DJing as a Filipino Thing

Melissa Chow
ASA 4
April 11^th, 2017

　　　　　Although DJing is an activity mostly associated with the black community, it’s become an important aspect to Filipino culture. Because Filipino youth and Black youth don’t share many of the same historical experiences, Filipino youth don’t connect to hip-hop and DJing in a historical sense. Rather, they are connecting to it in a more everyday manner, like an everyday hobby. What was particularly interesting to me was a quote from a Filipino DJ stating, “…whenever people look at Filipinos I’m pretty sure they think of DJing.” As someone who grew up in the Bay Area, I have never actually connected Filipinos to DJing. After I read this, I was a bit shocked. Was I simply ignorant and not noticing the various cultures around me? I have never been into hip-hop, so it’s likely I just never took an interest in learning about DJing and the groups who partake in it. The essay goes on to describe how Filipinos in America are generally categorized under Asian Americans, which takes away from their Filipino-ness and identity. On the other hand, the Filipino DJs state that there shouldn’t be a Filipino label to their DJing, and part of their success is attributed to the actual art of DJing rather racial identity. I’m confused as to whether or not these Filipino DJs would like to stand out as Filipino or would rather be known mainly for their music DJ skills. I suppose one of the most important messages of this essay is categorization. It’s so easy to categorize activities (DJing and African culture), and people (Filipinos and Asian Americans), but how does it affect our perception and opinions?