My daughter, Mary Esther is a “tisay“.  What does that mean?

Tisay is a play on the word - mestiza - which is a Spanish word for a female individual of mixed racial descent. (Mestizo is used to describe the male gender.) (Pronounced the same as you would - tea-sigh.)

Initially, mestiza was used to describe women of mixed Malay and Spanish ancestry.   It is now generic— I am Filipino (Malay/Spanish/Chinese ancestry– so, I guess, I could be tisay, too but never considered myself as such- now, my paternal grandmother, she was tisay!) and my husband, Mary’s dad is American (Caucasian- Swedish/Scottish ancestry) making Mary a tisay!

Being tisay is not just about ancestral roots.  As I mentioned, I am also of mixed blood but never considered myself tisay.  Occasionally, people will make comments about my light complexion, how I burn and get rosy pink cheeks after staying out under the sun, and say that I am mestiza.  Tisay also pertains to individuals with lighter complexion.   In the Philippines, the collective consciousness reveres the “white” skin.  To this day, even after living in the Western world for most of my adult life, I still would NOT purposely get a suntan.  I would always be looking and finding shade whenever I’m outdoors.  I would be the first to slather on copious amounts of SPF 45 lotion whenever we step outdoors (take a quick walk around the neighborhood, or even just a trip to the grocery store.)  I price my light complexion.  No matter that my American husband would probably prefer a more suntanned look on me, I do not care, I would rather see a pale face staring at me in the mirror.

So, Mary is tisay.  What does that mean for HER?

Nothing much that would matter.  What matters is that she is proud of her mixed ancestry, that she gets to know the history, culture and people from both sides, that she is comfortable in her own light-but-not-quite-Caucasian skin.  And this is where her Dad and I come in.