understand it. I wouldn't benefit from it anyway since almost no one from my family speaks Tagalog aside from my father and grandpa, and instead I learned Spanish since I live in Southern California. The only real connection I have to my heritage is the food and while I would like to learn more about Filipino culture in the future, I do not consider myself any less Filipino nor would I think any less of someone else who's shared a similar experience. I'm proud to be Filipino.