Olivia Rodrigo, race, and Asian representation

[@bbygang]

thanks for watching. asian representation, and the politics that go behind what corporations offer in terms of representation of BIPOC people and culture, is a touchy subject. it often erases the unique histories and ethnic diversities of different asian peoples. for more perspective on the subject of biraciality and filipinidad, i spoke to fil-am writer matthew urwin, whose essay we cite in the video. i asked for his thoughts on advantages and struggles might a mixed-race Filipino person face in Western society. here are some things he shared with us: " My ethnic background is Filipino and a mix of possibly German, Irish, Polish, and other European countries (my family isn’t entirely sure, so don’t quote me on the European stuff). I’m comfortable identifying as Filipino American, White-Filipino American, and Asian American. That depends on what we mean by 'mixed-race' Filipino. As a White-Filipino American, I definitely feel like the advantage grows with having a White name, having wealthier White relatives, and so on. I haven’t had to deal with having to pronounce my name to people or people mocking me for having an “Asian-sounding” name. I also think that mixed White-Filipinos like myself benefit from having lighter skin, especially when compared to darker mixed-race Filipinos. On the other hand, I feel like no person of color has been spared from the xenophobia pervading this country in recent times. I personally have dealt with anti-Asian sentiment from White men, and I know people with more distinct Asian features and darker skin have endured far worse (I can’t speak for them, though, so I’ll leave it at that). I do think there is also a discomfort when being around White-dominated spaces. Even though I’m half-White, that doesn’t mean I see White people as my people, and I wouldn’t be surprised if many White-Filipino Americans feel the same way. As a result, it becomes harder to determine where you belong, especially if Whites see you as ’not White’ and Filipinos/Asians see you as an ‘other’ as well. In short, I think mixed-race Filipinos-especially White-Filipino Americans-receive a combination of privileges and pressures. Again, I can only speak from the perspective of a White-Filipino American. I’d recommend trying to reach out to more mixed-race Filipinos since I can’t speak for multiracial Filipinos as a whole. Taking this train of thought to the entertainment space, I think singers like Olivia Rodrigo have the advantages of being lighter-skinned (I couldn’t tell she was a person of color upon first glance until I heard her name) and feeling comfortable in an English-speaking environment. These facts become glaring when you compare Olivia Rodrigo’s 'SOUR' to Ruby Ibarra’s 'Circa91.' I’m not sure if Ibarra is that much darker than Rodrigo, but she isn’t afraid to sing about her skin color and the challenges she’s faced in a White-washed world. Ibarra also includes Tagalog lyrics, refusing to succumb to the desires of those around her who want her to solely speak English. You hear Rodrigo’s songs all over the radio, but I don’t recall hearing a single song by Ibarra on a mainstream station."

[@Chelzzz0613]

As a 1st Gen Filipino American I think Olivia’s proximity to whiteness is one of the reasons why she is put on a pedestal by the media. But one thing I wonder is why now? Like you mentioned, we already have plenty of successful Filipino Americans… so why now? Why the sudden emphasis on her being part Filipino? Why weren’t we emphasizing these other artists and actors for representing Filipino/FilAm people?

[@Bulshitero]

Because these hollywood bigwigs have just now realized how marketable Filipino$ are.

[@jennypai1776]

There are many Americans of "full" Filipino descent yet Hollywood thinks only half whites should represent Filipinos. It all boils down to what is a "palatable Filipino" to Hollywood. Also, it appears that Olivia's knowlegde of Filipino culture is basically just "lumpia". Even Apl.de.Ap is a better representative because he ACTUALLY grew up in the Filipino culture

[@arlenec3983]

To be honest she’s the first Filipina-American artist that’s very popular mainstream and a household name around the world. She can be the next mega-star of her generation. Because She’s breaking all the records, and she’s just 20. She’s also the first Filipina to make the front cover of US Vogue. I think Olivia is very talented but have to admit people are also mesmerized by her beauty. She and Lola Tung are currently the IT girls, both Asian Americans who are bi-racial.

[@cheskaarana6097]

Remember Apl.de.ap/Black Eyed Peas? They put Filipino culture in the zeitgeist in the early 2000s (They even have Filipino pride/Tagalog songs) but I'm guessing you're a bit younger. Also, Nicole Scherzinger from Pussycat Dolls.

[@buenaobraa]

hello bruno mars

[@hopeworldrighthere3945]

Also Filipino American here. I honestly do wonder how Olivia is the "first" highly successful Filipino American in this generation. We have Bruno Mars who has been in the music industry way now longer. We have Nicole also, who was successful way before both Bruno and Olivia. It is really suspicious how these media pages "care" now, but they only choose to "care" about Olivia and not other Filipino-American POC celebrities

[@itsbrutalouthere8097]

it's bc bruno and nicole never fully acknowledged their filipino heritage unlike olivia who grew up in an age when race is such a huge internet debate.

[@TattoedKiss]

Isn't Bella Porch too? Not an american so I don't know how famous she is there

[@3tricopos]

@@TattoedKiss Bella was born in Filipinas

[@米和光芒]

Olivia is not Filipino. She’s pt.

[@qrino]

@@米和光芒 Olivia is Birracial, shes Filipino-American

[@sakunaruful]

Lea Salonga has been around longer than Olivia. She’s the singing voice for Jasmine and Mulan. Plus, She has been in Les Miserables and Miss Saigon.

[@arwen_candl]

Filipino here! I’ve always joked that Filipino genes are “booster” genes. Filipinos are generally only considered beautiful/handsome when its mixed with another race (usually white). (Yes, I do understand that people also see full Filipinas as beautiful, particularly white males, but a lot of it is fetishisation. Don’t get me started there.) So to see western media paint mixed Filipinos as “ground breaking” or pushing the boundaries of Asian portrayal put me off greatly. Maybe years ago when there was no representation at all it would be acceptable but there are a lot of mixed Filipinos already there. If a full Filipino was put in that spot, the portrayal would be VERY different from Olivia’s portrayal. (Full Filipinos in this climate would barely get a seat on the table and if they had, it would be a cliche portrayal/“story”). Plus, the one even pushing this narrative is white people in the media. They’re giving us the bare minimum, we shouldn’t have to accept that. I just feel like how the western media pushes Olivia’s image is very... tokenistic, if that makes sense.

[@ainmiky4620]

Omg finally a Pinay without the colonized mentality who sees sh!t the way they are. I 100% agree with u on this.

