Is there such a thing as having too much ‘Pilipino pride’?

There’s been a lot of buzz surrounding 15-year-old American Idol contestant Pilipina-American Thia Megia. The AI judges (Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez, and Stephen Tyler) all adore her and have been blown away by each of her performances so far. It seems that much of America is also quite impressed with this young lady.

I’ve been keeping myself up-to-date on AI by watching videos on YouTube. I couldn’t help but notice a sort of trend in the comments of several videos of Thia’s performances. There are many people who are going at war with each other through the comments section over the fact that many people keep throwing in their feelings of ‘PINOY pride!’ with their support for Thia.

This led me to ask the question: Is there such a thing as having too much ‘Pilipino pride’?

A few of the comments made expressed that Thia should be supported for her talent alone and not for her ethnic background. Others said that non-Pilipino supporters of Thia might feel excluded or be bothered by all the ‘PINOY PRIDE!’ and ‘PINOYS RULE!’

To that I have to say, you can't blame Pilipinos who are proud of Thia's accomplishments on AI because of the fact that she is, indeed, Pilipino. It's no secret that there has been very few Pilipinos (and Asians in general) who have "made it" in the U.S. music industry. Therefore, to have a Pilipina-American perform the way Thia does on a TV phenomenon such as American Idol will, of course, make Pilipinos everywhere go crazy with pride. What’s happening now with Thia, also happened when Jasmine Trias and Camile Velasco became finalists on AI’s third season.

And, if I may be blunt, I really don’t think Pilipinos are just supporting Thia because she’s Pilipina. Some of them maybe…but I don’t think that’s the case in general. I’m pretty sure Pilipinos acknowledge her talent. I think it’s safe to say that, if Thia did not have a great singing voice, Pilipinos would not be saying, “Support her anyway because she’s Pilipina!” They’d most likely share videos of her with friends and family saying, “Look at this girl who thinks she can sing. HAHAHA!”

Growing up Pilipina-American, I didn't have another Pilipino/a singer to look up to. I grew up being a huge fan of Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, Lauryn Hill, etc. but I always hoped to see someone similar to me and with the same background. To see what Charice has accomplished in these past couple of years is amazing. To witness what’s happening with Thia on AI right now is really exciting. And there are dozens of Pilipino/as who are making their marks via YouTube (i.e. Maria Aragon from Canada).

I just hope people will stop bashing on those who just want to voice their pride in a person for their talent AND being a fellow Pilipino/a. I really don't see the harm in it at all. Having more Pilipino and Asian faces in mainstream media is helping our communities become more visible. What also helps is showing support for those from our community who are doing well and being proud of our ethnic background.

(Photo courtesy of poptower.com)