September 15 marks the start of Hispanic Heritage Month. For a few weeks out of the year, everyone (and every brand) is trying to grab a piece of the Latino pie (some even refer to it as Hispandering Heritage Month.) There will be lots of folkloric dresses and dancing, lots of mariachis and sombreros, lots of taco and Margarita drink specials — you know cuz all Latinos are basically Mexican.

This year, we wanted to do something different: to celebrate the faces, stories, and histories that rarely get put in the spotlight. Let’s honor all people that have Hispanic heritage not just the obvious ones. One of the largest groups that gets ignored are our Filipino brothers and sisters. As a colony of Spain for just as many years as Mexico, the Philippine Islands have just as much Hispanic cultural influences as any other Latin American country. From history, to language, to food, Filipinos are much closer to Latinos than you might realize. So here, we break it down for you: 10 reasons why Latinos and Filipinos are primos.

Keep an eye out for even more Filipino content here throughout the month.