Personal Narrative Essay: The Filipino American Man

The Filipino American Male at Age 9
Last December, before my nephew Elton, winter’s break began, I called my sister to see if her son could spend his winter break with us in Sacramento. With excitement in her voice, she readily agreed to allow Elton to come and promised to tell him when she picked him up after school. A couple of hours later, I was focused typing on my laptop when I was startled by the sound of my phone ringing. I quickly glanced down at the phone to see that it was my sister calling. I was greeting by a high pitched voice saying, “Hello, Tita Joanne?” It was my nephew on the other end of the line. The excitement in his voice was undeniable. Elton continued, “Yes Tita Joanne! I would love to visit you guys on my winter break!”
He loves outdoor activities, such as running, swimming and playing sports. One of his favorite activities is Playing tag. Elton told me that he likes to play it at school with his two best friends, Miguel and Jacob. When he's not at school, he’ll play tag, and hide and seek outside or even inside the house with his cousins. It always seems like chaos when they are playing in the house, but it looks like a lot of fun. Elton also loves to play video games with other kids, even with his uncles but not by himself. His mom bought him a PS4 last Christmas, but he rarely uses it. Elton confided in me that playing video games by himself is very boring.
On most days, I wake up at six in the morning and make coffee right away. Every morning when Elton is here, I would hear light footsteps from behind. Whenever I would glance around, I would saw Elton smiling with his left eye open while rubbing the right with his hand. “Good morning, Tita Joanne.” He would utter, with a smile, in his really soft high-pitched voice. Elton is a morning person. He wakes up full of energy and excited about the day. This is one of the most beautiful parts of Elton. It is almost as beautiful, as when you watch a baby sleep. It brightens your