Pinoy Problems: The Pinoy Pride

We Filipinos are very fond of our kababayan's who was able to make it in the international scene. May it be through sports like Mannny Pacquiao, entertainment with Charice and Jessica Sanchez, fashion with Rajo Laurel and Maxi Sinco and many other fields. We like to refer to them as Pinoy Pride.

This term being widely used in various, if not all on forms of social media has been raped and murdered by various people that somehow, it gives a negative impression to what should have been a thing to be proud of. Take for example the recent season of American Idol in which one of the finalist was half Pinoy. I like her too, don't get me wrong but all of her videos are flooded with comments like " Go Jessica! We support you here in the Philippines! Pinoy Pride!" to the very possessive ones like "Go Jessica, Pinoy yan! Ang galing talaga ng Pinoy kahit saan!". I know that is was one prideful moment for us Pinoy's that one of our own was able to make internationally, I don't think rubbing it off to everyone's faces would do anyone any good. What makes it worse is that if someone criticizes any "Pinoy Pride" it will automatically be racism, which is absurd since everyone is entitled to have their own opinion. We have been untiringly using Pinoy Pride everywhere so why can't they?  It pains me to see such proud moment turn into racial debacle when it could have been avoided in the first place if we would only control ourselves and our Pinoy Pride. 

But the bigger question is, are we recognizing the right "Pinoy Pride"?

I once saw this article about Cynthia Alexander leaving the country for good. If you don't know Cynthia Alexander, she's a singer-song writer as well as a bassist and instrumentalist. She has been in the Philippine  music scene ever since I was a kid and was considered as one of the best artist there is. Imagine our own talent, whose artistry graced the very soil of the Philippines, leaving for lack of support from people who is so obsessed with international stellar. Shame, really. Cynthia is only one of those artist who tries so hard to woe her own countrymen, and in return we ignore them for we prefer bright lights and dollar sign. 

Where's your Pinoy Pride now?