The Indigenous Black Filipinos
Peace! I’m Tyreek, the creator of this blog and just a normal guy based in Khartoum, Sudan that loves to travel. Follow me on my journey!
Growing up in the U.S, I often heard East Asians refer to Southeast Asians, more so Filipinos, as the “Blacks of Asia”, but never really thought much of it. I thought it had more to do with many Filipino-Americans affinity towards Black culture rather than their physical appearance, but after visiting the Philippines and seeing the indigenous people, it made a lot more sense.
Origins
The indigenous people of the Philippines, known as the “Aeta”, are a group related to the Negrito (Spanish term for “little black person”) ethnic group occupying parts of the Andaman Islands in India, Malaysia, and Thailand. They are characterized by their short statue, kinky hair, and dark skin. The Negritos are thought to be one of the earliest inhabitants of the Philippines about 30,000 years ago.
I first visited the Aeta in December of 2008 while visiting my parents and sister who were living in Manila. Many of the Aeta reside in Pampanga, a city about 2 hours from Manila.
I was shocked by the amount of love my brother, sister, father, and I received when we entered their village for the first time. Everywhere we went, people came out of their homes to guide us around, shake our hands, and offer us food. We heard shouts of “OBAMA! OBAMA!” everywhere we went. At the time, it was their way of saying “My brother/sister.”
The people were ecstatic to see people who looked like them and I could feel that excitement almost immediately. Not only were we Black people coming from a distance to see them, but American on top of that, which added another layer of “respectability” in the eyes of many of the locals.
I visited the Aeta village many times throughout my time in the Philippines, but there was one particular family I grew a bond with, so I always made sure I came to visit whenever I was in town.
Modern day Aeta
The Aeta live a simple life and are a tight-knit community. Most have adopted modern customs, but still keep their culture intact (somewhat) at the same time.
Unfortunately, the Aeta suffer as a marginalized community like many of the indigenous people throughout the world. Globally, indigenous people tend to be at the bottom, while the lighter populations are considered supreme. For example, Latin America with the indigenous populations at the bottom, mestizos (mixed majority) serving as the buffer group, and the European-Latinos at the top. A similar dynamic exists in the Philippines.
In a country that values East Asian looking/half Caucasian, and lighter skinned Filipinos, the Aeta are at the bottom of the barrel. However, despite this, the Aeta are still a happy and prideful people.
In the future, I hope more Filipinos will grow to embrace the Aeta people. The Aeta are a loving community and welcoming to all, but unfortunately are a forgotten community…
Interested in the indigenous people of Southeast Asia? Check out how I connected with the Negritos of Malaysia here.
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