[@markangelogarcia2136]

Isn't Bella Poarch full Filipina though, I see her face everywhere nowadays,

[@ainmiky4620]

@@markangelogarcia2136 she is

[@ykl2555]

Agree. Just how the media and the industry tried so hard stopping an asian group of artists from rising and one of the factors is they(this group) don't let this industry control them and ain't giving them that money western artists do. Being mainstream, dominating and being big big in a land they're not from. But they failed big time. Until now they're still being discredited. A lot wonder what if they ain't asian, the media and the industry would prolly push them so hard 🤔

[@cheskaarana6097]

@@ainmiky4620 Same with beabadoobee.

[@michaellajabla1672]

LOVE that last line "how do THEY choose to represent US." Overall AMAZING essay. I appreciate that you covered both sides of the spectrum. How filipinos that dont adhere to "traditional beauty" feel vs. what mixed individuals may be experiencing as well.

[@deeminie1358]

Commercialization and capitalism of race is why it's so on trend now. Appearance wise, yes, proximity to whiteness is part of the reason why I resent her being representative of Filipinos, but more than that ... I think being Filipino is not just about race. It's the culture. It's hard to explain especially if you haven't lived there. I resent that when she talks about being Filipino, she always talks about Lumpia. Being Filipina is more than that.

[@jennypai1776]

She's not even culturally Filipino. Apl.de.Ap is far more culturally Filipino than her. And at least Bruno Mars is not claiming to represent Filipinos unlike this chick who is making a mascot out of a culture

[@cheskaarana6097]

H.E.R. embraces her Filipino side more. I think it has something to do with H.E.R.'s mom being the starting immigrant so she's only a generation culturally distanced and her mom made a conscious and good job keeping Filipino culture and language! iirc Olivia's great grandfather was the first immigrant Filipino, he married a white woman, their daughter married a full Filipino but American-raised, which leads to Olivia's dad marrying a white woman. So more nuanced/complicated topic.

[@amalinaa04]

Well Olivia is like fourth generation immigrant, so obviously there’s gonna be some cultural disconnect there💀 I’m second generation immigrant and even I’m already a little bit disconnected from my culture and I’m only second generation, so imagine fourth generation? Like she’s never been to the Philippines, she’s part white, was born and raised in America, she only speaks English, is fourth generation, ofc she’s only gonna talk about things like lumpia, because she was raised American

[@11fumiko]

hirap mo naman pasiyahin. Olivia is a VEGETARIAN. so she can only talked about lumpia which was modified with tofu filling. She cant talk about other Filipino food cause she dont eat meat.

[@aisyahamirfz]

im southeast asian, specifically malaysian and ive always thought that she looks like a regular southeast asian girl.

[@mmrgratitudes]

Right?! Her look is very common in the Philippines.

[@emcap]

@@mmrgratitudes gtfoh dude liar liar your pants on fire lol

[@ytuseracct]

she doesn;t look like a regular SEA girl but she does look like a typical mixed white-SEA girl.

[@mahikamihan]

As a Filipina, first-gen immigrant, I am so uncomfortable whenever Western media describes someone who markets themselves as Filipino as a large part of their celebrity brand- despite the nuances of race, ethnicity, and culture. Because it really does harm the rest of us when we don't adhere to that celeb beauty standard, it does harm when we don't reach the same level of success or talent as these (let's be honest) LUCKY people. It adds to that Pinoy fantasy that I grew up in that deluded me to the pains of the real world. In addition, Pinoy-baiting is a marketing practice that's very real and very insidious especially when the PH is considered "the social media capital of the world". OR deserves the love and respect of her fans. But why can't the media just do it through the merit of her music and not pull the rest of us Pinoys with her act?

[@Bulshitero]

Let me make it short for you. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

[@adrianaf1194]

about portugal and spain being latine or not, as a portuguese person, we're like any other european country, we just share some similarities with latin american countries

[@bbygang]

this conversation in itself may be relevant for future essays

[@adrianaf1194]

@@bbygang omg id love to see ur take on it i LOVE ur essays

[@senu.]

yeah some americans said I don't like white even though I am. I used to feel so weird but now I kinda see where they were coming from.

[@dhsf5937]

We are not latinos, latinos is someone from America Latina.

[@adrianaf1194]

@@dhsf5937 didnt say we were. reading comprehension is a needed skill

[@Anya-fh7ni]

Another great video, I’m always happy to listen! As a multiracial woman from the Caribbean, a lot of the topics you presented in this video resonated with me. Your point at the end about criticizing how they choose to represent us was extremely strong, and something I think about a lot. Race is a topic that can be difficult to navigate because of just how bullshit it is, but you approached everything brilliantly. thanks for the vid!

[@Alia19YT]

Filipino is already gender neutral in our language. We don't call ourselves FilipinX. Also we Filipinos living in the Philippines never call ourselves Pacific Islander, we identify ourselves as Asian. Fil-ams living in the US make those rules. ❌❌❌ 🙅🙅🙅

[@sammy_trix]

That's sad though.

[@mist7198]

True. I also notice some people here in the US shorts the Philippine as PI instead of PH.

[@reeeec]

@@mist7198 the f? Never knew I was Pi

[@reeeec]

Yea, I always see those as weird. But I think it might have been because some Filipino-Americans tend to feel for Latin than Asian. (Just a guess)

[@justdont2378]

It's kinda ironic if you think about it cause there's always a complaint on how Filipinos just get forced to be this or that but those same people would also be using the term "Filipinx" or "Pacific Islander" which nobody in The Philippines ever describes themselves Sure The Philippines touches the Pacific ocean but Filipinos are no more "Pacific Islander" than the Japanese, though yeah Filipinos are related to the people of the Pacific, that would only mean that Pacific Islanders could fit into the term "Asian" since they came from us! Not the other way around! Basically Filipinos shouldn't call themselves "Pacific Islanders" since we didn't come from the Pacific but rather the Pacific Islanders came from Asia THROUGH The Philippines I do understand though that there is a difference between the way a Korean looks compared to a Filipino but that doesn't mean we are any less Asian than they are but if you really wanna be specific, don't call us Pacific Ilsanders, call us Austronesian.

[@ygmews]

fantastic video even tho i like olivia's music it always made my a little iffy how media talked about her asian heritage, you explained it better than i could

[@krieayreen]

As a Filipina living in Philippines she's not being celebrated as Filipina🤷 even when she won bbma's no article and news released. The most celebrated FIL-American celebs here right now is Bretman and Saweetie (sorry for their names tho if i wasn't able to get it right I'm not good with names)

[@arlenec3983]

Well 2 years later a lot of the Filipino articles in the Philippines have mentioned Olivia Rodrigo as a Filipina Queen as they know she’s heading to be a mega-star around the world.

