Why ‘Pinoy Pride’ Is Toxic
This is not how you should express patriotism
Pinoy Pride in its most common sense, is unhinged and misplaced. It is branded as a form of patriotism that certifies the country and its people’s superiority among others. It may seem positive on the surface but in reality, the Pinoy Pride attitude is just a toxic reminder and celebration of Filipinos’ racial insecurity, supremacist outlook, and thirst for Western validation.
The mission and vision of Pinoy Pride is fairly easy to understand. It’s an ultranationalist assertion to promote the Filipino national identity and shared characteristics. This form of patriotism exhibits how easy it is to celebrate the country’s race and culture only when a Filipino athlete or beauty queen takes the international spotlight. It imposes a sense of pride on Filipinos when they learn that they share ethnicity or geographical origin with somebody famous. It champions Filipinos as the greatest race in the world, and while there is nothing wrong with a little hyperbole and personal bias, it’s problematic when xenophobia and conceit start to play a role.
It is hypocritical when an audience lavishly celebrates a Filipino singer that gains international popularity, while promising local indie acts are continually labeled as jeje. It is ironic when the romanticization of Filipino resilience makes the front page, when the struggles caused by the crooked system are nothing to be proud of. It is racially chauvinist when Filipina Beauty is only relevant if she’s a half breed and makes a spot on Top Model — otherwise, she’s just another brown face. It’s a tragic reality of the culture that will probably outlive us all. The sad thing is that it is a fault beyond any of us because it’s an issue that stems from many years ago.
Jessica Tracy, author of Pride: The Secret Of Success (2016), recognizes two kinds of pride — authentic and hubristic. Authentic pride is the emotional rush of accomplishment rooted in self-assurance, positivity and assertiveness. Hubristic pride, on the other hand, is an embedded narcissism, arrogance, and conceit that may be suffused by insecurity and shame. By definition, hubris is a quality of intense or senseless overconfidence over a possessed trait or quality. In the case of Pinoy Pride, the trait in question is race.
“Hubris means deadly pride, Percy. Thinking you can do things better than anyone else… Even the gods.”
— The Sea Of Monsters (Riordan, 2006)
Authentic pride takes over one’s senses once they reap victory because of their hard work and perseverance — much like Catriona Gray winning Miss Universe after years of professional training. On the contrary, if she feels like she won because she’s half Filipino, genetically gifted, or spiritually fated, then she’s likely hubristic pride-positive. The Filipino audience is generally possessive of locals who thrive elsewhere — regardless if their Filipino roots or connections are far-flung. The hubristic Pinoy Pride champions the idea that everyone is part of the success and it brings an illusion that if one of the group is recognized, then the rest are just as visible to the world — like a freeloader basking the perks of being grouped with the hardworking kids.
The Philippines bathes in talent daily even without Simon Cowell or Hollywood’s approval — just look at the traditional craftsmen and local karaoke bars. There are stellar artists and game changers within the country’s 7,107 islands, and it’s not because they’re Filipinos or because their close distance to the equator genetically mutated them as much more talented than the rest of the world — it just so happened that in this part of the Earth, art is a significant element of culture and working hard is (sadly) a key out of the third-world life.
”It turns out, people who have the hubristic collective pride in their group, underlying it all is an insecurity about whether the group is good enough, really."
— Group pride rooted in insecurity (Tracy, 2008)
To be fair, the ethnic and cultural inferiority among Filipinos is just an acceptable response to years of colonization and racism. A study by Jeanna Bryner showed that individuals that tend to boast and gloat turn out to have low social status or vulnerability to threats from other groups (2007). Pride can sometimes be a contradictory form of insecurity and if you come from a group that is normally deemed inadequate, some validation may feel like they prove your worth. This type of thinking can be traced to a large-scale superiority complex that craves for constant assurance and reminder that, hey, we’re not so bad at all, we can achieve great things, too. Conceivably, Filipinos could feel dearth of things to be proud of as a nation, so they clasp on any form of recognition. Insecure people on social media commonly weigh their value through number of likes. Instagram recently removed that feature as an effort to improve the mental and emotional health of their users. Similarly, Filipinos get a sense of validation when someone from another country hits that like and share button (literally and figuratively). While Pinoy Pride is a fairly reasonable retaliation to stereotypes, it does not diminish the fact that it is passive and counter-productive.
The Filipino Patriotism comes in many colors, and the toxicity of Pinoy Pride is just a strip of the rainbow. The country is generally consist of a mixed bag with varied nationalist expressions, and it just so happened that the Pinoy Pride niche resides in a negative light. By definition, patriotism is the “devotion to and vigorous support for one’s country.” Unprejudiced patriotism can be expressed in many forms. A person can honor his country simply by buying from local businesses, supporting local artists and passing on Filipino values. There is no crime in the manifestation of racial and cultural dignity; in fact, Filipinos should embody authentic pride — everyone should. There is no need to pend the value of Filipino identity, until it comes with a a foreign stamp — that is exactly how to got colonized! There is nothing wrong with celebrating a kababayan’s triumph, but there is also no need to magnify every little form of recognition and wear them around as proof of racial superiority. It is not about denying cultural strengths, but rather embracing them along with the weaknesses and allowing them to speak for themselves.
There are many things to still celebrate, despite the numerous national struggles. There are beautiful Filipino words such as kilig, paraluman and bayanihan; there are progressive local businesses such as Human Nature, that protects the environment and supports local farming communities; there are agile leaders such as Vico Sotto, who prioritizes public interest more than anything and anyone else; there are marvelous beaches and destinations that need further protection and preservation; there are highly diversified skills and talents among Filipinos, and; a prodigious and extraordinary history makes up the Philippines. The thirst for external validation does not run out because it only craves for more. If anything, use pride as fuel for inspiration and self-esteem.
There are endless things to take pride from other than Cardi B eating lumpia and Meghan Markle learning to say, “salamat po.” Learn to genuinely love your background and origin, not only when it is convenient or self-serving. Embrace your culture, neighbor and every bit of Filipino in you. In the end, it will make you a content and authentic Proud Pinoy.
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sources:
Anderson, Dave. “Pride and insecurity are linked.” Anderson Leadership Solutions, 2017
Barnes, Seth. “Group pride rooted in insecurity.” Radical Living by Seth Barnes, 2006
Riordan, Rick. “Sea of Monsters.” Disney Hyperion, 2006
Tani, Red. “The ugly side of Pinoy Pride.” Philippine Daily Inquirer, 2015
