Who are the McPinoys?

My Analysis of Class Distinction in the Filipino perspective, which, for obvious reasons, doesn't describe other cultures in other countries.

PLU - (Filipino People Like Us) - Our families are in many ways parallels and have been for generations: went to the same schools, may even be related to each other somehow. More often than not our grandparents are people like us. A lot of us are relatively Nouveau Pauvre, since the heyday of our families happened in prior generations. Many of us are heirs of nothing but a "good" last name and a sense of superiority. If there were an equivalent elsewhere it would be the impoverished English aristocracy. Multiple generations have had college educations or their equivalent. PLU don't try very hard to impress and tend to be quite blasé about things. So blasé that we are generally quite a boring and undynamic kind. We are bunch of repressed, decadent, negligent, neglectful, complacent, double-standard, corrupt, corruptible, spoiled, have a hard-to-tame sense of entitlement, don't think the rules apply to us, facetious, out-of-shape, quick-aging, and way too Same-Old-Same-Old....


MCPINOY (Middle Class Filipino)
a. Upper McPinoy (Upper Middle-class Filipino) - these are the New People. Essentially middle class people with money. As with most nouveau riche, they will be noticeably wealthier than PLU. They have probably gone to school with PLU and might even hang out with PLU but if their parents and grandparents know ours it hasn't been for long and probably nothing beyond casual acquaintance. If they carry on the same path their children might be PLU, and their grandkids will most likely be. They are the parvenus, culture vultures, eager red wine beavers, Louis Vuitton toting, Instituto Cervantes attending, Embassy-going. From seemingly
out-of-nowhere, these people come into the radar when they marry into or date PLU, and/or become nouveaux connoisseurs of some socio-cultural phenomenon like red wine, art collections, mainstream fashion design/publishing. Their grandparents likely to be the first with college education.

Upper McPinoy are the most interesting class of Filipinos to watch. They are definitely the most dynamic; this upward mobility is a very powerful force and has an economic impact because for a variety of reasons, among which a desire to prove, these guys spend quite a bit of money. Their drive is quite a force to be reckoned with. The transition from McPinoy to Upper McPinoy is a monumental feat in that it entails a hyper-conscious and extremely dedicated restructuring and redefining of one's behavior and mannerisms, tastes in food, movies, music, clothing, company and art. The Marcos couple, particularly Imelda, is my model for this. Or, if you wish, an American equivalent would be Martha Kostyra of Jersey City, NJ. Most of you know her as Martha Stewart of NYC and CT.


b. McPinoy (Middle Class Filipino) - Think Upper McPinoy without the lofty cultural aspirations. These guys are middle-class, hard-working, relatively educated, simple people who find no practical reason to speak perfect English or learn another language unless it is part of their job. They may have been put through school with OFW money. If they do not impose simplistic middle class values at home their kids
may very easily aspire to be Upper McPinoy. This class will not be able to see above & beyond Upper McPinoy because their untrained eye cannot see the nuances that distinguish one from the other. Their parents may have gone to college.

This is the Starbucks crowd, they are Mall Rats, and the target market you want if you wanna make a buck by franchising a chain this country. Special occasions merit dinner at Italianni's; for them the cliché pasta with Carbonara and Pesto sauces are novelty eats.

Lines are very blurred between McPinoy and Lower McPinoy. They may just as well be one class. Both these kinds of people tend to misuse the term Coño and apply it to everybody whom they percieve to be in a class above them.

With this class and all below it there is an affinity for Korean telenovelas, Megastar Ate Shawie, Kafoso vs. Kapuso, etc.


c. Lower McPinoy (Lower Middle Class Filipino) - Probably the first generation to go to college. These are the legion who may sit next to you at a cubicle farm and you can't help but notice that they might as well be the siblings of your household help since they have similar tastes and behave very similarly.


LOWER CLASS
a. Employed as - household help, security guards, market vendors. No college education.

b. Unemployed

These guys may or may not be squatting.