[@andydee8542]

Don't forget H.E.R she won Grammy too..

[@ellastats]

great video! i'm latin and no, spain and portugal are not part of latam. they're are european countries and the reason that some may think that they're part of latam it's because the similarities because colonialism. i always get uncomfortable when the media and the music indrustry portrait european and essencially white artists as "latin" just bc they speak spanish god it's exhausting

[@magaliscarsi]

I think white people are ok meanwhile they are Latinos. But Billie and La rosalia wining best latin song when none of them are latinas is like... 😬

[@cheskaarana6097]

@@magaliscarsi White people can definitely be Latinos, especially if their culture and upbringing is undeniably Latino (e.g. Anya Taylor-Joy).

[@fleurdelastef]

This is another great essay and I'm so excited to see the channel continuing to have rich explorations of the culture bit in pop culture! It's more than a "both sides" discussion carried here, a flattening of angles into a full circle. Media spin is questioned while maintaining respect towards the artist the discussion is centered on Please just keep doing an excellent job!

[@1asfara]

I'm just going to say it. The reason the media is pushing the whole "Olivia Rodrigo is Asian" narrative so hard is because BTS made it "cool" and lucrative to be Asian so labels and their PR teams are trying to associate her with being Asian so that they can appeal to BTS and Kpop consumers. This didn't happen with other stars like Vanessa Hudgens because it wasn't considered "cool" back when she was popular. I don't know why but everything about her work and how she is being packaged just seems so unauthentic and manufactured to me. Something just doesn't feel right and I'm still not sure why.

[@nikolnolastname4473]

Funny cause I always felt that Vanessa was marketed as white but she's so ambiguously looking.

[@senu.]

@@nikolnolastname4473 I never knew before this video she was Asian tbh and I used to love hsm a lot and read about her in media when I was younger.

[@nikolnolastname4473]

@@senu. what did you think she was?

[@ctrlbeat5321]

Interesting. I thought too that this push she has had something to do with BTS, although in a different way. The way I see it, back when BTS had first appeared in the american scene, american media dismissed them as just a phenomenon soon to disappear, kind of like what happened with PSY and Gangnam Style. Now, years after BTS' "american debut" it's clear for everyone, media and labels included, that BTS is here to stay. And as we know, the entertainment industry doesn't like it when POC dominate it, there's always at least one white artist that has to be better, that has to be on top. Looking at BTS' impact and global reach, the industry feels threatened and you can clearly see it by the way they've been portraying them especially this past year; their treatment on the grammys, the billboard article in which they question BTS' legitimacy of being number one on the BB HOT100 with Butter and the general questioning of how and why BTS are so big are great examples of how hostile everyone seems to be towards BTS now. Enter Olivia Rodrigo, to a lot of people it seemed like she came out of nowhere. Driver's license became so big so soon after the song was released and no one questioned it they way they do BTS. The industry welcomed her immediately and suddenly she's a huge pop star, no questions asked. Doesn't it feel weird? I don't remember BTS being portrayed and pushed and welcomed by media and the industry overall the way Olivia is, and knowing how the industry loves to sprinkle some diversity here and there but not too much so that the white counterparts aren't overshadowed, I have a feeling this is their way of undermining and pushing BTS back once again: by having a girl who has some Filipino heritage, but whose looks are more "palatable", be the radical Asian representation we need. And BTS aren't the only Asian artists who are making waves right now, obviously, but they are the most well-known and recognized right now, hence why I feel Olivia's push is somehow related to BTS.

[@KookiesNolly]

@@ChristineSMeyer yeah totally feel the same as you and everyone here really. I have a feeling there is a desire from the white entertainment industry to make her a token asian performer to counter the rise of other asians they don't like. That way they can be like "oh why don't hate asian people? here we promote her, that's enough for today. but we are TOTALLY not biased". We've seent this behavior before, they aren't slick. There's defo people trying to take advantage of her in that way to undermine others.

[@bluehypothermicreality6759]

I’m mixed and my mom is from reunion island (colonized French with ppl from India and Madagascar and China) the way you said you were not going to deny her ethnicity made me feel really seen ppl are constantly rejecting me as part of their ethic group or othering me so some I’m white to some I’m black i was mistaken for Filipino actually, it’s ridiculous. And hurtful because it’s like what do I do I’m nothing apparently but I still face racism and my own struggles because I’m also perceived as everything depending on my observers own biases and world views.

[@monimuppet6132]

The construct of race is so messed up. I'm a brown-skinned Black American but my family has a bunch of randoms in the bloodline; Asian, Indigenous, Irish, possibly some French. The only thing I have of these other cultures is a physical appearance that reads Caribbean to some and African to others. When ppl find out I'm not the daughter, granddaughter, or even great-granddaughter of immigrants from whatever exotic place they imagined, their disappointment is palpable and their behavior towards me changes immediately. It's so depressing to realize how much the perception of other's dictates how we go through life.

[@maybe4003]

She obviously grew up thinking she didn’t meet those typical European standards, being aware that she is mixed and having to wear blue contacts for a role. Also her family members don’t look white and that is a personal reality. Can’t discount her experiences. I think it was just one article that exalted her as “the first one”. Others just mention that she is of Filipino descent, and is just one representative of Asian artists. Hopefully it paves the way for more artists of Asian descent. Also, if her last name was more “Asian sounding “, you would immediately think she is of Asian descent. The last name also has a lot to do with it. It does make you wonder how many fans would never have been her fans had her last name been “more Asian”. I think she has “last name” privileges lol. Also there just hasn’t been a female pop star that is of the Britney spears magnitude that has been of Asian or Filipino descent. And Olivia Rodrigo is of that magnitude, if not bigger because of the speed of her ascent.

[@KenMikaze]

Fil-Ams who weren't born in the Philippines shouldn't dictate what a Filipino is. All they have is Filipino blood, but not the heritage or culture. They may have glimpses of what those are, but they aren't fully immersed on those.

[@p3nth3sil3a7]

A thought-provoking, respectful presentation of a sensitive topic. Thank you again for making these - I look forward to the next one. :)

[@JungKook-up1ws]

8:11 "Many Filipino-Americans" to be accurate. Filipinos in the motherland have no problem identifying as Asians, because we are. We have always been and will always be Asians.

