text: I'm an American-born Filipino, born to Filipino immigrants. I grew up with as much Filipino culture, without native language, and now I am accelerating my studies of Tagalog. Our native language has provided missing links between cultures that are missed in translation. Now I recognize nuance when I read books, watch movies, and listen to podcasts. I gain bits of tradition just by speaking to other Tagalog speakers. As I deepen my understanding of Tagalog, I noticed I get to explain American culture as a Filipino-American. We are as much unicorns to natives as they are to us.