Artists of all kinds come from the Philippines. Filipina singer and actress Lea Salonga, who sings as Mulan in the original Mulan and Jasmine in Aladdin, first began performing at family parties. Filipino-American Olivia Rodrigo, who played a part-Filipina character named Nini in High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, won three Grammy awards with her debut ‘Sour’ album at 19. Additionally, half-Filipino singer Bruno Mars started to pursue a career in entertainment after being inspired by fellow musicians around him, which included his family. Filipino culture connects and inspires these performers, as well as a variety of others in the entertainment industry and audiences worldwide
“Olivia Rodrigo is a huge star, she’s become such an important figure in pop music, [which] is impressive and so great for Filipino culture,” theater teacher Phil Reid said. You also can’t forget about Manny Pacquiao. He’s also a massive entertainer who does everything: boxing, politics [and] he had a singing career at one point.”
Manny Pacquiao grew up in one of the numerous provinces in the Philippines until the age of 14 when he moved to the capital, Manila, and lived on the streets. He started his professional boxing career two years later in 1995, during which he earned 12 major world titles, solidifying his eminence in Philippine history. Years later, Pacquiao had a brief, yet influential singing career;his singing resonates with the Filipino community due to the prominence of music in Filipino culture. Music surrounds many Filipinos as they grow over the years, whether it is through parents singing old folktales and lullabies or karaoke with cousins.
“Whenever I think of Filipinos I think of my grandmother and her karaoke machine [and how] every party, you’re always singing, you’re always performing,” Reid said. “I think that’s just kind of a mainstay for Filipino entertainment.”
In addition to singing and performing being a part of Filipino culture, another contributor to the success of Filipinos in the entertainment industry is their work ethic.
“[Filipinos] put so much hard work into their music and to grow as a singer and gain all those skills,” junior Nicky Habulin said.
Other than culture and dedication, a third factor in the effervescence that Filipino artists, actors and actresses in the music and entertainment industry spread through their art.
“Filipinos are amazing entertainers. We see so many great Filipino stars, they’re just naturally born,” Reid said. “The biggest thing I would say about Filipinos is just how much energy they have and how much they put that energy into performance.”
Furthermore, Filipino representation in the media significantly impacts generations of all ages.
“One of the biggest things [about growing up here] is that because there wasn’t much Filipino representation in the media when I was a kid, my parents weren’t speaking Tagalog in the household,” Reid said. “They really wanted me to stay Americanized and know English only. I feel like if there was more representation, I would’ve been more into learning Tagalog and being a part of [my] culture.”
Although older generations that grew up in the United States lacked representation of their cultures, younger generations are lucky to have the option for more diversity in media.
“Growing up, I’ve been watching Filipino artists, and they’ve always been such an inspiration to me,” Habulin said.
No matter how one is raised, it’s important to appreciate and learn the traditions of others.
“Do research, learn about different cultures through real life and through your own studies,” junior Juliana Sanchez Halpern said. “It’s very important to have different perspectives in life. Especially here in McLean, we are in our own bubble, so I’d say learning from different people is the best way you can help push for representation.”
Becoming more educated on another’s background provides support and connects people across different cultures.
“[When I moved] here I felt kind of isolated from my culture, like I want to be more part of it,” Habulin said. “I want to be more knowledgeable about Filipino culture and just seeing actors in the media makes me feel like I could be one of them.”
