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Is it cultural appropriation or appreciation? How a white bar in D.C. called ‘Barkada’ sparked a social media debate

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Komodo Commander
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The exterior of Barkada Wine Bar in the U Street neighborhood of Washington, D.C. recently became the subject of an online debate after some Fil-Ams said the usage of the term, without any other aspects of Filipino culture or cuisine, was cultural appropriation. | Photo courtesy of the bar

Four white men recently opened a wine bar along U Street in Washington, D.C. named “Barkada Wine Bar,” a nod to the Filipino word for a closely-knit group of friends.

The name was the only Filipino part of it; they did not announce plans to serve Filipino food or drinks nor is it an establishment owned by anyone of Filipino heritage.

Features from the Washington City Paper and Eater DC last week led to a barrage of criticism from some Filipino Americans who said that the usage of the term was cultural appropriation.

“This is problematic on so many levels. Completely ignorant and of course, a PRIVILEGED thought-process. What makes you think it’s okay to take a word from another culture when you pay no respect or homage to the culture itself?” Jessica Millete wrote in a Facebook post. “No Filipino items on your menu, no Filipino flavors incorporated, no Filipino winemakers included, not even in your decor? No support going towards a non-profit benefiting Filipino Americans or back in [the] Philippines?”

 

The said post, which also called the owners out for their white privilege, has been shared more than 13,000 times and generated over 800 comments as of this writing.

 

Millete also urged the owners to change the bar’s name.

“Absolutely WILD that in our current social climate, you still think this is okay. Just because you think the Asian stereotype is that we stay silent and go along our way, doesn’t mean that’s the case now,” she said.

On their website, the owners wrote: “Barkada – noun, Tagalog – a group of friends: A totally cool word that describes us: a group of friends serving crazy delicious wine, hanging out just off U Street in DC.

In addition to the term, Krisha — a D.C. native who asked to withhold her last name for privacy reasons — pointed out another layer of how the restaurant is contributing to the gentrification of the U Street neighborhood.

“And this is all on top of contributing to the ongoing problem of gentrification in Washington, D.C. The owners have to expand outside of simply executing their business and be more mindful of the impact they create on the city they’re opening in,” she told the Asian Journal.

While some expressed their dismay, there were others who didn’t find a problem with using “barkada.”

A Change.org petition with a goal of 5,000 signatures called on the owners not to change the name and that fellow Filipinos should “give them a chance” instead of “bashing or bully[ing] them.”

One Facebook user, Maricar Tangonan, said that language is “dynamic and organic.”

“It’s often borrowed and has crossed cultural boundaries — no one owns the word ‘barkada,’” she wrote. “Not because there are no Filipino ‘pulutan’ or drinks means there is no Filipino element.”

Another Fil-Am, Mark Libatique, lamented that the debate within the community has become a “dumb, petty thing” and that it is “a non-issue [this is] on a grander scale of Fil-Am welfare.”

“Instead of being an opportunity to advance Filipino voices, this has become Filipino-vs-Fil-Am, community organizer vs non-advocate,” he said.

Bing Cardenas-Branigin, a community leader in D.C., told the Asian Journal that this conversation could have been a teaching moment about Filipino culture and cuisine.

“As a community, we could have used this as an opportunity to tell them about our food, sisig for example and our drinks made with calamansi. Their usage of Barkada could have been our leverage in order to promote our cuisine and culture more,” Cardenas-Branigin said.

Changing the name
In response to this backlash, Barkada issued an apology on its website and social media accounts.

The partners, Sebastian Zutant, Nick Guglietta, Nate Fisher, and Anthony Aligo, responded to the hundreds of comments on the bar’s social media pages asking to change their name.

Part of the statement read: “When we ventured outside of our own language to capture that sentiment, we missed the mark. We apologize to all we offended, and to our community we hope to serve. It was never our intention to appropriate or capitalize on the Filipino culture and we recognize we fell short in engaging more of the Filipino community.”

