Demonym Abuse, and the Difference Between Pride and Egotism; or, the Sad Case of Jessica Sanchez

As of yesterday morning, Phillip Phillips was announced as the eleventh American Idol, the same title bestowed upon KellyClarkson, Fantasia Barrino, Jordin Sparks, and David Cook, to name a few. The opponent he apparently defeated is Jessica Sanchez, who is of Filipino and Mexican descent. The “white guy with a guitar” won over the little brown girl with the big voice, and I am somehow glad.

Don’t get me wrong: I wanted Jessica to win. In fact, as soon as I found out she is half-Filipino and has a legitimate talent in singing, I wanted her to win. Last night, as every Filipino hoped and prayed for her to win, I hoped it so, too. It’s just that the ridiculous news coverage really put me off. Once again, the overwhelming Pinoy Pride has taken control.

Before I get to that one vital topic, let me just discuss one more, seemingly unimportant problem that is actually bigger than what the ignorant populace of this wretched archipelago might not realize: Philippine journalism is run with people who shouldn’t even be in that field. Being a journalism means you have to tell the truth, but how can you tell the truth if you can’t even use words properly? Words are like crystal goblets containing valuable wine while being valuable on their own; they’re not sacks of sand you just throw around and pretend it wouldn’t matter.

I am, of course, talking about how local journalists, namely the anchors of TV Patrol, consistently referring to Jessica Sanchez as a “Filipino-Mexican.” It is understandable in that they are referring to her race, but you don’t describe race in common language like that. Most importantly, it distinctively sounds like they’re disregarding the fact that Jessica Sanchez is American. Yes, my little brown fellowmen, that gorgeous sixteen-year-old who looks exactly like us is American, and she is nothing less of an American than her white male opponent. Just because she is born of a Filipina mother and a Hispanic father (who is Hispanic White, by the way, and hails from Texas, which is populated by a large Mexican population) doesn’t make her any less of an American. Jessica was born in California, and her mother is probably an American citizen by now rather than a permanent resident (a.k.a. a green card holder).

Oh, the demonym abuse doesn’t end there, people. Korina Sanchez, at one point, asked a reporter collecting information all the way in Los Angeles, California, “Di kaya manalo itong si Phillip Phillips dahil purong Americano siya?” Purong Americano? Korina Sanchez, don’t you know such a phrase doesn’t exist and has no meaning? There is no such thing as a “pure” American especially when you are referring to a white person! If you call Phillip Phillips a pure American, what then would you call people like Taylor Lautner, or Chaske Spencer, or Julia Jones, or Gil Birmingham, or any of the other black-haired, copper-skinned actors playing the Quileute lupine shape-shifters in the Twilight movies? And for that matter, what then would you call people like Beyonce Knowles, or Will Smith, or Jennifer Hudson? And while we’re at it, do you think people like Jeremy Lin, or Daniel Dae Kim, or heck, Nicole Scherzinger are not American because they’re not white?

More importantly, why do you jump to the conclusion that Phillips' would win just because he's white? HOW UNBELIEVABLY RACIST CAN YOU GET? Okay, it's true that there remains public inclination toward white males, which is possibly the same reason most Hollywood movies have white male action heroes unless the lead is Will Smith. But people, have you forgotten that the first American Idol was Kelly Clarkson, who is a white female, and her successor was Ruben Studdard, who is a Black male? Or maybe you didn't care because there is suddenly "one of us" who have gotten so far in the competition. Phillips didn't win because he is white; he won simply because more people voted for him because his fanbase (composed of rock and pop rock music lovers) were simply heavier than Jessica's.

I know what you’re thinking: oh, they’re just making it easier for the less educated people to understand what they mean. No, using language this way is not doing any favors for the masses. This only makes them even more ignorant of the nuances of racial makeup in the United States population. Some white people in America might actually not be American, and many colored people born and raised in the United States are American, granted that their parents are citizens of the United States of America. Most of the Caucasian (white) population are actually descendants of European settlers, making them essentially, and technically, not just American by birth but American by virtue of being born from a long string of generations of Europeans (many ethnic groups of them, for that matter) also born and raised in the New World to escape oppression from Europe. Some white people in the US today are also of mixed race, meaning they may have at least one Jewish, Hispanic, or more commonly, a Native American ancestor. What does that make colored people labeled American? Well, some of them are Americans in the same manner. However, in the case of people like Jessica Sanchez—in fact, most Filipino Americans of her generation—at least one of their parents are immigrants from the Philippines. Jessica is American because she was born in America to American parents, regardless of race. American is not an ethnic group; it is a nationality. The word describes people born in America to American citizens; the word also applies for immigrants (regardless of race) who applied for American citizenship. Native Americans (sometimes named collectively along with Alaska Natives and Native Hawaiians) are also Americans by virtue of being born and raised in United States territory to parents and ancestors who have been living there long, long before the white people ever knew they existed in the 1500s.

Now that that issue is out of the way, let me settle down the more important issue: the overblown obsession with Jessica Sanchez and the overwhelming desire of having her as the new American Idol. Again, let me reiterate: I share this desire because she is Filipino and is a good singer. Before you call me a hypocrite, let me explain one tidbit I mentioned in a previous blog entry: I understand that we Filipinos see anybody as a brother or sister as long as they can trace their lineage to our precious archipelago. I share this sentiment. Even now, I still wish Jessica won the competition because I also believe that it is a tremendous honor to have “one of us” to have the title.

However, I do not approve of peculiar claims I keep hearing both from these television journalists and the people they interview and encourage. Pop singer Gary Valenciano mentioned at one point that Jessica Sanchez “carries the banner of the Philippines.” Random interviewees and reporters have dramatically proclaimed that having Jessica Sanchez win American Idol would be the triumph of Filipinos in Hollywood.

As my iPod has been out of battery power while my right earphone is damaged, I could only cringe and squirm in my seat in the bus while I kept hearing those phrases and variations thereof over and over and over. It was torture. It was torture because these people are either misguided or totally ignorant. Either way, they don’t know what they’re talking about.

When has Jessica Sanchez ever cared about her Filipino heritage? For that matter, I have never heard any Filipino American bragging about it, not even my American cousin, who is delighted about visiting her parents’ home country but doesn’t really care about anything else about it. If you ask me, this is not a problem. I also think that if Jessica doesn’t care, neither should we. Nobody has to. While it is a big deal because if she had become the newest American Idol, that would make her the youngest and the first Filipino, and the first Asian, and the first Hispanic American Idol, Filipinos need to stop claiming that such an honor is shared with us.

This isn’t even just pride anymore; it’s egotism. This is not like a parent beaming over a child with accomplishment; this is like a chained dog cheering over a long and successful struggle of a wolf with a huge prey and then claiming that the success is his because a distant unknown ancestor was once a wolf. My little brown fellowmen, this competition, this triumph, is not about you; this is about her. This is about Jessica and her long and turbulent struggle to come this far in such a prestigious competition. If you wanted to support her, why don’t you just support her? Why didn’t you support Jessica because she is a talented singer and a sister for us? No, you did it because you feel the triumph can be our own. It isn’t. Jessica is not a symbol of our country; she is an incredibly talented individual who got where she is because of her skills and charisma. Most importantly, she is only Filipino because of half of her genetic makeup; as far as I can see it, she is 100% American.