When a digital connection becomes a real community.
Article by Jeminah Birkner
An Interview with Sophia Sumido
In a time when everything is online, where so many of us are posting, scrolling, reacting, it’s easy to mistake visibility for connection. Gen Z knows this better than anyone. You can go viral, have thousands of followers, and still feel completely alone.
That’s where Pinoy Tayo – Pinoy Enough comes in.
What started as a TikTok collab between two half-Filipinas in Hamburg has grown into something much bigger. Not a brand. Not a fan base. But a real-life community, built by and for young Filipino-Germans who’ve spent years asking: Where do I belong?
The heart behind it is Sophia, 23 years old, Black-mixed Filipina, and deeply passionate about identity, justice, and connection. She tells me this whole thing began by chance. One day, she stumbled on a TikTok by Anna (@picob4ll4), a half-Filipina who had just moved to Hamburg—like Sophia herself, fresh from Bavaria. That alone was rare. So she reached out, they met, and instantly clicked.
A few months later, they made a playful video: “We’re half Filipinos, of course we do ____.” It went viral. Suddenly, comment sections were filled with messages like:
“Wait, there are others like me?” or “I thought I was the only one.”
That was the moment Sophia knew: this wasn’t just her experience. It was a shared one. So she made a WhatsApp group. And Pinoy Tayo was born.
“Pinoy Enough” is a Statement
The name hits hard—because it’s something so many mixed kids hear, either directly or in the silences. Not Filipino enough. Not German enough. Not enough enough.
Sophia explains it clearly: being Filipino isn’t about how fluent you are in Tagalog, how brown your skin is, or if you grew up in the Philippines. It’s deeper than that. It’s about Kapwa, a shared sense of self with others. A recognition of community, of belonging, of care.
Colonialism did a number on Filipino identity. We were taught to hide our languages, lighten our skin, shrink ourselves to be accepted. Today, those pressures show up in the smallest things—like being ashamed you can’t speak Tagalog, or being told you’re too “whitewashed” to claim being Pinoy.
But Sophia’s message is this: we are Filipino, and we are enough. No percentages. No tests. No proving.
The Pressure of Being Seen
For Gen Z, the pressure to constantly show up (online, curated, filtered) is real. Everything feels performative. There’s a silent demand to define yourself in 150 characters or less, to be aesthetically “ethnic” but not too loud, to fit into a box even if your whole existence is layered and complicated.
That’s why Sophia didn’t want Pinoy Tayo to just be another Instagram page. It had to be more than that. It had to be real. Offline. Face to face. Conversations, laughter, music, shared food, shared space.
“People need more than follows,” They need people they can actually meet up with. Talk to. Grow with.”
That’s what Pinoy Tayo offers: a space to exist as your full self, without explanation. A space where you don’t have to choose which half of you gets to show up that day.
Living in Between
A lot of the members didn’t grow up with a Filipino community. Some spoke only German and English at home. Some didn’t know other mixed kids growing up. Some felt like they had to prove their Filipinoness, while also navigating Germany’s very white spaces.
One member, Moesha, said:
“There’s an unspoken understanding here. That’s what I never had before. Just being around people who get it, it changes something.”
Another, Isabelle, shared:
“It didn’t just make me feel connected, it made me want to connect more. I started asking more about our culture. I got curious.”
For Sophia, it’s been a process too.
She says, “I didn’t grow up traditionally German. I love board games and bread with spreads, but also I’m funnier in English. The only German thing about me might be my ID.”
And that’s okay. That mix, that in-betweenness, is valid.
From Online to IRL
Since that first viral video, the group has grown across Germany. Meetups, community dinners, parties, late-night convos, these aren’t events for content. They’re for connection.
Their first party was in Hanover. Their anniversary celebration was this past May. And now, some of the admins are planning a Halloween gathering. Hamburg and NRW have active meetups, and they’re collaborating with other orgs like Rambak Austria, Philippinenbüro, and Alpas Pilipinas.
They’re also connecting with more multicultural youth groups across Europe. The movement is growing but in a way that stays grounded in real people and real relationships.
Words from the Community
Jan encourages younger kids to use social media not for clout, but for connection.
“Find people who are going through the same identity questions. Even one friend who gets it makes a difference.”
Isabelle adds:
“To my parents and grandparents, I’m proud of you. I know leaving the Philippines wasn’t easy. Thank you for everything.”
CeeKey, one of the most welcoming members of the group, says:
“I love talking to new people in our community. It’s how we keep the culture alive.”
They all agree, this space matters. And not just for fun events. For healing. For finally feeling seen.
So, What’s Next?
Sophia’s vision is clear. More meetups. More space for different age groups. More collaborations. And always, more belonging.
When asked what advice she’d give to any young person feeling in between, her answer was simple:
“You are 100% you. Not a mix. Not a percentage. Just whole.”
And if her mom or lola were reading this?
“Thank you. For every story, every meal, every time you showed me what being Filipino looks like. It’s because of you that I’m proud.”
Pinoy Tayo – Pinoy Enough is what happens when identity, community, and culture meet where we are now, on screens, yes, but also in backyards, cafés, dance floors, and kitchens across Germany. It’s a reminder that belonging isn’t given. We build it. Together.
And for a generation caught between hashtags and heritage, this community is proof that they never had to choose. They’ve always been enough.
Instagram: @pinoyy.tayo