 

They are also “actively looking to change our identity and our brand and engage in further dialogue” and promised to donate “proceeds from our opening to support the Filipino community as well.”

“Barkada is a beautiful world with a deep meaning of friendship. We want to honor that, and you, as we move forward,” the statement read.

“Part of the reason we did this is not because it’s our identity but we resonated with the meaning and thought behind the word,” Guglietta told Eater. “But it was a mistake.”

He added that they spent five months coming up with the name. Also according to Eater, in the course of considering Barkada, they received positive feedback from a few friends with Filipino heritage, but the owners recognize they should have done more to evaluate the decision.

Moving forward
The National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) Capital Region released a statement “concerned by the lack of sensitivity and awareness” of using the Barkada name.

Barkada is derived from the Spanish word barcada, meaning ‘boatload.’ Yes, the original barkadas were boatloads of Filipino prisoners shipped away from their homes by boat, but from these trying circumstances, our ancestors formed bonds that would help them survive colonization, imprisonment, and enslavement. To water barkada down to ‘A totally cool word’—as Barkada Wine Bar’s website originally described it—strips it of its resonance as a symbol of Filipino resilience,” the group wrote.

The statement — representing Fil-Am organizations, business owners and community members in the DC Metropolitan Area — also provided recommendations to the establishment’s owners and to news outlets on how they can inclusively cover the city’s food scene.

“We urge the business owners to commit to a habit of unlearning, undoing, and unmaking in an industry that is not isolated from racism. As established restaurateurs in the area, they have influence and connections in the industry that many BIPOC do not; they have a voice that is not afforded to marginalized communities. We ask that they commit to supporting minority-owned businesses as well as be transparent in how they choose to serve the community moving forward,” it added.

For food media, the organization urged the hiring of more writers and editors of color and to give equal news coverage to BIPOC business owners who are historically underrepresented.

“It is particularly disheartening to see Barkada’s opening receive the amount of coverage that it did when Filipino business owners have been wary of giving their establishments Filipino names lest they alienate customers,” NaFFAA Capital Region said.

The Filipino Food Movement, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of Filipino culinary arts, said they’ve begun a dialogue with Barkada’s owners about what a constructive way forward could look like for the community and bar. (The owners also shared with the movement’s representatives that they reportedly had a Filipino roommate a few years ago who taught them the word barkada.)

“In many ways, this is a cautionary tale when it comes to opening food businesses, especially in the U.S. where the audience is so woke, there is no room for making mistakes. You can’t make missteps like this, especially in this day and age,” Keesa Ocampo, vice president of the Filipino Food Movement, told the Asian Journal. “You have to do your research and for your brand, marketing and development, you have to put in a lot of thought into not only how do I want this brand to look? But also, how can I be inclusive?”

The group also said it’s an opportunity to be “bridge builders” and to uplift Fil-Am chefs for possible pop-up events and Filipino wine and spirit brands that can be showcased at the bar.

“This is no longer the time to be divisive. When people try to find resonance and relevance in our food and culture, we think it’s a great thing,” Ocampo added. “Now, yes, there may be missteps, but I don’t think that we should be dissuading them from trying again and trying harder…If their heart is in the right place and if they commit to really doing this the right way, then we want them to do well because they’re now carrying a piece of our culture and a word that belongs to us.”

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lilshawty204
(@lilshawty204)
Joined: 5 years ago

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Posts: 664

@marneil

 tell them to give us free drinks every time we pass by that place. They we can give permission to use that word.

 

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Komodo Commander
(@komodo)
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@lilshawty204

you extortion? haha

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nenabunena
(@nenabunena)
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@marneil

 

Only Filams or correction, Americans create such issues.  No one here would have a problem with this.  Foreigners want to use a Filipino word, no problem!  They want to use our traditional clothes like a barong, no problem.  They want to eat our food, no problem.  They want to learn a Filipino language no problem.  Actually, we would even appreciate it, but in the US everything is political and cultural appropriation, a new segment of society being a lifetime professional victim.

