--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Before 1521 we could have been anything…" description: "\"“Before 1521 we could have been anything and everything not Filipino; after 1565 we can be nothing but Filipino.”\" — Nick Joaquín" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/75f/nick-joaqu-n-25716_filipino_before-1521-we-could-have-been-anything_583979.png" --- # Before 1521 we could have been anything and everything not… ![“Before 1521 we could have been anything and everything not Filipino; after 1565 we can be nothing but Filipino.” quote by Nick Joaquín](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/75f/nick-joaqu-n-25716_filipino_before-1521-we-could-have-been-anything_583979.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/75f/nick-joaqu-n-25716_filipino_before-1521-we-could-have-been-anything_583979.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/75f/nick-joaqu-n-25716_filipino_before-1521-we-could-have-been-anything_583979.png) > ““Before 1521 we could have been anything and everything not Filipino; after 1565 we can be nothing but Filipino.”” [Nick Joaquín](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-joaqu-n/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Colonial history redefined identity, limiting self‑definition to a single nationality. **In simple terms:** History narrows identity. Key Takeaway Recognize imposed identities. Themes colonialism identity nationalism Mood critical reflective Type historical political When to use this quote - post‑colonial discourse - education - personal identity Key Concepts historical narrative cultural erasure identity politics Questions to Reflect On - How does history shape personal identity? - Can identity be reclaimed beyond imposed labels? A Different Perspective May overlook individual agency. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Filipino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/filipino/) [Identity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/identity/) ## Related quotes > [The identity of the Filipino today is of a person asking what is his identity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-joaqu-n/the-identity-of-the-filipino-today-is-of-a-person-asking-what-is-his/) [Nick Joaquín](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-joaqu-n/) > [My identity is linked to my grandmother, who's pure Filipino, as pure as you can probably get. And that shaped my imagination. So that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-hagedorn/my-identity-is-linked-to-my-grandmother-who-s-pure-filipino-as-pure/) [Jessica Hagedorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-hagedorn/) > [“My nose does not look like Barbie's nose and that's perfectly fine.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-thoughtful-beast/my-nose-does-not-look-like-barbie-s-nose-and-that-s-perfectly-fine/) The Thoughtful Beast > [I remember the first thing I did when I found out I was illegal was to get rid of my thick Filipino accent. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-antonio-vargas/i-remember-the-first-thing-i-did-when-i-found-out-i-was-illegal-was/) [Jose Antonio Vargas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-antonio-vargas/) > [I always wanted to let people know I was Filipino, but I didn't want to go up on stage and make it so you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-koy/i-always-wanted-to-let-people-know-i-was-filipino-but-i-didn-t-want/) [Jo Koy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-koy/) > [I have two Filipino nannies who have British passport and not me. I don't need British passport. When you were running around in an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohamed-al-fayed/i-have-two-filipino-nannies-who-have-british-passport-and-not-me-i/) [Mohamed Al-Fayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohamed-al-fayed/) > [I came from the Philippines and Filipinos are incredibly musical. I mean the best cover bands in the world come from Manila!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/june-millington/i-came-from-the-philippines-and-filipinos-are-incredibly-musical-i/) [June Millington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/june-millington/) > [“Hindi achievement ang tawag ko sa gano'n. Suwertihan lang 'yong ipinanganak ka nang maganda. Ang achievement e something you work hard to attain. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lualhati-bautista/hindi-achievement-ang-tawag-ko-sa-gano-n-suwertihan-lang-yong/) [Lualhati Bautista](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lualhati-bautista/) > [As the leader of the nation, I say in behalf of the Filipino people to the world: we are strong and principled believers in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-the-leader-of-the-nation-i-say-in-behalf-of-the-filipino-people-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I grew up in a predominantly Caucasian neighborhood, but my mom is Filipino-Spanish and my dad is Irish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shay-mitchell/i-grew-up-in-a-predominantly-caucasian-neighborhood-but-my-mom-is/) [Shay Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shay-mitchell/) > [I'm not hoping to see that day but I know that my cinema will reach Filipinos. I know that they will embrace it one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lav-diaz/i-m-not-hoping-to-see-that-day-but-i-know-that-my-cinema-will-reach/) [Lav Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lav-diaz/) > [I have introduced Filipino culture to the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/apl-de-ap/i-have-introduced-filipino-culture-to-the-world/) [apl.de.ap](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/apl-de-ap/) > [“He fidgets. Thinks. Observes his fellow passengers. Judges everyone, in the traditional Filipino sport of justifying both personal and shared insecurities.