[@-68]

I feel like some version of this happens with Kpop too. I’m not Korean nor am I really into Kpop. I’m an ARMY and casually listen to some Kpop songs that I like. Anyway, I’ve seen people put this “radical” label in Kpop on Korean American idols more so than they do to Korean idols. Take for example Jessi and BTS. People tend to like labeling Jessi as a radical, y’know, she’s different, she’s bringing something different, and that’s in large part to her personality, but you don’t really see that same radical label in that way, being applied to BTS, who if we’re going by the way they came onto the scene, fit it very well. And I think in large part is because even though technically speaking bts and their music is pretty “radical”, so to say, their personalities aren’t. Even though they’re very outspoken, through word and music wise, their personalities are still very much aligned with the Korean culture, or what people perceive Korean culture to be like, unlike Jessi who’s personally is more… “boisterous” for lack of a better word, aligning w the more typical personality of a westerner. And if we’re going off of stereotypes, I think the reason people don’t really jump on labeling bts as radicals, is because their personalities are more “Asian”, and Asians are stereotypically seen as “meek, low, not making waves, just doing theirs and getting by” type shit, while the stereotypical western persona, that is associated with Jessi, is more of the “fight the power, democracy, we’re the illest” type shit y’know. And I honestly think this too is problematic. I could be wrong. Maybe I’m just seeing shit that isn’t actually there, but it is something that I’ve noticed and thought I’d put it out there and see what anyone else thought about it. Maybe correct me if I’m wrong. I hope I got my thought across clearly.

[@zeldawolff358]

I fully agree with this. Westerners, especially Americans, really do seem to want to throw BTS into some kind of harmless and non-controversial box.

[@-68]

@@zeldawolff358 I hate stereotypes. And a lot of westerners sure do seem to love them 🙄. It’s annoying

[@noranason6521]

Ooooh my god. I'm half filipino, half korean, and im an army, but i hadn't ever considered that. but "their personalities are still very much aligned with the korean culture" is SO SO true, i cannot believe i hadn't thought of it before. and yeah, bts are so utterly korean, and so fiercly proud of their koreanness. I totally see that. but the fact that that throws western and white audiences off just says so so much about the problems, biases, and stereotypes in the western, and more specifically, american culture/industries.

[@pjmirage_6133]

as a pure Filipino, I always find it weird for Filipino media to overhype western artists who have Filipino blood no matter how little it makes up the artist's heritage. Basta nabanggit na may dugong Pinoy kahit apo na siya sa tuhod ng Pilipino, proud sila.

[@krieayreen]

Olivia is not one of them tho yes she's on the news maybe but not the same as before.

[@ainmiky4620]

True. It's giving desperation.

[@vn5398]

Same

[@krieayreen]

@I have no personality outside my sexuality nah, she's definitely not, I rarely see her on local news and local tv in a sense, way far how Bruno Mars, Jessica Sanchez and the others were. What mean here is that she's not even on the headlines of the 7pm news when she won some awards. That's what I mean she's diff. from the others. And take note, general public somehow knew that Jessica Sanchez, Bruno Mars and Apl.de.ap were Filo's but her, I don't think so.

[@sirius5657]

Little?? When she's literally half💀

[@fy3845]

Interesting well done video Elliot. I actually did not know she was of Filipino heritage. That kind of of shows how visually she does seem more "white". Her features are definitely of mix heritage, but her "whiteness" seem more pronounced.

[@NoName-dx1no]

I thought she was like part Latina or something because of her name I was so surprised to find out she’s part Filipino lmao

[@irenedasilva3287]

She looked like have my classmates so yeah i assumed she was peruvian or from some latino country

[@maybe4003]

@@NoName-dx1no it’s only because of the last name.

[@Nublet864]

I am Mexican American with both of my parents being from Mexico. And I've had some people have told me that they thought I was Indian (i think they mean from the country of India and not native american), and more broadly someone's assumed middle eastern before. Through the one instance of someone getting my race "wrong" was this one Latina girl thought I was only half Mexican (I'm pretty sure she implied that I was half-white like i think she said Irish). And the big reason why that stuck with me was because she was technically right, my dad is a mixed race brown Mexican while my mom is a mixed race white Mexican (and also partialy because I was like "aw, man do I not look "Latina" to other Latines"). It's really made me think about how the United States handles race, like if I told people from the US that my mom is white they would think she was an Anglo American and would probably be surprised by the fact that my mother does not speak English. Like to this day "there is no one **race** look" is still first and formost a correction to hundreds of years of attempts of boxing in races and media representation scewing people to *one* specific look. In recent years I've been getting more and more weirded out by the fact that the United states doesn't really acknowlege its residents from Latin America are for the most part mixed race, hell it's a big meme that Latines stuggle deciding what checkboxes were supposed to fill out for "Race." We sure as hell don't wanna put "white" but "indigenous" doesn't feel right either especially since a lot of us come from families that have been disconnected from our indigenous roots for generations. all this to say when Elliot did the "75%**pause** you know" I felt that in my soul lol! Though in my case it would be closer to 50% probably uuuhhh dunno...

[@arai9102]

the concept of race doesnt exist in latin america

[@pampxmpam]

@@arai9102 it does exist. not in the american way, but the idea of mestizaje has taught us that there is not

[@irenedasilva3287]

I assumed 90% of the world had mixed at one point so race was on the past nationality was the new identifier , my surprise when i learned english and realize americans are obsesed with percentages and racialize yoy

[@worshipthecomedygodseoeunk4010]

the thing about white proximity is so frustrating. i grew up with more mixed poc friends than full ones (im a korean adoptee who grew up in a white midwestern suburb with a full white family) and it was weird because i felt like i could relate to them on a different level than my white peers but there was still this intangible distance i felt simply due to the fact that they were mixed white. and i realized it was because in my own life, race very strongly defined who i was, it was what separated me from everyone i knew, that one thing that made me not belong was my super asian looking face. so it felt like race was purely phenotypical and genetic to me, even though in reality, my self image was being constructed by society and reflected back to me. i carry a lot of resentment about being adopted by white people, growing up losing my culture, my language, and my ethnic name. and yet i sometimes wonder whether lana condor, who is also an asian adoptee, is able to fit in better with her media celebrity crowd because of her being adopted. i never really fit in with other adoptees either, and always thought they struggled less with feeling a sense of belonging among white people. its to the point where i only make friends of color, and has caused a rift between me and my family. even tho i cant ever fit into eurocentric beauty standards, i certainly carry other privileges. but i sympathize with mixed people in that you kind of have to carve out an identity for yourself when the society will always have differing expectations.