 

I was told by an American who was married to a Filipina, that Filams give him so much bishing over him wearing a barong tagalog.  The barong btw was a gift given to him which he loves & wears as often as possible when a formal setting allows him to.  He would often just reply back in fluent Tagalog or Bisaya, & rewarded by a dumbfounded look on Filam faces.

 

Sigh.

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Komodo Commander
(@komodo)
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@nenabunena

It's the leftist bull crap being fed to the younger generation. I hope this victimization crap never spreads to the Philippines. Just look at the Younger members of this website 

https://www.amazians.com/forum/civilization/should-asians-support-black-lives-matter/#post-12981

https://www.amazians.com/forum/asian-discussion/anti-blackness-within-asian-community/#post-11710

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ASIANS 4 BLACK LIVES MATTER 黑人的命也是命 avatar
(@naval)
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@marneil

No, it's for everyone who have a conscious

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Komodo Commander
(@komodo)
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@naval

how is your relationship with your dad? 

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ASIANS 4 BLACK LIVES MATTER 黑人的命也是命 avatar
(@naval)
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@marneil

not good, why does that matter?

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Komodo Commander
(@komodo)
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@naval

My little brother, you need to be around your own kind and older men. 

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Komodo Commander
(@komodo)
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@nenabunena

This is just the 1st wave reaching our youth. Now, just Imagine The next 2nd to 3rd wave of leftist victimization. 

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Komodo Commander
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UPDATE 7/31: The official statement from

National Federation of Filipino American Associations - Capital Region

has been added to this article for those who were curious as to why this is problematic and the steps moving forward for Barkada Wine Bar to keep themselves accountable.

——————————————
The power of social media.

Barkada Wine Bar
 

is changing their name. It is a step, but their apology on Instagram was all fluff and performative. Don't worry, we're going to hold them accountable.

 
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Komodo Commander
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  •  
    Is it cultural appropriation to just use a cool word you saw in a different language as a name for your resto? Honest question. Because I get it if it was claiming to be Filipino. But it's....not....???

  • Wait! Karen is that you?

    2

  •  
     
    Shut up. Let them be. Its okay with us True pinoys in the Pinas. Dont sweat the small stuff. They arent using Tagalog words negatively, in fact theyre spreading awareness of it in a positive light - "close friends", which is what it means.
    Mas maarte  

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    389

     
     
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      Giancarlo Europa

       so, OK lang na insultuhin mo kapwa mo Pinoy? Tawagin na maarte? I’ve lived in the US most of my life and understand Jes’ points. It’s a real issue that expands beyond cultural misappropriation. It’s ignorance of the current social  

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  • I tend to understand why overwhelmingly of our kababayans are critical to Jessica due to our enculturation throughout our lives from our community, school, media and of course our families, relatives and friends. We adore foreigners particularly whites… 

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  •  
     
    SMH. fil-am karen spotted

    • Ross Ronquillo

       go clean or sing or something. you have no clue what a Karen is.

  •  
     
    Blah blah blah blahh.. why this is such a big deal?? 🤦🏻‍♂️😂😂😂 let them keep the name for godsakes.. educate them about our cultures instead!
     
  •  
     
    actually naging proud ako they used BARKADA as name of their business...dba? niresearch nila at sa lahat ng language sa mundo BARKADA ang nagclick para sa kanila...instead of FRIENDS, GANG, LA CRICCA, LE GROUPE, LA PANDILLA...ang tonta tonta naman! ayu… 

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    3

    • Kelvin Lim Fortin

       trueeeee. Omg. Nakakainis mga privileged Fil-Ams noh?

  •  
     
    First off, let me get this out of the way and just say that I am an American-born Filipino, and I totally hear both sides of the spectrum. I’ve reached out to many of my Filipino friends, whether they happen to be native, or if they fall victim to the  
     
  •  
    Potah kung ako may-ari ng bar, papalitan ko ang design ng pangalan! BARKADA na may neon lights na sa likod para mas kita para mas ma stroke na si mareng Jessica!