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-syjuco/he-fidgets-thinks-observes-his-fellow-passengers-judges-everyone-in/) [Miguel Syjuco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-syjuco/) > [A strengthened national spirit can provide the motive power to rise our people from the depths and... pour new life and vigor in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-p-romulo/a-strengthened-national-spirit-can-provide-the-motive-power-to-rise/) [Carlos P. Romulo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-p-romulo/) > [The Filipino embraces civilization and lives and thrives in every clime, in contact with every people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jos-rizal/the-filipino-embraces-civilization-and-lives-and-thrives-in-every/) [Jose Rizal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jos-rizal/) ## More by Nick Joaquín > [“If for us culture means museum and library and open house and art gallery, for them it meant the activities and amenities of everyday…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-joaqu-n/if-for-us-culture-means-museum-and-library-and-open-house-and-art/) [Nick Joaquín](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-joaqu-n/) > [“...and that there were many things grow-ups did which couldn't properly be judged by young people until the young people were grown-ups themselves...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-joaqu-n/and-that-there-were-many-things-grow-ups-did-which-couldn-t-properly/) [Nick Joaquín](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-joaqu-n/) > [“If your hands were not clean, your good actions had grimmer and more relentless consequences than your sins.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-joaqu-n/if-your-hands-were-not-clean-your-good-actions-had-grimmer-and-more/) [Nick Joaquín](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-joaqu-n/) > [Identity is the history that has gone into bone and blood and reshaped the flesh. Identity is not what we were but what we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-joaqu-n/identity-is-the-history-that-has-gone-into-bone-and-blood-and/) [Nick Joaquín](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-joaqu-n/) > [“When he had gone home, he had been frightened, he had refused to face what he saw. But he had not really wanted to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-joaqu-n/when-he-had-gone-home-he-had-been-frightened-he-had-refused-to-face/) [Nick Joaquín](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-joaqu-n/) > [“Shouldn't we rather recognize that each person is a sort of unconscious anthology of all epochs of man; and that he may at times…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-joaqu-n/shouldn-t-we-rather-recognize-that-each-person-is-a-sort-of/) [Nick Joaquín](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-joaqu-n/) > [The young look up to me as their feeder, said Alex. Well, they can go look for another trough. I'm through with this hogwash.Are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-joaqu-n/the-young-look-up-to-me-as-their-feeder-said-alex-well-they-can-go/) [Nick Joaquín](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-joaqu-n/) > [“The world was always going to be remade by people who were too busy to remake themselves first and who left the world twice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-joaqu-n/the-world-was-always-going-to-be-remade-by-people-who-were-too-busy/) [Nick Joaquín](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-joaqu-n/) > [The identity of the Filipino today is of a person asking what is his identity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-joaqu-n/the-identity-of-the-filipino-today-is-of-a-person-asking-what-is-his/) [Nick Joaquín](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-joaqu-n/) > [“If you beget a monster of a child it could prove you were rather monstrous yourself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-joaqu-n/if-you-beget-a-monster-of-a-child-it-could-prove-you-were-rather/) [Nick Joaquín](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-joaqu-n/) > [“I fell in love when I was twenty-six. Love in my interpretation comes once in a lifetime.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-joaqu-n/i-fell-in-love-when-i-was-twenty-six-love-in-my-interpretation-comes/) [Nick Joaquín](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-joaqu-n/) > [The point is not how we use a tool, but how it uses us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-joaqu-n/the-point-is-not-how-we-use-a-tool-but-how-it-uses-us/) [Nick Joaquín](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-joaqu-n/) > [“Tolerance means to have the heart open to all differences; it is the honorable attitude of receiving another's opinion in order to appreciate it;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-joaqu-n/tolerance-means-to-have-the-heart-open-to-all-differences-it-is-the/) [Nick Joaquín](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-joaqu-n/) > [Love should have no alternatives; love should be the sole reason for loving; love should spring of itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-joaqu-n/love-should-have-no-alternatives-love-should-be-the-sole-reason-for/) [Nick Joaquín](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-joaqu-n/) > [“People who confuse social behavior with manners naturally think of it as something that can be donned and doffed, a fashion that can be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-joaqu-n/people-who-confuse-social-behavior-with-manners-naturally-think-of-it/) [Nick Joaquín](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-joaqu-n/) [Explore all 22 Nick Joaquín quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-joaqu-n/) ## More Filipino quotes > [The Filipino embraces civilization and lives and thrives in every clime, in contact with every people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jos-rizal/the-filipino-embraces-civilization-and-lives-and-thrives-in-every/) [Jose Rizal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jos-rizal/) > [A strengthened national spirit can provide the motive power to rise our people from the depths and... pour new life and vigor in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-p-romulo/a-strengthened-national-spirit-can-provide-the-motive-power-to-rise/) [Carlos P. Romulo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-p-romulo/) > [“He fidgets. Thinks. Observes his fellow passengers. Judges everyone, in the traditional Filipino sport of justifying both personal and shared insecurities.