I was born and raised in the Philippines until I was thirteen. Growing up in the Philippines gave me a good foundation for my beliefs. There are many Filipino cultural traits that I think will help me become a better individual, and there are some that I want to leave behind. The Filipino culture is founded upon the same principles as many other Asian customs. Filipino culture is often associated with qualities such as compassion towards others, loyalty, and highly respectful mannerisms. As one of my elders have stated in the past, the color of your skin and the ability to speak the language isn't what makes you Filipino, what makes you Filipino is how you express the mannerisms and knowledge of your culture through actions. With all cultures there comes people who often don't agree or understand the cultural norms that accompany the traditions of the heritage. This break in understanding usually results in concepts such as stereotypes and can even arise between those in the same culture. For the Filipino culture in general, those outside of our customs think stereotypical thoughts such as filipinos are either loud and obnoxious or very reserved, Filipinos are very frugal people, every meal is eaten with rice, shoes off inside the house, and it's not a party without the karaoke. Likewise, even Filipinos can be guilty of thinking stereotypically towards other Filipinos through other ideas like Filipinos always cook a lot, Filipinos are very serious jokers and there is always truth behind the joke and most especially Everyone is family. From my own personal experiences, I feel that many of the stereotypes I've come across in my life are for the most part true. For example, I have to eat rice everyday, I can be loud and I can be really quiet, and the people I am close with is I consider my family. The Filipino Culture’s most traditional significant ritual is the “mano po”. It is a gesture used in Filipino culture performed as a si