In AI she’s only known as Jessica Sanchez from San Diego. In Philippines, she’s Jessica the Filipina --- born out of a pure Filipina mother and half Mexican father, with emphasis on her pure Filipina mother, additional emphasis on her being only ¼ Mexicana and ½ Filipina.
Some called the show racist others said they will no longer follow AI if Sanchez will be gone. This, they said because she represents the talent of a Filipino and she is a Filipino pride. To which I asked, did the Philippines in any way helped her got into the show to say that it is part of her victory or to claim her as its pride?
Here goes the national habit of Filipino hitchhiking --- the habit of clinging into someone or something popular to and recognized by international folks. This when in fact, the likes of Sanchez --- their capabilities, being and existence --- hardly even get noticed in the country because they are obscured by the highly overrated pretty faces who can do nothing but shake their asses in front of the people and make money out of the poor that worship them for falling short of melanin and having well-bleached skin, crystalline smiles and close to ten inches waists.
Charice Pempengo once suffered from this culture when she was outshined by a Disney kid-looking lad Sam Concepcion in a local singing competition--- where she sang similar songs that she performed in Ellen’s and Oprah’s and gained standing ovations. Thanks to Youtube she is now dubbed as an “international singing sensation” also admired by locals even if she only ranked third to a well-off and good looking boy because of selfsame viewers’ text votes.
In 2011, the Philippine dragon Boat team had to paddle their way to join the world championships in US. They had to beg support from private persons in order to join the competition and carry the Philippine flag, when the Philippine Sports Commission was renouncing them as the national team to represent the country at the SEA Games. After the competition, they brought home 5 gold and 2 silver medals from 7 different events and a new world record. In a snap, they became celebrities. Suddenly, they we’re acclaimed heroes. The whole country glorified their being Filipinos. Congratulatory remarks flooded them from numerous politicians and other individuals who did not give a damn when they we’re still training in Pasig river --- breathing its stench and boodling on Sardines for viand at the riverside. The whole country was calling them as its athletes; rejoicing. Before this victory, they had no follower compare to the dashing members of a football team who lost their matches at the home field surrounded by legions of lady fanatics.
With our culture of severe inclination to international recognition but poor support mechanism for locally available resources, what gives the country right to take recognition of these individuals’ triumphs and fruits of blood and sweat? Would you be serious for saying that it’s only because they are Filipinos in blood?
Would Jessica Sanchez be as much recognized in the country being the simple, petit and dark-skinned girl that she is? By the way, where have Jonalyn Viray and Bituin Escalante gone? Did they had solo concerts at the big dome just as Anne Curtis had? With our too much fascination with superficial attributes, would Sanchez be still exalted for her being Filipina?
'just a thought'
- Wind
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