[@bembolbug]

Full Pinoy here but Honestly, if a celebrity doesn’t show even the slightest pinoy feel character wise, i feel cheated and baited whenever they oversell their Filipino heritage. Not that I’m taking away their right to feel affinity to their roots, I’m just saying that to me comes across as forced and inauthentic. Being Pinoy at heart would always carry more weight than looks ever will or whatever western media would want to sell us as Pinoy representation

[@arcie3716]

Hey I'm just curious (so please don't attack me ;-;) but what does it mean to be pinoy character wise?

[@justgladiolus248]

@@arcie3716 Full pinoy and this is just my opinion but a "pinoy character" first and foremost knows or has some type of knowledge to speak in their native language which is Tagalog/Filipino. Pinoys for me, are known to be charismatic, family-oriented, humble and are foodies. If you are raised with Filipino culture, you'd know by how the person lived their childhood and their character when they've grown up. However, this is just my thoughts as someone who has only lived in PH and not in some other countries.

[@qwertycvbnm793]

@@justgladiolus248 wdym tagalog/filipino?? plenty of born and raised pinoys dont speak tagalog or filipino..

[@qwertycvbnm793]

@@justgladiolus248 plus bisaya literally has a larger geographical coverage

[@justgladiolus248]

@@qwertycvbnm793 so people who speak Bisaya doesn't know how to speak Tagalog/Filipino? I didn't know about that... I thought you still knew a bit of Tagalog even though you speak your provincial languages too. I'd like to apologize for my exclusions but my point still stands though

[@janshi876]

Handled with tact as always. Nice nuanced work.

[@VenusAD]

Excellent work as always! It's great finally seeing another video essay from you, though I enjoy all your content. I feel a bit for Olivia Rodrigo, because she's in that uncomfortable spot of being "white-passing", and same. My heritage is Brazilian from my dad's side, and that side is mixed, but again, passing. I don't claim POC status, because I pass and have never been discriminated against for that heritage, but it doesn't change the fact that when my grandmother came over, the immigration officials registered her as Black at first and my father never met his grandmother because she refused to even see her mixed grandchildren. So when it's like that, some people try to gate-keep you, but you can't gate-keep someone's heritage. That all being said, it is absolutely ridiculous to refer to her as the first Filipino star and not recognize those who came before. Just because the media didn't recognize their heritage doesn't erase the fact that they have it in the first place. and THAT all being said, I still think it's wonderful that at least now that heritage is being recognized and that little girls are looking up to her because they finally see someone they can identify with.

[@dannysday2001]

My mom's from Yemen and Libya, my dad's from Poland, and I mostly look white. I grew up super close to my mom's family, and feel very contacted to these cultures, but because I pass as white (or more correctly- Ashkenazi) people often feel comfortable saying crazy racist shit to my face, and then when they find out I'm mixed they congratulats me on looking white. That's a really weird experience, and it thought me subconsciously to "not act Mizrahi"

[@mina4530]

Speaking as a Filipino here ---- For those who watched the local Pinoy news (aka alam niyo na kung anong station lol)... when she released her song, she was promoted as a "Filipino blooded singer".... It's :/ anyways, it's not the first time western celebs with some Filo blood were promoted just to boost their popularity smh. And she's what? She's quarter Filo only right? And she has white privileges.

[@mina4530]

Here's the segments mentioning her LMAO the local media here always inserts her and everyone else that they're "Filipino". I honestly and personally find local media weird for doing this... As mentioned by Gaby in your video, yes, it's true there's always some weird claiming that the media does before and now. kzbin.info/www/bejne/bJuXlIOLYrV9hZY

[@NoName-dx1no]

I thought her dad is full Filipino damn 💀

[@shroobzzz]

Like hellooo? Lea Salonga exists and she’s full Filipino.

[@mmrgratitudes]

She's half. But she's 4th gen Filipino-American.

[@maybe4003]

She is 3/8

[@christa7834]

Fantastic essay, Bby Gang! Thank you for expressing this complex and and nuanced perspective!

[@JustKatW]

This was great!! Such an interesting and important conversation.

[@soalsjee9439]

This was so interesting, and I learned a lot. I'm so excited to see this publication grow.

[@rachelmartinez5604]

I'm mixed - half Italian & half indigenous people of Mexico (Mixtec). While my race looks pretty ambiguous from the outside and I don't carry much of my father's indigenous culture (for some reason he didn't think it was important to share but its something me and my sisters have been reconnecting to as we've got older) I very much feel like Olivia. My sisters and I consider ourselves white-washed or very americanized - we might be half indigenous but I would not consider myself a representation of the part of my culture. Its actually something we feel very sad about. I see and admire people like Bretman Rock being so outspoken in celebrating their culture, I even grew up next to an Indian Reservation here in the United State and admired how rich the native culture of my friends were, but I never had that... It makes me sad when I see people like Andrea Meza win Miss Universe representing Mexico because she doesn't look like the faces I love back in Mexico, she looks like me, mixed and ambiguous, the erasure of culture that I long to connect back too. I see the faces of the people I know and love from Mexico in people like Karen Vega and Yalitza Aparicio when they are featured in Vogue Mexico. I cannot tell you how much I almost bursted into tears while staying alone in Mexico City a few years back because I was around 100s of people that had similar features to me and my sisters that used to make us self-conscious about how we looked growing up in the States. These people had fully functioning lives, families, dreams and love, and they looked like us - it made me think of all the insecurities my sisters and I carried because we didn't see people like us pursuing and attaining these things where we grew up. Now I don't care that my hair is a little wild - I used to spend so much time every morning before school straightening and damaging my hair just to feel comfortable in my own skin at school but now I embrace it as mine in the office and in my professional presentation of myself. My sisters have similar stories and struggles about their noses, facial features, or body stature etc. So yeah, I'd doesn't help me personally heal my identity issues when I see Eurocentric americanized representations of ethnicities in media even though I'm mixed. My healing doesn't come from aspiring to look more European, erasing my ethnic features - but rather the healing has come from seeing places where my features are loved (not the features themselves being loved per se but that people with those features can still be loved) Thanks for doing this piece Elliot

[@mister.luckey]

I never thaught she was white, I thaught she was Latina. Obviously on the lighter skin side tho, her being Filipina doesn’t surprise me at all

[@mimiandy1683]

I find this to be interesting since I am an African-American. In my culture, it feels like it is quite the opposite, thanks to the One Drop Rule. A biracial person can receive side-eyes or criticisms from members of the black communities for identifying as being biracial.