    362

     
     
    •  
    •  
       
      No one is stopping you go ahead and buy the restaurant

    •  
       
      Jules Millete STROKE! 😂🤣😂🤣😂 masyadong pa woke...kahit anong gawin nyo hindi kayo taga dyan! Kaya wag magyabang! Ang yayabang! Patola ang pudra! Bwahahaha "Save Your Kid Foundation" ba to?

      142

       
       
     
  •  
    Ghurl, come here in the Philippines and see for yourself tons of businesses with english names and other names in other languages. What, you mean to say all these small business owners need to be accountable for cultural appropriation? Hala siya. You a… 

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    •  
       
      Omna Cadavida Jalmaani

       you have no idea

       
      •  
    •  
       
      Janine Badilla Rigoroso- Millete Wala akong alam??? Oh how do you know that? Are you saying Im ignorant? Girl, you make a big fuss over a word used as a name, claiming cultural appropriation dahil the users did not pay homage to the culture of origin.  

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  •  
     
    Please sign & spread since we all have soo much time 🤣🤣😂
     
    Sign the Petition
    CHANGE.ORG
    Sign the Petition

    Sign the Petition

    • Jules Millete

       yap. Born & raised. So diri ko maintindihan whats the fuzz about. Ang OA! Lahat na lang offensive! Nakakaloka! 😂😂🤣🤣🤣

  •  
     
    Seriously, what is wrong with you?

    • Jan Rodriguez

       yeah, seriously what’s wrong with you?

       
     
  •  
     
    Ur name aint even filipino jusko pakipalit nga din tsaka wag ka mag english

  • meron ngang KOREAN restaurant sa Pinas ROMANTIC BABOY e. Wala naman umalma.

     
  •  
    I truly feel disgusted by this.. let them keep the name.. always one of you bleeding heart spewing hatred.. sucks.. feeling entitled karen? Be kind!

  •  
    Ano bang iniiyak mo?! As a Filipino who was born and raised in the States, I think it's pretty cool.

  •  
    Dilaw na dilaw ang datingan neto si Jessica Millete

     
  •  
    kakahiya ka tumutulad ka din sa mga #Karens nila lol

    • Jeffree Perez

       siya si Karen Batungbakal 😂

       
     
  •  
     
    Fuck these MFs in the PI (and across the globe) hatin’, boot lickin’, and making White Supremacy comfortable; they don’t know nothing about that. Cultural Appropriation is one way in context of the system of White Supremacy. Filipinos can NEVER cultura… 

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    • Jan Rodriguez calling people idiots will not make your argument stronger. You ain’t got none to begin with. Why you mad?!?

    • I can’t be a White Supremacist/racist; I’m not White. Why you wanna be like us though?

  •  
     
    Stop this fil-am karen

  •  
     
    Wala ba pumapansin sayo dyan?

  • BS! Kung bawal gamitin and wika o lenguahe natin at pag kain natin ng ibang banyaga; bawal din nating gamitin ang mga bagay-bagay sa kultura at wika ng ibang bansa! Bawal din mag trabaho ang ibang lahi sa kainan na di angkop sa kanilang lupang pinagmul… 

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    •  
       
      Jayme Natividad

       preach my sistah!!

     
  •  
     
    With the main argument aside, over these last couple days, I’ve learned that (majority of) these Filipinos commenting from the Philippines are generally mean as fuck, and it’s so disappointing to watch. I’m not sure what has convinced them that they’re… 

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    • Oop, tea was just spilled.
       
