SOCIAL media was ablaze on Wednesday, July 15 when the hashtag #GrowingUpFilipino became a trending topic.
From Instagram posts to telling tweets, nostalgic people everywhere took to social media to post about what it was like to grow up in a Pinoy household.
YouTube sensation AJ Rafael tweeted: “Before going outside – grandma: ‘where’s your jacket’ Me: ‘It’s 90 degrees outside’ Grandma: ‘Ok here wear my jacket’ #GrowingUpFilipino,” which got over 700 retweets and 1.4K favorites.
The cultural hashtag was trending alongside #GrowingUpHispanic, #GrowingUpBlack, and #GrowingUpAsian. Individuals reflected on their upbringings, and were vocal about how similar their experiences were growing up in immigrant households. The Filipino community worldwide seemed to bond in merry amusement over the trending topic, posting updates from Filipino social activities to cultural traditions.
“Every family party was your uncles drinking, aunts gossiping, teens in a room somewhere, and kids running around,” Twitter user @thefloralking said.
A vibrant red photo of the popular Jufran Banana Sauce bottle appeared on Instagram, with the caption “This was used with everything.” A similar photo of Vicks VapoRub read: “The cure for everything.”
Accompanying the trending tag, Rappler posted a list of “12 signs you grew up Pinoy.”
Pointing with your lips, singing karaoke, and having to “mano” (bless) your elders were among the favorite Filipino social norms.
“If your clothes don’t fit anymore, get ready to pack all of them in a Balikbayan box because that’s your cousins now,” @tyroneeehh tweeted.
Glowing parol Christmas lanterns and colorful displays of Filipino food were also among the top photos.
Social media analytics site Keyhole.co tracked an overall reach of nearly 1.4 million and 1.6 impressions between July 14 and July 15, with most of the #GrowingUpFilipino posts shared as retweets on Twitter and coming from female users from all corners of the globe.
Similar related hashtags that day included #PinoyPride, #GrowingUpAsian, #GrowingUpChamorro, and #AirTsinelas.
