Model and actress Solenn Heussaff was quick to respond to a netizen who questioned accused her of not being a true Filipino.
Twitter user Pepe Alas first shared Heussaff’s statement from an interview where she said that she is still a Filipino despite having a mix of ethnicities.
“Kahit one-fourth Pinoy ako, I’m still Filipino. Half-Filipino, I’m still Filipino. You being pure as a Filipino 100 percent by blood, does not make you less of Filipino if you only have 50 percent,” Heussaff was quoted in the said interview.
Heussaff has a Filipino mother and French national father of British descent. The 32-year-old actress grew up in the Philippines but moved to France to study for a few years.
Alas went on to say that Heussaff’s opinion is wrong since being a Filipino is not simply about race, but a “concept and identity”.
“This is wrong, @solennheussaff. I won’t make similarities with other nationalities or races because our case is unique, but being Filipino is not about blood or nationality. Being Filipino is beyond that… Filipino is not a race. It’s a concept, an identity,” Alas wrote.
The netizen further said that anyone can claim to be a Filipino by nationality, but one must “immerse himself in its identity” and “learn and understand its history” to be a true Filipino.
“Anybody can claim to be a Filipino by nationality, @solennheussaff. Or one can say he’s Filipino even by a drop of blood. But to be an authentic Filipino? One has to immerse himself in its identity to find out. One has to learn and understand its history,” he added.
This is wrong, @solennheussaff. I won't make similarities with other nationalities or races because our case is unique, but being Filipino is not about blood or nationality. Being Filipino is beyond that…
Filipino is not a race. It's a concept, an identity.
— Pepe Alas (@JoseMarioAlas) May 22, 2018
Anybody can claim to be a Filipino by nationality, @solennheussaff. Or one can say he's Filipino even by a drop of blood. But to be an authentic Filipino? One has to immerse himself in its Identity to find out. One has to learn and understand its history. ?
— Pepe Alas (@JoseMarioAlas) May 22, 2018
Heussaff then countered this by saying that she is a true Filipino by blood and by heart, and that she is aware of the country’s culture.
“I am Filipino. I grew up here. I am by blood. I am by heart and I do know Filipino culture. Does everything have to be a battle in this time and age?” Heussaff wrote.
I am filipino. I grew up here. I am by blood. I am by heart and i do know filipino culture. I does everything always have to be a battle in this time and age?
— Solenn Heussaff (@solennheussaff) May 23, 2018
Alas then replied by reiterating his claim while correcting Heussaff to refer to herself as a “Filipina” because she is a female.
“I am not contesting your claims of being a Filipina (not Filipino; you’re female), @solennheussaff. I am simply correcting your notion of race and blood when it pertains to our national identity. Being a Filipino/Filipina is beyond that. Filipino is not a race. It is a concept,” Alas wrote.
“I’m a Filipino,” Heussaff replied to Alas once again. “Just focus on living and helping our country and spreading positive vibes. [Take care],” she added as she attached a screenshot of Wikipedia’s definition of Filipino.
“Nice, Wikipedia,” the netizen sarcastically said on Twitter. “I hope you understand that me correcting your erroneous notion of what a Filipino is doesn’t mean that I no longer love nor want to help my country, nor am I spreading negative vibes. Correcting you is not tantamount to bashing you, my dear,” he added.
Heussaff decided not to reply to the netizen anymore afterwards.
