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Who I Am Lyrics by Ruby Ibarra

2010

Mga kababayan ko
Dapat lang malaman nyo
Bilib ako sa kulay ko
Ako ay pilipino
Kung may itim o may puti
Mayron naman kayumangi
Isipin mo na kaya mong
Abutin ang yung minimithi

(American Junk)
Get it out of my bloodstream
(American Junk)
Get it out of my system
(American Junk)
I can only take so much
(American Junk)
Gotta get back to who I am

Kailangan na tayoy gumising, ating damdamin isipin
At itong hangin linisin, puede na natin baguhin
Bakit ba ganyan? naka posa ang ating kamay
Mga preso ng secreto at mali sa saysay

So not myself as I should be - less a self, more selfishly
The press say I should sell myself to shelves but there's discrepancy:
Identity that's meant to be and colonized mind in me
Lying in our eyes till we find ourself as enemy

Taught to use papaya soap like whiteness is the antidote
Caught in colonized approach can't fight this like I'm at the throat
Question it? you start to choke unless you lessen half your soul
Pressin' close this flattened nose, its told its best if I'm 'Cano

Best if I erase the brown, color of the country's ground
Color of the roots found beneath the lands of Mindanao
People power sequel cuz this be the peoples hour
So we need to see it now or we can't seek what's really ours

This is for the place of my mother's land
Where I got my face and these browner hands
I used to be ashamed but now I understand
Cuz this is who I am
I said it's who I am (x2)
I said

Colonized mind, blindfolded, so I'm hypnotized
Compromised pride, bind hands, never reach the skies
Modified eyes, cry truth, fail to recognize
The disguised lies write views planted in our minds

Callin me a dog-eater prayin on some chicken bones
Nation known for sex tours, order brides mailed to homes
All of that is nonsense, they've never felt the misery
They've never seen my province or know my country's history

The blistered feet, pollution, greed, Spain and U.S. Colony
Planted all this fallacy, corruption in mentality
Marcos with regime and so no privacy for families
People power used to heed the government monopoly

The poverty that never sees improvement from economy
Kayumangi, no equality, cuz white is what you oughta be
The native tongue I try to speak is silenced by the mastery
Of English that I'm forced keep to take the FOB outside of me

This is for the place of my mother's land
Where I got my face and these browner hands
I used to be ashamed but now I understand
Cuz this is who I am
I said it's who I am (x2)

Like Bulosan said, Americas in the heart
But my blood is Philippines that keeps it pumpin in the dark
So people wake up so we can learn about the issues
Those we never learned in school and missed in news

Those we never find in books, so it's a missed tool
Never learned to hold up a fist, our minds the pistol
Defined by a line in my mind called the hyphen
So over time, I'm, tryna find the right height when

Tryna reach the sky but I fight from being boxed in
Wanna bridge the gap but my color is the toxin
Cultures counteract, keep me back as a caution
Of history and facts from my path so I'm tossed in

Stuck between America and Philippines, though
So I know that I'm both, so I struggle with this rope
If I'm Filipino now with a flat nose
Makes me Filipino then, but with my eyes closed

Filipino ako sa dugo
Filipino ako sa loob
Filipino ako sa gawa
Filipino sa mga mata
Gumising na
Credits
Ruby Ibarra

Ruby Ibarra

About “Who I Am” by Ruby Ibarra

Read the complete lyrics to "Who I Am" by Ruby Ibarra in 2010. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Rap.

"Who I Am" is performed by Ruby Ibarra. in 2010 This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Who I Am", explore more songs by Ruby Ibarra using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

View all songs and biography for Ruby Ibarra · Trending lyrics · Billboard Hot 100

Frequently asked questions

"Who I Am" is credited to Ruby Ibarra. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

Album information for "Who I Am" is not available in our database yet. You can still read the full lyrics on this page.

Visit the Ruby Ibarra artist page at /artist/ruby-ibarra for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.

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Brown Out
7000 Miles
Background
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