      •  
    •  
       
      Jayme Natividad oh look, everyone, a prime example of a “hospitable” Filipino ^^^

  • Filipinos from the PI using “Karen” incorrectly all over this comment section. They don’t know they’re using it incorrectly bc they’re not from the US.
    So here’s what a Karen really is:… 

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    • Katrina Pineda

       On the “Filipinos are hospitable” part, I keep seeing them say this, yet they tell us, “don’t ever come to the Philippines you are not welcome here.” 🤷🏻‍♀️ Weird.

       
    • its weird that they think they have an ounce of pride when the only culture they love is the colonizers culture. It’s apparent who they’re really fighting for. 🤢

  •  
     
    Lol. It’s not that deep.

  •  
     
    Pahuway oy. Paka-ulaw ka lang sa Pilipinas.

     
  •  
     
    Thank you for the work you put into the community. They decided to change the name because they knew how shallow they were being attempting to use our culture to make their basic af wine bar seem exotic 🙄 If they wanted to keep the name they should hav… 

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  • Also I’m sure as FilAms we have all encountered someone from the mainland telling us we aren’t Filipino enough. But it’s honestly really sad to see that when it comes to listening to how we feel and respecting that over defending a white man and feelin… 

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    47

     
     
    •  
       
      Kate Pangilinan

       right? It’s fked up that people are disregarding FilAm experience. We will always be “in-between”. We will never be American enough or Filipino enough. And honestly, I don’t think I’d want to be. I’m FilAm, that’s the color that re… 

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    • May Millete

       i agree 🙂. Being raised American and Filipino puts us on a spectrum. We are not the same in our experiences as Filipinos but carry the same ancestors. It’s not about which experience is valid but respecting that spectrum and finding that co… 

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      •  
     
  •  
     
    Take it as an honor to the Filipino people : It is not Cultural Appropriation . It is CULTURAL ADOPTION and CULTURAL APPRECIATION . It is good in promoting Cultural Harmony . I just hope they will serve some Filipino signature like San Miguel Beer or L… 

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    •  
       
      Arnedo Valera

       they won’t though that’s why we’re upset 😞

    • Arnedo Valera

       why would they now though

       
      •  
     
     
     
    The Filipinos bootlicking right now will do anything for master. They're changing the name na so you lost, get off your knees and wipe your mouths da poreners are watsing

     
  •  
    Aria Renee Curameng I will give these entrepreneurs the benefit of the doubt! For me so long as they know the meaning of the word BARKADA , that!s enough . You do not need to a deeper discussion and tautological significance ... it is done in good fait… 

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  •  
     
     
     
  •  
     
    I truly believe that these entrepreneurs knew the meaning of the generic word BARKADA .. Am sure they have at most a very basic knowledge of what it means . They may have a mixed motive I.e culturally appropriate and culturally appreciate ... we are i… 

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  •  
     
    Mahiya ka naman dai oi. Una hindi mo ba inisip kung saan ka nakatira? Nag hanap ka lang ng attention. Sa pilipinas halos pangalan ng mg tao halos galing sa English at halos mga pangalan ng gusali ay ganun din. Paano mag resbak ang America? Papalitan mo… 

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    1

  •  
     
    This is intended for parody, right? I mean, it HAS to be... Right?

     
  •  
     
    If you reach just a little further, you would've already gone beyond the Milky Way

  •  
     
    I’m not slighted in the slightest by it. I guess that’s just me. If anything it’s a positive word to be shared to the world. Each time it’s asked why the name of the bar - it’s always going to be mentioned what a nice culture we have. And Filipino dish… 

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    Image may contain: text that says 'D bar.ka.da bär'käda/ noun SE ASIAN noun: barkada; plural noun: barkadas (in the Philippines) a group of friends. "he spent his time drinking and hanging out with his barkada" Origin SPANISH barcada boatload'
     
     

    •  
       
      By the way missy, did you know wearing a nose ring originated from India? Now you know.

    •  
       
      Have you had lechon? You know that roast pork we always serve during many of Filipinos special occasions? Yeah. That is from Spain too.

