Article by Ella Mariano Graphics by Alissa Coden
September 27, 2022
Pinoy Pride is a commonly used term whenever a Filipino hears about a kababayan (countryman) making it big overseas. No matter who they are or what they do in their profession, it's every Filipino's win. The shared posts containing Filipino flag emojis flood our timelines as a celebration. We get a sense of pride as if they are part of our family - like we knew them well. But is it something to be proud of?
Our generation is lucky enough to see Filipinos thriving on big platforms such as Hollywood. We Filipinos have a strong desire for representation, taking great pride in another level when done so. It's not every day that an actor or artist in Hollywood acknowledges their ethnicity because that industry is not entirely a diverse space. For these actors to get their big break, they should pass as white or be racially ambiguous. Vanessa Hudgens' role in High School Musical was a Latina named Gabriella Montez. Although her race was not an important topic in the film, one would question why she can't be her race instead. This is also relevant for actors and singers such as Hailey Steinfeld and Olivia Rodrigo, where they can only pass of as white characters because of their looks. They might be proud of their roots, but it gets hard to pass off as Filipino unless you have brown skin, like Jacob Batalon in Spiderman, or Nico Santos in Superstore.
It wasn't until the late 2010s that we’ve seen a shift in these Filipino artists in Hollywood. And following the rise of K-Pop around the globe, more Asian artists were put to the spotlight to prove their culture’s greatness. The record label 88Rising is an example of a great way to show this point. While it is a great move to strengthen the Asian community abroad, it is a topic of discussion whether they are doing that for the movement, for pride, or merely for clout.
When a Filipino gets recognized for his outstanding work, we’re very quick to either claim their greatness as our own or question his achievement. The toxicity of Pinoy Pride is something to think about as well. Hidilyn Diaz was at the center of attention when she finally got her Olympic gold medal. She has been competing in weightlifting since 2008. She struggled to bag medals for the country multiple times but persevered in competing while she is still able. She previously had a hard time finding sponsors for her competitions as no one knew her before her Olympic success. While it is fortunate that athletes like Hidilyn were finally getting recognition because of their wins, some athletes are still struggling to get financial aid for their equipment, training, and competitions. Bottomline, we only take notice of Filipinos when they finally make it big. Giving them the financial support after their win doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re supporting them. The question is, how do we give them the support that they need to prove their prowess? Should the government step in to remove this burden? After all, they have all the power to do so. Believing in their potential and honing their skills through this kind of support will definitely boost morale and confidence that they can be something more.
Every community must get its rightful representation in different forms of media. This is where we get to share
our culture and show how we can keep up with the world. Yes, it is okay to be proud of our fellow Filipinos in these situations. It is an instant feeling of connection that we see someone like us on huge platforms. It’s not every time that we get the chance to represent our country overseas, and compete on the biggest stages. Just rooting for them in their moments of glory is not enough. Organizations with advocacies for the development of talented Filipinos and the government should step-in to rekindle the Pinoy Pride that we've always been proud of.
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