Growing up in the U.S, I often heard East Asians refer to Southeast Asians, more so Filipinos, as the “Blacks of Asia”, but never really thought much of it. I thought it had more to do with many Filipino-Americans affinity towards Black culture rather than their physical appearance, but after visiting the Philippines and seeing the indigenous people, it made a lot more sense. Origins The indigenous people of the Philippines, known as the “Aeta”, are a group related to the Negrito (Spanish term for “little black person”) ethnic group occupying parts of the Andaman Islands in India, Malaysia, and Thailand. They are characterized by their short statue, kinky hair,…