  •  
     
    Wow I mean disagreeing is one thing but the way some of yall are attacking a total stranger, calling her names, questioning her identity and just being downright nasty is alarming. Must feel real safe behind those keyboards cause I know a BUNCH of yal… 

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    •  
       
      Morgan C Fykes
      BINGO! You finally got it, kinda slow, but you got it regardless. You should address that to her. Your sentiment applies exactly on her. She rallied up followers to basically harass the establishment to change their name behind her keyb… 
     
  •  
     
    Jessica Millete

     

     Should the Russians get offended with this restaurant that is based in Greece?

     

     
    Kremlin-restaurant.gr
    5

     

    Restaurant

    Athens, Greece
     
    •  
       
      Paula Morandarte

       same goes with "Should the Japanese be offended with Tokyo Tokyo?". Lol

    • Charles GC Santelices

       this is invalid though. If there are Russian-named restaurants that serve Russian food, then that’s cool. Same for “Tokyo-Tokyo” - they serve Japanese dishes regardless of who owns it.. As for that Japanese-style restaurant being  

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      •  
     
     
     
    Hindi kapa nahiya nag eenglish kapa. Mag tagalog ka oi.

  •  
    I’m a Filipino who lived in DMV (DC, MD, VA) i am not offended.. nor taking this an offense.. They thought about using this name which means group of friends. so why stop them?? Geez... the people nowadays 🤦🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️ kasakit ng Ulo..

  • That’s my niece everyone! You go Girl!!!!! 😘😘😘😘😘😍😍😍😍😍👏👏👏👏👏 YOLO!

  •  
     
    This is how you start Asian Wars in US. 😂😂😂
     
     
  •  
    Im a filipino, i live in the Philippines, i know and use and love the word Barkada, but i dont find their use of that word offensive. Could be just me. Di naman natin kelangan ipagkait yung term na yun, wala naman tayong monopoly dun and namana lang di… 

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    • Mygz, wala yatang sisig sa menu nila. Di ako offended na ipinagalanan nilang Barkada ang bar nila pero weird lang specially sa mga Filipino and Filipino-Americans na pag pasok nila sa bar, walang FilIpino drinks/food sa menu nila. Sa ibang Filipino imm… 

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  • In behalf of all true Filipinos, you don't represent us. Seriously I don't find it offensive. Dami mong arte sa buhay. 😂

    23

     
     
    •  
    •  
      I agree with you. Sya lang na offend dinamay pa ibang Filipinos. Eww..nag hanap pa naghahanap ng kakampi
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Komodo Commander
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(@komodo)
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what do you think? 

I think is B.S and we need to stop this girl who does not represent us, she grew up in a leftist environment. 

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jae avatar
(@caramela-jae)
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@marneil

 
 she probably just did that to get recognition as a writer
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Komodo Commander
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@jaenelle

its scary to think that our younger generation thinks like her. 

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jae avatar
(@caramela-jae)
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@marneil

her views will change when she grows older

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josh avatar
Registered
(@zexsypmp23)
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@marneil

the far left is starting to affect us slowly. 

we need leaders to stop this craziness. 

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Komodo Commander
(@komodo)
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@rambo

our parents do not know how to deal with this generation nor understand the things being fed to the younger generation, she has become a self-entitled leftist as a result. 

I also notice more and more Filipinos leaning leftist as a result of this brainwashing by the leftist educational system. 

 

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Germinator
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(@germinator)
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My brain is hurting just trying to read it. How did her tweet get so much likes? 

 

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josh avatar
Registered
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@germinator

she probably went to get help from leftist groups. Most Filipino association don't know what she is crying about, she has relatives in those Filipino association, that's why she is getting backed. 

 

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Germinator
(@germinator)
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@rambo

did you read the comments? most of them are Filipinos I think

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Komodo Commander
(@komodo)
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@germinator

Most of the Filipinos in the comments are telling her to drop the nonsense. 

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Germinator
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@marneil

I saw a few that supports her

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