April 23, 2003
You're Out!
The other day we were discussing in class the politics of outing, and how hapa studies also theorizes outing -- a similar epistemology of the closet, as it were. The premise here is that mixed-race Asians who may look phenotypically Caucasian may experience a kind of coming-out process as well. The conversation naturally turned to hapa celebrities who hadn't "come out" -- not that this was necessarily a required thing, and not that their "silence" meant that they were somehow ashamed, or in denial, or afraid that they would be typecast in Asian roles -- and I think the talk winded down with "Well, it would be nice if Keanu Reeves acknowledged his Asian origins once in a while" or something like that. (We also discussed Asian men in gay porn, but my student Jesse has already blogged about it.)
Anyway, much of this was still on my mind a couple of days later when I went into my anthropology class and was talking about that comic genius, Rob Schneider, who is part-Filipino. Schneider, in his movies, routinely sneaks in some joke or reference to something only other Filipinos would understand. (I once had the privilege of interviewing Pilar Schneider, Rob's mom, who was running for re-election to the Pacifica, California school board. Her husband came too, and showed me photographs. Man, I'd never seen such prouder parents! "He doesn't behave that badly," she said, referring to the then upcoming premiere of Men Behaving Badly.)
So here are a few current celebs, off the top of my head, who some of you readers may not know are indeed part-Filipino or of Filipino descent or are people who are probably Filipino but whose identity I can't be quite sure:
- Tia Carrere.
- Lou Diamond Phillips. (Both of them, as well as Schneider, are quite active in the campaign for Filipino veterans' equity rights.)
- Kirk Hammett, from Metallica.
- Shannyn Sossamon (I have no idea who she is, but my students mentioned her, and I can't be bothered to IMDB her right now)
- Joey Santiago, from the Pixies, one of the greatest bands in the world. (I thought he was Latino, given their sometimes Spanish lyrics, but he's Filipino.)
- the Baluyut brothers from Versus.
- I think David Pajo from Slint and Tortoise and Aerial M and Zwan is Filipino, but I'm not sure either.
- and of course you know DJ QBert (and a good number of the Invisibl Skratch Piklz) are Filipino.
- um, Enrique Iglesias is part Filipino.
- Phoebe Cates isn't, but everyone in my high school thought she was. (A Burmese friend of mine claimed that everyone in Burma thought she was part-Burmese.)
- Prince (I swear, I'd claim him as one of my people in a heartbeat if I had positive, documented proof. But as far as I'm concerned it's all completely unsubstantiated, even though Filipinos say "I think I read it in a magazine somewhere," kind of like people's responses when asked for proof of the Saddam-bin Laden connection. In any case, just because Prince is short and horny doesn't mean he's Filipino.)
And finally my students mentioned some other name I wasn't familiar with: "Cris Judd," someone said. "Who?" I asked and the class laughed.
So I looked him up:
Oh, okay. I guess he's a celeb now.
Shannyn Sossamon, she was in that movie 40 days and 40 nights, she's pretty cute. My friend (also Filipina) thinks she only has just enough Filipino in her to make her that "exotic" type. Truth be told, I really see her as a hot brunette more than anything else and was surprised to find out she was anything more than a Euro-mut.
Posted by: jesse on April 23, 2003 10:55 PMEnrique Iglesias isn't, actually.
Posted by: lia on April 28, 2003 08:30 PMJoey santiago used to claim that his parents had the second Cadillac in the Phillipines (after the Marcos family).
Posted by: david on May 1, 2003 06:50 AMEnrique IS part filipino. He is half latino/spanish and half fili
Posted by: kelly on June 25, 2003 08:17 PMHello, I am a big Enrique Iglesias fan. he is half philipine. watch the Vh1 biography on him. a nice touching story if I may add. Adios!
