what kind of asian is filipino

Filipinos are primarily of Austronesian descent, which places them ethnically in the Southeast Asian region. The people of the Philippines come from a diverse range of ethnolinguistic groups, with the majority tracing their ancestry to the Malay peoples of Southeast Asia and Indonesia. Filipino culture and language (based largely on Tagalog) are part of the Austronesian family, connecting them to neighboring Southeast Asian populations in Indonesia, Malaysia, and other parts of the Pacific. Despite strong influences from Western (Spanish and American) colonization, Filipinos are geographically and ethnically Asian, specifically Southeast Asian with Austronesian roots. The Philippines is culturally unique due to this blend of native Asian heritage with Western influences, but Filipino identity is squarely rooted in Southeast Asia and the broader Austronesian ethnic group.