“American Idol” ng mga Puti

Sanaysay
Mayo 25, 2012

“American Idol” ng mga Puti

Ni Arturo P. Garcia

Magsasabi ako ng totoo. Itinuturing ko ang American Idol bilang isang bersyon ng “Hunger Games.”

Hindi ako nanonood ng American Idol, una dahil ito ay isang palabas ng rasistang istasyon ng media na Fox- na tinig din ng mga Republikanong anti-migrante at laban sa mga mamamayang may kulay at hindi puti.

Nagpapasalamat nga ako at nasa eroplano ako at di napanood ang resulta. Nalaman ko lang ito pagdating ko sa LAX at lumabas ang lahat ng mura sa lahat ng wikang alam ko sa galit.

Siyang tunay na hindi pa handa ang Amerika sa isang Asyano, babae at isang Pilipina.

Malalim talaga ang ugat ng rasismo at nagtagumpay nagwagayway ang bandilang Confederate ng Georgia. Sino ang magsasabing tapos na ang gyera sibil sa Amerika matapos ang 150 taon ng di umano’y tagumpay ng Unyon?

Kayat inaasahan ko nang hindi mananalo si Jessica, kahit na puno ng pag-asa ang mga kapwa Pilipino. Hindi ko sila sinasala sa kanilang pag-asa. Dahil alam ko namang matututo din ang mga Pilipino sa kanilang madugong karanasan sa rasismo ng Amerika.

Sa halip napuyat pa nga ako sa pagboto kasama sa isang “voting session”sa Virginia kasama ang mga Pilipino sa Maryland at Virginia. Kasama akong pumalakpak sa magandang pagpapakita at pagkanta ni Jessica. Napatunayan ko ang kasabihang lagging sinasabi ng aking ama: “The singer not the song.”

Maraming nagsasabi na na sour grapes daw ang reaksyon natin. Natural lang yon lalo na at alam at napatunayan mong rasista pa rin ang Amerika. Dapat nga hindi American Idol ang show na ito. Dapat palitan na nila itong “White American Idol.”

Pero hindi si Jessica ang nawalan kundi ang Fox at American idol ng ipakait nila ang karangalang ito. Ito ay dahil siya ay Pilipina at Asyano.Nabubuwist lang ako sa sweet lemon reaction ng marami lalo ng mga nasa gobyerno ng Pilipinas at mga artistang maka-Amerikano. Panalo parin daw si Jessica, kahit natalo.

Ang talo ay talo. Kahit ano sabihin mo talo pa rin. “Bagoong and Talong. Kamatis at bagoong” sabi nga ng mga bata! Panumbat sa mga talunan.

Kitang kita nakayuko si Philips dahil alam niya sa puso niya na bagamat siya ang American Idol, si Jessica ang idolo ng masa at madla.

Diyan naman ako bilib sa mga tunay na Amerikano, sila ay tunay at tapat( honest) at hindi pretentious. Di tulad nating Pilipino na nagmana sa mga among Kastila, inaapi na nakangiti pa rin at nagpapasalamat pa sa singhal, bugbog at alipusta ng among asendero.

Sabi nga ng isang Pilipinang tagahanga ni Jessica; “Suportado naming si Jessica, dahil pagtumindig siya at umawit, dala niya ang bansang Pilipinas. Hindi siya nagiisa. Tangan niya ang bandila ng Pilipinas.”

Sa mga mapaklang lemonadang lalo na ang mga sipsip pa rin sa Amerika, dina kayo nadala. Sinabi na nga ng Amerika na hindi siya makikialam sa laban ng Tsina at Pilipinas, asa pa kayong susuporta ang mga puti sa atin. Mga hanggal! Mga isip-tuta talaga!

Tapos pupurihin pa ninyo si Jessica, bilang tunay na American Idol, talo na nga, pwe!

Nagpapasalamat pa rin ako sa palabang diwa at makabayang damdamin ng lahat ng Pilipino sa Amerika maging sa ating inang bayang Pilipinas. Saludo ako sa inyong lahat.

Hindi man tayo tanggap ng rasistang Amerika, patuloy tayong makikibaka para makamtan ang tunay na pagkakapantay-pantay.

Tulad ng iba pang mamamayang may kulay ( people of color), alam natin mahaba pa ang ating lalakbayin.

Ang pagkatalo ni Jessica ay isang patunay na marami pang hadlang sa ating layunin.

Ngunit inspirado pa rin tayo ng batong pananda ni Martin Luther King Jr:

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

Mangahas Makibaka, Kamtin ang Tagumpay!

White American Idol

May 24, 2012

White American Idol

The confederate flag flies proudly when Philip Philips won the American Idol.

On the other hand, the star and stripes of the Union that stood for equality lay in the dust.

The flag that many people of color learned to love, a symbol of equality was struck down when the racist Fox did not accept an Asian American as a winner and did all it can to make another “White Guy With Guitar” win as the American Idol at the expense of talented  Asian female Jessica Sanchez.

It was an affront to all women of color. A slap in the face of all people who had talent and all Asian Americans most especially to the Filipinos in America.

We cannot help to explain the political implications of this “Idol” win. First, it is contentious and dashed the hope of so many people. It is just the feeling of “hoping against hope” that the Filipino American community banded together to make Jessica Sanchez and just to see their hopes dashed.

Second, the symptoms and signs were there. While Jessica was given  the  short straw, Philips were given a standing ovation by the Idol judges. She was given a song, yet  she interpreted it to the best of ability. Philips stuck to the American country songs, as if setting himself up for the kill.

And last, Other analyst explained that the usual Midwest votes made Philips win. The Filipino-American community and other people of color votes does not matter, we have to accept the fact, that we are still a minority in this country and we cannot win. This is  a fact of life we must painfully accept.

Jessica’s fate is the same as the fate of our community. Just like the equity bill that we are pushing for more than 20 years in the US Congress. All we get are accolades but no benefits or recognition for our World War II veterans and their survivors.

Even Japanese   American senator says “Filipinos are only good for the lump sum”.

Well, the American Idol says, Jessica is only good as a runner up. That is their verdict and we heard it loud and clear.

We now tell the, they must change the show into :White American idol” and not let any people of color join the contest. For them,  only white people are good singers anyways.

And don’t get me wrong. Don’t say we are just sour graping. First, there are no grapes in the Philippines and we love sour  food. We use vinegar as sour seasoning for adobo and other foods we served. We are use to sour things.

But what we cannot accept is  injustice and  uneven  play or a set-up like what American Idol did.

That’s what America did when they left the Philippines under three years of Japanese rule during the  Second World War. From 1942-1945.

50 years earlier they came to the Philippines they said they came to save the Philippines just to occupy it fought a war of pacification called the “Philippine Insurrection” from 1899-1916 and made it their first colony together with Cuba and Puerto Rico and all Spanish possessions like Guam and the Marianas.

That is what America is saying, that they will come to the aid of the Philippines  as stated in the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) against China if ever a shooting war erupts. But I doubt if they will keep their promise.

The (White) American Idol showed us the folly of believing  that America is “the land of equality” . We learned if the hard way after the result of the AI.

But Filipinos are made of hard stuff. A different kind of stuff. We will continue to struggle on and win. To hope against hope.

 If last night of 2012, America is not ready for an Asian American Idol, maybe there will come a time, when that idea has it time, it will come!

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