Posted by: Carla on July 6, 2003 04:49 AMPhoebe Cates’ mother if a Filipina. E-Online Biographical Fact proves it.
http://www.eonline.com/Facts/People/Bio/0,128,2892,00.html
http://www.kcweb.com/super/p_cates.htm
Enrique Iglesias' mother is a famous personality in Spain. She is from an old rich clan in the Philippines who used to be in the sugar production industry. Visit http://www.isabelpreysler.com/
Posted by: carlo on July 19, 2003 08:34 PMlia is wrong. enrique igleisas is a quarter filipino.
Posted by: Coreena on November 18, 2003 01:25 PMOh yeah...hottie Enrique is part filipino. His mother is a Isabel Preysler, a Filipina beauty queen. His grandmother still lives in the Philippines. Just go to www.Isabelpreysler.com
She has the whole section of the Philippines on her website.
Posted by: Carmi on November 18, 2003 01:37 PMAn oppressive government is more to be feared than a tiger
Posted by: Polk Khary on December 10, 2003 05:59 PMOther Flipinos in the international music/movie industry are 1.) Lea Salonga- a Tony awardee, original Kim of Broadway's Miss Saigon. 2.) Billy Crawford - has an upcoming Hollywood film, toured with the N Sync, he's big in the European music scene, (hey, even Mandy Moore claimed to be his ex girl) 3.)Apl de Ap from the band Black Eyed Peas- group behind the hit song Where Is the Love 4.) Mutya Bueno of Sugababes - British girl band 5.)Ernie Reyes Jr - first Filipino in Hollywood to have proudly bannered his heritage -he made several films including the successful franchise of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. 6.)
The EWOKS in Return of the Jedi are part Filipino or at least mutter Tagolog and Visayas phrases..
Posted by: jay on February 18, 2004 04:14 PMI heard sean paul even though jamaican born his father's an argentinian and his mother is (u guessed it) filipino, as well as Rob Schneider. Obviously all these celebrities got Filipino Mothers. Mail Order Brides are one the country's biggest exports ;)
Posted by: RobD on March 26, 2004 02:01 PMtignan mo ang iyong palad, kalyado mong kamay sa hirap ng buhay, dami mong problema nakuha mo pang ngumiti noypi ka nga astig! saan ka man naroroon wag kang matatakot sa baril o patalim sa bakas na madilim.. hoy!! pinoy ako buo aking loob may agimat ang dugo ko!!!
Posted by: aiam on April 12, 2004 09:02 PMsean paul is actually chinese, and so is phoebe cates, but she could have some filipino in her, i can't remember.
there is a canadian singer emm gryner, who is german-filipina. and an actress on that andromeda show with kevin sorbo is half filipino. the guy who played the crow in the tv show is also part filipino, mark dacascos, is it? so many...
Posted by: sara on April 15, 2004 04:33 AMYOURE FORGETTING CHAD HUGO OF THE NEPTUNES! HE'S A FAMILY MAN, SO HE DOESNT TRAVEL. HE ACTUALLY PUT HIS FAMILY BEFORE HIS CAREER, HENCE WHY PHARRELL GETS MOST OF THE ATTENTION.
Posted by: cj on April 28, 2004 01:44 AMHoy wala namang mga pilipino sa mga ito. Mga kalahati lang. Ang isang noypi ay hindi nahihiya kung ang ilong nya ay pango. Wag nating ankinin ang hindi lumingon sa kanilang pinang-galingan!!
Posted by: bisaya espesyal on May 10, 2004 02:02 PMWhat about Rob Schneider? He is half filipino. That is why he has so many filipino references in all his movies.
Posted by: Edgar Espina on May 18, 2004 08:50 PMFamous Filipinos:
*Don Panch(pOpstarz live)
*Jasmine Trias (american idOl)
*Guy Sebastion (australian idOl)
*chAd Hugo (NeRd)
*apl.de.ap (black eyed peaZ)
*Enrique Iglesias, Sean Paul n mOre..
"FilipinOz r taKing oVher the wOrld"..accept it cOz u gOn hab 2!
Posted by: Rainer on May 19, 2004 07:49 AM