[@jennypai1776]

Also, about Enrique Iglesias. His mother is Filipino culturally (Kapampangan to be exact), but ancestrally she is actually European (Spanish-Austrian). This goes to show that Filipino is not a race, and again, about shared culture/experience/socialization/nationality/citizenship. None of which Rodrigo shares with majority of Filipinos.

[@sammy_trix]

Filipinos are Asians, not really Pacific Islanders. We're technically inside the zone where most people live compared with the rest of the world. 🇵🇭

[@jhayceeh9634]

The Filipinos were grouped under Pacific Islanders several decades ago.

[@SidneyReyes-j8z]

@@jhayceeh9634 That does not mean it's correct. We were never pacific islanders. We have always been southeast asian ever since.

[@cheesecakelasagna]

Good thing I realized this is a 2-year old video. 😅 I was gonna ask if "latinx" is still being used when there's rising conversation in regard to using an english-centric language system (the letter "x") when it's actually harder phonetically for latin speakers to implement. I just noticed because I'm Filipino woman and here in the Philippines where the Tagalog language is almost entirely gender neutral expect for when you want to change "o" to "a" for emphasis, on people-adjective like jobs (doktora). And the gendering of jobs has been dying out/only gen x still used it casually. Not to mention "Filipin-x" is clunky to pronounce. I've only just seen it used online by Filipinos who born/grew up in English speaking countries.

[@SophiaFerro]

I love how proud she is. It’s about time we needed someone like her in the mainstream media. I also believe she benefits from her name sounding Hispanic.. at first I thought she was Latina. Latin music it’s at its strongest so we do identify with her. And she can pass as white as well. So she does have some privilege. Either way I love how she’s breaking barriers.

[@allidanij2238]

As a biracial Latina, I absolutely loved this video 💜

[@2011sliverdude]

We call her “mestiza” in the Philippines. People who are half white and indigenous filipina. Natalie Coughlin is a quarter Filipino and looks completely white but consider herself Filipina.

[@cheesecakelasagna]

Woah, I don't follow sports, let alone American sports. Thank you for introducing me to Natalie, such interesting case especially pertaining to this topic.

[@magaliscarsi]

It would be interesting a video about the kpop category and the latin category. In the sense of how the Latin category doesn't care who sings the song if the song is in Spanish (I rarely see Portuguese songs but maybe is just me being ignorant and are more Portuguese songs in the latin categories) but the kpop category doesn't even care if the song is in Korean or not.

[@armandosantosjr]

You hit the bullseye bro, history is so distorted on how Philippine history is being presented there. Largely being downplayed is our colonization by foreign powers.

[@raspberrytaegi]

fascinating essay! there's a few things i already knew here but lots i didn't!

[@crystaltruong6681]

as an asian american i don't see anything wrong with people, especially filipino americans, wanting to identify with her (that's a personal choice and if someone feels represented by her, then by all means continue to feel that way!) but i understand how her being half white also grants her privileges that others don't have. it gets more complicated when people judge her based only on her appearance because like the video said, some will look at her and can see she's mixed while others say she's definitely white passing. my take on this is that western media will continue to selectively hype up the artists that are convenient for them i guess? not to say that olivia doesn't deserve the fame she has now (i am a big olivia stan lol) but i think media outlets should be consistently talking about other filipino/asian american popstars who were/are also big.

[@senu.]

I really thought she was only white, this video essay was interesting

[@dnikkithatsame5990]

Great essay

[@ToniCarrington]

I thought she was a latina from her last name lol same with Shawn mendes 😂 Let’s also talk about how Selena Gomez was always marketed as a white girl when she’s also half Mexican from her dads side.

[@moonstonejan]

Yeah same as Camila Cabelo / Jenna ortega if Im correct? Filipinos surnames are similar to Latinas.

[@cheesecakelasagna]

@@moonstonejan Not all Filipino surnames are Latin-adjacent, we still have a lot of Tagalog surnames floating about, as well as Chinese (fun fact: the oldest Chinatown in the world is in the Philippines) and Muslim names. The Spanish colonization indeed made the Spanish surname boom, but not all through interracial coupling. A lot of the full Filipinos had to register surnames for the Spanish government (Claveria Law) since culturally Tagalog did not have surname system.

[@oliverbulus7181]

Philippines is also a Spanish colony like Latin America.

[@namjoonowo1979]

the first impression she gave me was that she was Hispanic or Latino. sHe has Latin features. And also because of her last name is very Spanish . Or portuguese

[@ytuseracct]

Last name is Spanish because Spain colonized the Philippines for decades,they forced eveyone to adapt Spanish surnames even if they're full Filipinos. Most Filipinos mixed with white turn out looking hispanic. Google these two half-white half-Filos which look like Olivia and you'll see it. It's just the way our genes work for some reason: 1. Catriona Gray 2. Lapillus' Chanty

[@emilyjennings4362]

Her doppelgänger is the Filipina miss universe Catriona Gray

[@namjoonowo1979]

@@emilyjennings4362 Catriona gray is half white (english) not full filipina.

[@namjoonowo1979]

@@ytuseracct Hispanics can be everyone.

[@cheesecakelasagna]

@@ytuseracct Also, Liza Soberano which is half-Filipina, half-white as well.

[@zouzoupresko]

thank you for this! greetings from berlin xx

[@KOOKlEDOUGH]

I learned a lot, thank you

[@Maharang]

Wow. You should do a video about historical events with the same details and deep dives as this video. I am very impressed.

[@jenelvergara9596]

She has the right to claim her "Filipino" identity, it's a choice to reject or accept it. And apparently no partly Chinese person will tell her otherwise. I'm Filipino but I do not feel Asian at all.

[@AprilViolet-yh2vy]

Fair skin is "desirable" here in the Philippines even before we were colonized by Spain....It is mot a product of colonization. When Ferdinand Magellan first set foot in Cebu and was invited by Rajah Humabon to a feast, the crew noticed that the women musicians were as fair skinned as their women back home.... These girls were not working under the sun... It means they are not laborers and of a higher status in life. Fair Skin = Higher Status even back then.

[@sccrespillo]

Thank you for articulating what I cannot properly explain to friends as to why I find it troubling that Olivia Rodrigo is being held by the media as the epitome of Asian, specifically Filipino, representation.

[@maybe4003]

Nobody is holding her as an epitome of Asian. They just state that she is of Filipino descent, not Latina.

[@imgroot8513]

Guys as Bretman Rock said, if you don't see representation on Media, change the Channel.

