Filipinos Calling Indians as "Bumbay"

The song "Dayang Dayang" was given a parody cover called "Dayang Daya". Oftentimes, the song "Dayang Dayang" is thought to be Indian. Instead, it's arguably said to be from Muslim Mindanao or was brought in either from Malaysia or Indonesia. Historically, some of the settlers in the Philippines were Malaysians and Indonesians. So, it's probably safe to say that most Filipinos of brown skin descent are mixed Malay and Indonesian. I was even reminded how I mistook a Malaysian woman for a Filipino woman. Back on topic, the parody song has an introduction that says, "Kami Bumbay galing sa India..." (We're Bombay coming from India). I even tend to refer to Indians as Bombay--something I ended up tactlessly saying during my first trip to Singapore.

Many times, Filipinos tend to use Bumbay not as a racial slur but to simply refer to an Indian. Some Filipino-Indians don't even mind being called Bumbay for a reason. I guess they got accustomed to it. A deeper reason might be because of the place of origin of the migrants. ABS-CBN News also offers this insight on why Indians tend to be called "Bumbay":

Professor Joefe Santarita, dean of the University of the Philippines Asian Center and an expert on Indian Studies, said scholars believe the term "Bumbay" came from Bombay (or Mumbai), the place of departure of most Punjabis and Sikhs who have migrated to the Philippines.
He also said Filipinos may have adopted the term from Sikhs themselves who address their fellows as "bhum bhai" or brothers of the earth.

"I personally believe that the early Sikhs did not totally use 'Bombay' based on place of departure but of its etymological link to the term which commands respect from a fellow Sikh who hails from the same place in India. Bhum bhai (brothers of the earth) as the Sikhs’ way of addressing his fellow from the same place)," Santarita told ABS-CBN News.

Despite the positive etymology, some Filipinos use the term "Bumbay" in a derogatory or sarcastic manner.

I remember discussing Asian history in Filipino dialects uses the term "Bombay" instead of "Indian".

During Fridays, when Asian history was to be discussed in Tagalog (which is as appropriate as Chinese language classes demanding you speak in Chinese) on Fridays, I could remember how the teacher said to still use the term Indian even when class was to be held in Tagalog. Yet, it's very hard to do so, especially when discussing at home. It's almost as inescapable as using the term Intsik for anyone of Chinese descent.

When discussing the origins of Buddhism during Asian history class (which some think came from China instead of India), it was easy to say something like, "Buddha wasn't Chinese, he's a Bumbay." in either Tagalog or Cebuano. Some might say in Cebuano saying, "It's too clear that Buddha was a Bumbay." Yet, Siddharta Gautama wasn't from the Bombay Province. Instead, Gautama's kingdom was from Kapilavastu. I could remember saying something like, "Well, Mother Guan Yin is obviously a Bombay. Just look at the way she dresses and notice the red dot on her head."

I remember how often I was threatened with "If you don't sleep, the Bumbay will get you." Ironic that some Filipino-Chinese elders who used such a scare tactic also practiced Buddhism. Buddhism is a religion from India, not China. The image of the Goddess of Mercy is dressed up like an Indian woman.

Using the word "Bumbay" positively in daily language

It took me some time to warm up to Indian food. For one, as a beef eater, I totally must respect the beef taboo with Indians, especially with Hinduism. I remembered how I ate at a Filipino-Indian's house (and they spoke Filipino fluently) and one of the house members knew how to speak limited Hokkien. My Filipino-Indian friends didn't mind being called Bumbay even if they didn't descend from the same province. I think one of them was of a Hyderabadi. Hyderabad is pretty much like the Legaspi, Albay, of India. South Indian food and Bicolano food are pretty similar. Filipino friends of mine who enjoy Indian food tend to choose the South Indian variation due to the use of coconuts.

Oftentimes, I could easily end up saying, "My favorite Bumbay food is from Bollywood." Some Filipino friends say, "My favorite Bumbay food is from Cherry's the Spice." However, I prefer to use the word Indian since Bumbay (or Bombay) might mean more of an ethnic group from India than the Indian population. It's like the Philippines has several groups such as Tagalog, Cebuano, Boholano, Ilocano, Ilonggo, Bicolano, Pampagueno, Tausug, and Chavacano.

The word Indian will still be more appropriate than the word Bumbay. I think some Indian restaurant owners of Cebu aren't descended from Mumbai. If I'm not wrong, Cherry's the Spice's owner is of Hyderabadi descent based on the food served. I think the owner of Bharat Spice isn't from Mumbai either. Calling the owner a Bumbay is like calling a Bicolano a Tagalog. I'm using Bicol here because the food of Bicol and South India are somewhat similar.

Pretty much, I decided to write about why Indians tend to be called Bumbay. It's not a slur word. It's got a positive etymology. Yet, I can't help but think January can be a very vindicating month. It's when Five-Six lenders start to roam around asking to be paid back what was owed to them. Meanwhile, let's give a toast to Indians with an honest living providing jobs and services for Filipinos.

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