What is wrong with Courtney’s tweets?

Why are you doubting Jessica Sanchez’ being part of Filipino pride? Who are you to question Philippines’ claiming of Jessica Sanchez?

The above questions are how I summarize the reactions of some Filipinos to the tweets of Courtney Blooding, Charice’s manager. Courtney just wanted to understand where the behavior or mentality of Philippine pride was coming from. She posted a question on Twitter, “Here is the question…Why do the Philippines claim Jessica Sanchez? Jessica was born an[d] raised in the US. I don’t THINK she speaks tagalog.” Instead of getting answers to her question, she got the ire of some Filipinos. Courtney was misunderstood. Her tweets were taken out of context. And her tweets ended up on the Internet news and later, on the TV news.

Let's BR (backread)

Before the tweets that were mentioned in the news, Courtney had been expressive (on Twitter) of how much she admired some contestants on the X Factor PH. Even during the auditions, she expressed her admiration for the many talented Filipino singers. Courtney wondered why these Filipino talents were not getting the attention in the Philippines. These tweets did not get to the news.

Courtney  remained puzzled and last September 1, she asked a question on Twitter why she had been hearing on Philippine radio stations a demo recording (by Alexandra Burke) of “Before It Explodes” instead of Charice’s version which was the one officially released. This led to Courtney’s wanting to understand why Charice was not getting support from her own country. She even asked if Charice should first make it big in the US just so she could get enough support from her home country. But then again, those tweets of Courtney did not become news.

Every weekend, Courtney gives updates on the X Factor PH to her followers on Twitter, especially for those who are outside the Philippines and cannot watch the show. A number of her tweets contained her admiration for great performances by the talents on the X Factor PH. These tweets showed her support to the Filipino talents.

If Courtney, an American, could praise and support Filipino talents, would she not do the same to Jessica Sanchez, who, for her, is an American? I don’t think Courtney has a mentality (preferring foreign to local) that Filipinos, in general, have that is why she has been at a loss in trying to understand that particular mentality.

Back to the news

Now back to Courtney’s question that made the news. For me, it was a valid question. If there is anything wrong in it, it is the source of the tweets. The tweets came from Courtney Blooding who is a foreigner, therefore, not a Filipino. Add to this, Courtney is Charice’s manager and the content of her tweets referred to Jessica Sanchez and the Philippine pride.

Generally speaking, Filipinos do not like that kind of question from a foreigner. Foreigners have no right to question what Filipinos like or what Filipinos are doing. No matter what the intentions are, it will be seen as wrong because it comes from a foreigner.

Filipinos have had so much pain already because of foreigners' telling them what was right or what was wrong. Filipinos could not stand being questioned. The first part of Courtney's tweet was a question ("Why do the Philippines claim Jessica Sanchez?") and not a sentence questioning something. For many years now, media people have used questions as a strategy to insinuate something or to stir a controversy. A question is used so that when a writer is criticized or reprimanded, he would say, "It was a question, not a statement." Under such conditioning, some Filipinos might have taken the question of Courtney as that—a sentence questioning something, instead of a question asking for an answer.


Let's answer the question

Some netizens have posted answers to Courtney's question. I would like to add mine. I will base my answer on what I remember from my history classes and from my experiences.

The Philippines was under the Spanish rule for more than 300 years…also under the Americans for (I can’t give a specific number of years)…also under the Japanese for 3 years.

Imagine this...Spain made Filipinos believe that they were of the lesser race; no right to education; were lazy people; were ugly with flat nose, dark-skinned and short in height. Not many opportunities were given to them. Many had accepted this kind of situation because Spain had made Filipinos believe in the goodness of suffering as preached in churches. Spain used religion to control the Philippines. Spain did not want to give education because it would be easier to conquer a group of people who were not educated, who were illiterate.

Americans came and gave Filipinos the right to education. That was a welcome treat. The teachers were Americans. Filipinos learned to read and write. Many learned to speak in English. (Being able to speak in English was equal to being educated and could command respect—some still use this equation.) They used American books that had many things about the beautiful America. Filipinos were also exposed to apples, chocolates and American brands which were called “state-side”—coming from the United States. The Americans were easily liked by the Filipinos because unlike the Spaniards, they were seen as friendly, generous, and did not treat the Filipinos as a lesser race. Americans treated the Filipinos as equal—they were the symbol of equality, liberty and democracy, after all. No matter if this was true (as many people would look at this as a strategy later on) or not, that was how the Filipinos, in general, looked (and still are looking) at the Americans. Also, Americans were white, with high-bridged nose, and tall. So, anything American was good and beautiful. And so, in that sense, anything Filipino was not good and not beautiful (again).

The Japanese were seen as being so cruel that there was a time in the Philippines when many movies were made to show the cruel, the bad, and the foolish Japanese soldiers. The Japanese stayed in the Philippines for three years and much more recent than the Spanish. They left the country in 1945, after WWII. The way we looked at the Japanese cruelty to our people gradually changed as more and more Filipinos went to Japan to work, mostly as entertainers—cultural performers, dancers and singers. Some Filipino women going there were looked down because they worked as hospitality girls at bars in Japan. But that also gradually changed because of the exposure to the progress and technological advancement of Japan. Anything electronics, including cars, that were made in Japan was considered good and beautiful. And those made in the Philippines were not good and not beautiful (again) in that respect.

So, when a Filipino (no matter how small the percentage of Filipino blood running in his or her veins) becomes successful in another country (it has to be outside the Philippines because it is an indication that he or she is among others of a different race or races when the success is achieved), the Philippines takes pride in whatever kind of achievement it may be. It is an indication that Filipinos, who were once belittled and considered an inferior race, can do it. There is, however, a caution to this going away from the Philippines.

When a Filipino has gone to other countries and comes home bringing with him or her a part of the foreign culture like language and fashion, it’s considered negative. This kind of thinking could also be influenced by the colonization, especially under the Spanish rule. If a Filipino (even if he or she did not go to Spain) had a hint of being Spanish , who was the enemy at that time, he or she would become the talk of the town. The value given to “being a true Filipino” was of highest importance. Filipinos should be united and should not lose their being Filipinos.

This thinking has gone forward up to the present time, no matter from what foreign country one has gone to. But the USA is special because, for the Filipinos, among the foreign countries,  it is in the top rank of what is good and beautiful. A Filipino who continues to speak the native language, retains physical looks, etc. will be hailed as someone who is a true Filipino. In addition, this may also come from a very dear saying, “Ang hindi marunong lumingon sa pinanggalingan ay hindi makararating sa paroroonan.” (Someone who does not look back to his origin will not be able to reach his destination.) This saying could have different interpretations in terms of looking back to one’s origin, the Filipino origin. So, if a Filipino has actions similar to Americans, even if the US is seen as the good and the beautiful, he or she is seen as someone not doing the right thing, as someone not being a true Filipino.


Let's take a second look

Courtney also tweeted, "If only the people of the Philippines would stop looking elsewhere and focus on local things, maybe they could see the value of many of the great people and resources there. Many great things and people there. It's just a group mentality that it's not good enough."  As an outsider, Courtney sees things many of us do not see. I hope we consider taking a second look at where we are now exactly.

This whole thing reminded me of a Japanese soldier, Lt. Hiroo Onoda, who hid in the Philippine jungle for many years after the World War II had ended. He was in hiding because he did not know that the war was over. He hid because of fear.

Filipinos should fear no more.

.