“I DON’T WANT TO BE CALLED ANAK AMAH”: THE IDENTITY CONUNDRUM OF BIRACIAL FILIPINO-MALAY BRUNEIANS

Abstract

Using qualitative data collected from interviews with Filipino-Malay Bruneian biracial informants, this article examines the identity conundrum that is grounded in their individual liminal experiences. Growing up in a bicultural family in a conservative society, the Filipino-Malay Bruneian identity is a complex phenomenon as they negotiate their Muslim identity while preserving their Filipino culture. By narrating the shifting identity and boundary crossing among the Filipino-Malay Bruneian individuals, this article discusses the ways they respond to the dominant discourse in the Bruneian social and cultural contexts that perceive identity as singular, fixed, and essentialist. It unpacks the different dimensions of their life experiences, including their struggles with persistent racial and class stereotype of being “anak amah” (child of a maid). Finally, the article analyses how our informants negotiate identity conflicts in their everyday practices and provides nuanced insights into the complexity of the Filipino-Malay Bruneian identity.