[@chancestaken]

ha. some FilAms obviously don't know Philippine history, Filipino ancestors & Filipino identity. Jose Rizal, the "national hero" had Japanese, Spanish, Chinese and native Filipino ancestry. was he less of a Filipino because he had mixed heritage?

[@ejayye]

This was great. I learnt a lot, and I thought it was presented and edited really well. Thank you very much for the vid.

[@emilyfishie]

well researched & well written. good analysis too.

[@DreamAznAngl]

Very insightful video. Thank you!

[@Ello927]

Interesting way of explaining this topic✌

[@miladeseitan]

you can make whole meaningful essays of unexpected topics I still can't believe how I hadn't found your channel before (...here 'cause you mentioned this video in your Logic video -I was watching the Logic video 'cause I'm exploring your content.. sorry for the cringe!) encima justamente AYER estaba cuestionándome por qué Olivia se apellida así y dije, seguro es por los colonizadores españoles. por cierto Olivia en su último álbum siguió hablando (en varias canciones ya) sobre lo insegura que se siente, cómo suele tener celos, comparándose con otras chicas, etc. es una temática bastante frecuente en su composición gracias por tan buen contenido Elliot!

[@inievezi]

I'm going to be honest, i've been listening to Olivia Rodrigo all this year, and today with this video I just found out she is filippino 😅

[@hopefully1975]

Finally someone pointed this out

[@cheesecakelasagna]

I came to this video ready to be smack right in the middle of the sides. Either neutralizing the "toxic Pinoy Pride" that us Filipinos tend to have on other threads or highlighting lesser/forgotten facts about the culture and history in the comment sections. But damn, that simple quick slideshow of Filipino representations through out decades (22:51) still managed to make my eyes well up! Something about actually having tangible/visible concise evidence of my identity being celebrated way before me or way past my capacity to present myself in any way.

[@Andrew-gn9qp]

I watched the video in full as you said. I still think Olivia is good representation for Filipinos. I am Filipino and because I was in French studies all my life, I learned very early on that most Europeans don't know much about Filipinos, and what they know is often negative. I had spent most of my life trying to reconcile Filipino's mixed heritage, we're Asian, but a mix of Western. Olivia is a good representation of that, and she represents us to a wider European audience in a positive way. This was much harder to do with, say, Bruno Mars, because he was always pigeonholed in Urban music, and almost always associated more with the Black community. Olivia is a good balanced representation of Filipinos as a blend of Asian and Western. Yes, she only mentions lumpia, so what? I don't talk about my Filipino identity much unless someone asks. That's all that matters.

[@cassiopeiathew7406]

I don’t even think it’s necessarily just her proximity to whiteness but her racial ambiguity while which is legitimized and unquestioned because of her mixed race heritage. She can be read as white which is why she was able to be in that American girl doll of the year movie and while I do think her ability to be seen as white coupled with her proximity to whiteness gives her certain privileges, I think it’s her racial ambiguity which is important. On my first impressions of her in the drivers license video I thought she was Native American or part Native American in spite of knowing her before. I think being racially ambiguous allows for more people to relate to you, being fillipino allows Disney to tap into the Asian market while being white allows for her to not alienate a white audience. Olivia Rodrigo appears like she could be Native American, Latina, spanish or some other part of Europe such as an olive skinned Irish woman Italian or Greek and Fillipina. This is integral because her album represented a universal experience, even if not absolutely, of teenage girls. Disney has done this before very often, they’ve take girls who are half white and then half Latina (which doesn’t mean half non-white either) who can tap into the Latin American market while still being able to approximate whiteness. They did this with Selena Gomez and they did it to a lesser extent Demi Lovato who are both half Mexican. But they can’t just do that anymore because otherwise they’d be getting much more criticism, while both look a little mixed they both look white in a way that isn’t the same as Olivia Rodrigo. I’m not sure of what her ties are to Disney at the moment or any back door stuff, it might not even be Disney doing this since she’s signed to Interscope and Geffen, but I do feel like her racial ambiguity is something that is being profited off of.

[@mist7198]

I found it weird they keep calling Filipino as Pacific Islander or Asian Pacific Islander. When we are Asian or SouthEast Asian. I only heard Filipino being called Pacific Islader or Asian Pacific Islan here in the US

[@jhayceeh9634]

The Filipinos were grouped under Pacific Islanders several decades ago.

[@Richie-rs3wp]

​@@jhayceeh9634That's incorrect though. We are always Southeast Asians. Why do non-Filipino citizens think they have the right to decide what we are supposed to be?

[@maribellemcnely]

I love that she celebrates her Filipino heritage! Rodriguez and Hudgens are vocal and proud of their Filipino background. It’s a refreshing change from Asians that want to be white and are ashamed of it, she’s proud of her ethnic side.

[@00dfm00]

I didn't watch the video. I think Olivia is gorgeous. My background is Scandinavian. I've dated a gorgeous and charismatic Filipina. I've experienced (in Canada) and watched (via KZbin) enough of Filipino culture to know they are amongst the most genuine and best representation of good people that exist in 2024. Should I want to have children in the future, a Filipina bride would be very high on my shortlist. The men of the world are seriously overlooking what the Philippines offers: genuine, physically attractive, very feminine, caring, family-oriented, and fun women are plentiful there. Olivia is attractive because she represents - from a white westerner's perspective - the best of what can happen when East meets West. Like an ideal of blended genetic ethnicity (advantageous) with the very genuine! feminine culture of many decades ago. The other reason she's popular (besides her singing/stage talent) from a Caucasian perspective is that her physical attractiveness is 'familiar'. Sure, her 'facial ratios' are globally appealing, however, her mother brought the Caucasian genetics into the mix to create the familiarity.

[@stannisstewart4879]

this is a great piece reportage keep it up its troubling to see this pattern constantly emerge.

[@moonkissedcovers4703]

I mean she is Asian of cuz but also has white privileges

[@meifuu__6001]

Great video again!!

[@nathanhollywoodbrookshire1417]

I always thought that they were promoting her as a Latina… I love it that liv is a filipiña💚

[@jeromefroilan7115]

Actors Lou Diamond Philips of La Bamba, Phoebe Cates and Tamlyn Tomita are one of them. Long before Olivia Rodrigo there were Filipino mix in Holywood Entertainment.

[@kentokim]

Elliot wonderful video ! The topic isn't easy to discuss you did an amazing job. I was wondering if the journal articles you used for research are public ? I'm currently studying post colonialism and the sources seem insightful.

