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Shall biracial candidates represent a country? This has been an issue in the Philippines even before. Some Filipino pageant savvies seek for the so-called “pure Filipina beauty,” who is a brunet with tanned skin. Furthermore, candidates will surely be criticized by these Filipinos when their last names sound too American or too foreign.
Nowadays, I firmly believe that there’s no such thing as “pure Filipina.”
“Why?” you might ask?
How should a Filipino look like?
The Philippines was colonized not just once, not just twice but thrice by the Spaniards, Americans, and Japanese! Modern Filipinos don’t have 100% Filipino blood. Whether we are aware about it or not, all of us have at least American, Spanish, and Japanese ancestry. Include those a few Chinese businessmen who stayed for quite a long time in the Philippines and eventually married Filipinas.
When I was in my third grade, I also remember that during the early times, our country was visited as well by Indians and Arabians. This led me to conclude that Filipinos have such ancestry even only a small percentage.
If there shall be a rule that only pure Filipinas will be allowed in a pageant, I bet no one would qualify. If someone is seeking for a pure Filipina, he must be seeking for a very short woman who has a flat nose, dark skin and frizzy hair. Coz that’s how our natives look like before these colonizers and visitors arrived in our country.
Don’t get me wrong here. I’m not belittling native Filipinos. I’m just describing it and I’m not saying anything.
Our Delegates
Take a look at these two winners of the recently held Bb. Pilipinas, Christi McGary (Miss Intercontinental Philippines) and Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach (Miss Universe Philippines).
Christi McGary is a half-American and half-Filipino who was raised in New Jersey, United States. Her American features most especially her height has become an advantage for her to outstand in the competition. Though speaks a little of Filipino [most of the times, she uses English in her interview], she does consider herself as a Filipina. She could have represented the United States but since she loves our country so much and is proud of her Filipino race, she wholeheartedly chose to represent the Philippines.
On the other hand is Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach. She is 50% Filipina 50% German and she was born Stuttgart, Baden-Wurttembeg, Germany. Pia’s face doesn’t indeed fall under the “pure Filipina” category. On Latina pages, many say that Pia looks like a Latina and this is such a great compliment.
Most of our delegates have some foreign features as well. Venus Raj (Miss Universe 2010) and her last name, shall I say more? Janine Tugonon (Miss Universe 2012) might have the nearest features of a Filipina (Malay descent) but still not a hundred percent. She was tanned more before she flew to the USA to compete the Miss Universe.
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| Via missology.info |
Additionally, many Latinos noticed Shamcey Supsup (2011), Ariella Arida (2013) and Mary Jean Lastimosa (2014) have Latina features as well.
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| Shamcey Supsup, Miss Universe 3rd Runner up via starmometer |
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| Mary Jean Lastimosa, Top 10 Miss Universe |
Can I just forget Megan Young who is crowned as Miss World 2013?
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| Megan Lynne Young, Miss World 2013 from the Philippines |
Conclusion
This just proves that nowadays, we cannot [or should I say it’s rare] to find 100% Filipinas in a pageant.
Our country is really a melting pot of culture and faces. A Filipino can look like an Asian, Malay, White or Latina. One must not demand when someone looks like a foreigner for as long as she is proud of her Filipino blood, no matter how foreigner does she look, she deserves to represent the Philippines. After all, we are all mixed. We are not just aware of it.
Being 100% Filipina is not defined by how someone looks or by her surname. It is defined by someone’s love and passion for the country.
Pinoy beauty. :D
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