BEING INDIAN IN POST-COLONIAL METRO MANILA: Ethnic Identities, Class, Race and the Media.

This paper examines how young Filipinos of Indian origin describe and position their identities in autobiographical narratives and through talk about their experiences with local, global and transnational media. It draws on studies (Gillespie 1995; Madianou 2006) that conceptualize diasporic identities as a positioning in context and media as a symbolic space where meanings of nation, ethnicity and belonging are negotiated. Data were gathered using indepth interviews and content analysis of online personal sites of second generation Punjabis, Sindhis and Filipinos with one Indian parent. Initial findings suggest that participants tend to define themselves based on class distinctions that conflate ethnicity with class. They assert their 'Indian' identity when faced with stereotypes and misconceptions of India and Indians in everyday talk, news and entertainment media. Consumption of Filipino and global media enable them to participate in the local culture, while use of Indian media create exclusive spaces to claim affinity with Indian cultures. This study extends our understanding of the social and cultural dynamics of diasporas in the Philippines, identity politics among Indian diasporic communities in post colonial societies, and the role of the media in these processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]