On November 21st, 2021, Asian Raisins tried to lobby for a name change concerning Filipinos cookies being sold in several shops in The Netherlands. Complaint letters were sent to the producer, Artiach, as well as the retailers Action, Jumbo, and SweetSupply (via bol.com). At the time, Action showed understanding and willingness to comply with our proposal. As a result, the product is now displayed as ‘Chiquilin’ in their stores. This article (in Dutch) covers more about this event. Unfortunately, three years later, the cookies are still sold under the same name, *Filipinos*, on Jumbo’s shelves.
The brand name directly references the racial identity of people from the Philippines but was chosen as the label of a food product originally produced by a Spanish manufacturer. The offense lies in the name’s apparent reference to the color of the original product: dark on the outside and white on the inside. Considering Spain’s colonisation of the Philippines in the 16th century, it can be inferred that the product references Spain’s dominance over the country, which lasted until the Philippine Revolution in 1898. This makes it seem as though the cookie is meant to represent Filipinos of that era, describing their identity as brown on the outside but white on the inside.
In 1999, the Philippine government filed a diplomatic protest against the Spanish government, the European Commission, and the then-manufacturer Nabisco Iberia, objecting to the use of the name *Filipinos*. The author of the resolution, Congressman Heherson Alvarez, stated: “These food products could be labeled with any other name, but the manufacturers chose our racial identity, and are now profiting from it.”
Additionally, former Philippine President Joseph Estrada called the brand “an insult.” This sentiment is still shared by a number of Filipinos today, who feel demeaned and offended by the snack’s name.
In 2021, Action responded to our request and changed the name of the cookies, demonstrating understanding and a willingness to address cultural sensitivities. This respectful gesture proved that commercial interests and social responsibility can coexist. However, as of 2024, Jumbo has yet to respond to our messages asking for a name change. SweetSupply has since removed the cookies from their offerings, but Jumbo remains silent.
Jumbo and producer Artiach’s refusal to respond and change the name of the Filipinos cookies shows a painful lack of respect for the Filipino community. Their reduction of the Filipino identity to a product name, and their prioritization of commercial interests over cultural dignity, perpetuates cultural appropriation. This contributes to the normalisation of racism and the notion that corporations can exploit cultural identities without any accountability or consequences.
Once again, Asian Raisins continue to call on Jumbo and Artiach for immediate action and respect for the Filipino community, so as to foster greater inclusion in our society.
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