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-syjuco/he-fidgets-thinks-observes-his-fellow-passengers-judges-everyone-in/) [Miguel Syjuco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-syjuco/) > [I have introduced Filipino culture to the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/apl-de-ap/i-have-introduced-filipino-culture-to-the-world/) [apl.de.ap](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/apl-de-ap/) > [I'm not hoping to see that day but I know that my cinema will reach Filipinos. I know that they will embrace it one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lav-diaz/i-m-not-hoping-to-see-that-day-but-i-know-that-my-cinema-will-reach/) [Lav Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lav-diaz/) > [I grew up in a predominantly Caucasian neighborhood, but my mom is Filipino-Spanish and my dad is Irish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shay-mitchell/i-grew-up-in-a-predominantly-caucasian-neighborhood-but-my-mom-is/) [Shay Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shay-mitchell/) > [As the leader of the nation, I say in behalf of the Filipino people to the world: we are strong and principled believers in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-the-leader-of-the-nation-i-say-in-behalf-of-the-filipino-people-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Hindi achievement ang tawag ko sa gano'n. Suwertihan lang 'yong ipinanganak ka nang maganda. Ang achievement e something you work hard to attain. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lualhati-bautista/hindi-achievement-ang-tawag-ko-sa-gano-n-suwertihan-lang-yong/) [Lualhati Bautista](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lualhati-bautista/) > [I came from the Philippines and Filipinos are incredibly musical. I mean the best cover bands in the world come from Manila!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/june-millington/i-came-from-the-philippines-and-filipinos-are-incredibly-musical-i/) [June Millington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/june-millington/) > [I have two Filipino nannies who have British passport and not me. I don't need British passport. When you were running around in an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohamed-al-fayed/i-have-two-filipino-nannies-who-have-british-passport-and-not-me-i/) [Mohamed Al-Fayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohamed-al-fayed/) > [I always wanted to let people know I was Filipino, but I didn't want to go up on stage and make it so you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-koy/i-always-wanted-to-let-people-know-i-was-filipino-but-i-didn-t-want/) [Jo Koy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-koy/) > [I remember the first thing I did when I found out I was illegal was to get rid of my thick Filipino accent. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-antonio-vargas/i-remember-the-first-thing-i-did-when-i-found-out-i-was-illegal-was/) [Jose Antonio Vargas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-antonio-vargas/) > [“My nose does not look like Barbie's nose and that's perfectly fine.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-thoughtful-beast/my-nose-does-not-look-like-barbie-s-nose-and-that-s-perfectly-fine/) The Thoughtful Beast > [My identity is linked to my grandmother, who's pure Filipino, as pure as you can probably get. And that shaped my imagination. So that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-hagedorn/my-identity-is-linked-to-my-grandmother-who-s-pure-filipino-as-pure/) [Jessica Hagedorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-hagedorn/) > [“I lived in a big bunkhouse of thirty farm workers with Leroy, who was a stranger to me in many ways because he was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-bulosan/i-lived-in-a-big-bunkhouse-of-thirty-farm-workers-with-leroy-who-was/) [Carlos Bulosan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-bulosan/) [Browse all 167 Filipino quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/filipino/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Before 1521 we could have been anything and everything not Filipino; after 1565 we can be nothing but Filipino.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Nick Joaquín" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-joaqu-n/before-1521-we-could-have-been-anything-and-everything-not-filipino/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Filipino" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-joaqu-n/before-1521-we-could-have-been-anything-and-everything-not-filipino/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/75f/nick-joaqu-n-25716_filipino_before-1521-we-could-have-been-anything_583979.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/75f/nick-joaqu-n-25716_filipino_before-1521-we-could-have-been-anything_583979.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/75f/nick-joaqu-n-25716_filipino_before-1521-we-could-have-been-anything_583979.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Before 1521 we could have been anything and everything not Filipino; after 1565 we can be nothing but…” — Nick Joaquín", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Nick Joaquín", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-joaqu-n/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Before 1521 we could have been...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-joaqu-n/before-1521-we-could-have-been-anything-and-everything-not-filipino/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-joaqu-n/before-1521-we-could-have-been-anything-and-everything-not-filipino/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```