[@anaabundis6512]

Que interesante, en México existe algo parecido que en Filipinas ya que no hay una forma de definir “cómo luce un mexicano”, aunque creo que es una situación general en toda Latinoamérica debido a nuestro pasado de colonización, de hecho, por eso existe una mezcla entre Filipinos-Mexicanos. Excelente ensayo, Elliot. PD: Cuando supe de la existencia de Olivia Rodrigo nunca se me pasó por la cabeza que tuviera ascendencia Filipina o Asiática, solo la vi como otra cantante gringa más lol

[@namjoonowo1979]

Parece latina. Yo la vi y dije esta tipa es mexicana o de puerto rico o cuba .

[@ytuseracct]

@@namjoonowo1979 Are you from the Philippines? Because she looks like a typical mixed Filipina. Look up Catriona Gray, Miss Universe Philippines.

[@ytuseracct]

Of course it will never cross your mind because you think Asian = people with slanted eyes like the Chinese or japanese. You don't even live here to define what a Filipina looks like. Olivia looks like a typical mixed Filipina kid. Catriona Gray, Chantall Vidal, Liza Soberano, Julia Barretto, a lot of our local Filipino artists look like her.

[@namjoonowo1979]

@@ytuseracct Like you said. Mixed. She is not full filipino. She is mixed.

[@Andrew-gn9qp]

I am Filipino, and I went to French studies all my life since I was a child, which meant I was with Europeans and I had to adapt to European culture. For me, what matters is that Olivia is building bridges between Filipinos and Europeans. It doesn't have to be so complicated.

[@lunar-e.6620]

Bing and Juan Rodrigo were both famous singers in Philippines, uncles of Olivia.

[@francesca2361]

that was so interesting thanks!

[@Bulshitero]

Long but good! JOSEP says hi!

[@ashberry2852]

Interesting! I've learned quite a things.

[@commercialfree]

I can never understand the obsession of Americans in categorizing people into races. You guys are all born and raised in the USA but of different ethnicity and that what makes the US great the diversity of people.

[@monimuppet6132]

What is there to add? You said it all 💜💜.

[@saarahnafeez2221]

love love loved this!!!

[@Mario-qua]

50/50 two cultures..... very beutiful and talented gurl.

[@angelalim543]

16:28 I'm laughing sorry I know you were making a point about how race is just a social construct, but this is exactly the "chart" of my genetic heritage, except replace "Filipino" with "Chinese", and "white" with "Filipino". So basically I'm 3/8 Chinese, but I am so far removed from Chinese culture that I don't really identify with it, even though my Chinese last name might confuse you. I lived in the Philippines all my life, so I am Filipino. I don't want to invalidate Olivia's experiences as a mixed person, but by how much can she really say she identifies as a Filipino? Aside from her self-advertisements and the media's clamoring attempts to pretend they support inclusivity, what about her music or identity as an artist, represents Filipino culture? I found it funny how the V Magazine asserts this notion that she is such radical representation in mainstream pop, as an Asian. I think that's sending the wrong message to Filipino kids in diaspora or even back here in the Philippines. The message that only Filipinos with mestiza features can earn recognition and respect. anyway got carried away with this comment but thank you for the insightful and well-researched video essay, i enjoyed watching!

[@arlenec3983]

The US has become more multicultural with many mixed races and cultures. Heck my own family and relatives are mixed with ALL different races. So HW is now realizing they need that representation. And with the country heading to be a minority majority diverse population they’ve started to acknowledge the facts. Miss USA 2 years in a row is bi-racial and Miss Teen USA this year is Mexican-Indian. It’s the Reality and what the face of the US is going to look like in the near future. It’s also not just Olivia representing Asian Americans these days who is very popular mainstream, enter Lola Tung.

[@VIRGOvirgo-SpicyPISCES]

Love watching this video. Such an important and interesting discussion. 😉🤟🏻😁

[@miladeseitan]

woah I hadn't stopped to think about how the two actresses that represented Gabriella Montez have filipino heritage!!

[@roamaroundgisg7362]

To put into perspective as a Filipino who was born and has been reared in the Philippines, and being part Hispanic on both paternal and maternal sides, and part Chinese on paternal side; Filipinos in general are mixed-race. It is true that there is a preference to Eurocentric look, frankly because of the better appearance and features of being mixed-race Asian; not ordinary in other words. Many of my classmates both in Public and Private schools are mixed race, namely: being part Chinese, Japanese, white Hispanic or brown Latino features/, dark skinned Indian, Arabs on the muslim side of Mindanao, Pacific Islander similar to Vanuatu, Tonga and Palau. So there you have it. Many Filipinos are of Malay stock, but Malay that are Mixed with various races. Hence, a lot of Filipinos are good looking due to mixed racial background, and there will always be a preference to Mixed Race on the media because of the Looks or Appearance. Filipinos are an amalgamation of many different races from across the globe literally. You cannot box Filipinos as just being Asian because some of us look very Latino (tan/brown) White Hispanic/European looking, East Asian looking, some have Indian/Arab features, and others are more Pacific islander, and does not resemble with typical brown Malay/Indonesian person. So there you have it! Again, Filipinos are not just Asians even though we are categorized as Asians. We are mixed-race Asians which is why some of us do Not look like Asians or typical Asians.

[@armandodecastro7701]

ganon nga eh. they are just not eduated in actual Philppine History and Culture. polynesian katawatawa.

[@Fealnographs1]

she is what she is and only thing that matter is what she chooses to identify as if you like her music support her thats all

[@LarrieFromCA]

Same with H.E.R., half black/Filipina. But majority thought she's a black person.

[@Emlane09]

Very intelligent video

[@elllie3630]

Great video

[@Ama94947]

Interesting I think that even you can pass as Filipino :-)

[@tiramiisu0]

yall are taking this thumbnail way too literally 💀💀

[@bbygang]

it def says "both" too so

[@sergios7072]

I would say Olivia is ethnically ambiguous and the majority of people would actually perceive her as Latina from her look and surname. And of course many Latinos are white adjacent. Her complexion is actually Filipino. I think in general western music never highlights American artists with pure East Asian phenotypes, perhaps they aren't seen as marketable as other groups. All Filipino Americans that do become successful in music as highlighted are mixed be it with other ethnic backgrounds regardless of whether it's white ancestry. Kpop doesn't count as actual Asian American representation because it's foreign and not homegrown. Rina Sawayama seems to be the only western pop artist that has gained some recognition being an ethic Japanese from Britain. The American music market however doesn't have an equivalent though.