Written by : Angelo Yanga
Being a Chinoy is more than just how someone looks. One may have tan or mestiza skin, but that doesn’t mean it can invalidate someone’s roots. It also goes beyond whether you’re Chinita or Chinito. Your heritage as a Chinoy goes beyond your physical appearance because it’s within you, your #roots. It’s also not about adhering to stereotypes like every Chinoy is good at math or a business owner. Surprisingly some are beauty queens, actors or even public historians.
Being a Chinoy is more about belonging to a culture and a long heritage. So in our Chinese By Blood, Filipino By Heart Season 4, ChinoyTV invites modern Chinoys to share how they integrate into Philippine society with their meaningful contributions.
And now, here are the eight things we’re excited about in our newest season!
1. You’ll Feel Prouder Of Your Chinoy #Roots
Today, Chinoys have become more diverse and influential in Philippine society. The community has proved to be more than just its stereotype – you can meet Chinoys from different walks of life! With our upcoming season, you’ll feel prouder of your #roots with our inspirational guests who have unique contributions to our society.
2. Angelia Ong And Gretchen Ho For Women Empowerment
“It wasn’t just one moment. It was continuous. I still feel it up until this day. A lot of the things that I am going through, plans that I’m trying to go for, I know that I have my Chinoy community to count on and I know I belong,” said Angelia Ong, Miss Earth 2015.
Beauty queens need support to overcome the pressure of the competition. In Ong’s journey, she found genuine support from the Filipino-Chinese community and now she shares how it helped her succeed.
While Gretchen Ho shared ““I’m very, very simple. I would like to say I’m very hardworking as well. Very I try to be wise with my finances, all of which I would attribute to my Chinese heritage, because I saw that growing up with my dad and my mom, they were very simple.”
Ho is proud of her upbringing because she developed into a better person through the positive attributes of both cultures.
“Yung Filipino side ko naman, I would say, would be how I guess personable I am with a lot of people. I put my heart first and everything that I do,” added Ho.
3. Cecilio Pedro, The President Of FFCCCII
“I’m Filipino first and Chinese second, because I was born in the Philippines and educated in the Philippines, and it’s the Chinese heritage,” said proudly by Cecilio Pedro. Growing up in a mixed culture makes Cecilio Pedro a more adaptable person. He cites his Filipino-Chinese background for helping him become a more well-rounded person.
Also, Pedro believes that going into business can help people who are in poverty. Get to know more about his life learnings in the upcoming season.
4. Kendrick Chua, Co-Founder Of In Love with Languages Incorporated
“And I stay true to my Chinese Filipino heritage by speaking in Hokkien and Filipino. I’m proud to be Chinoy because of the rich values, traditions and culture that we have. At the same time, staying true to my Chinese Filipino heritage by practicing again and Filipino, I’m proud to be Chinoys because of the rich values, culture and traditions that we have,” shared by Kendrick Chua.
As a language instructor, Kendrick Chua shared how language can be a tool to reconnect with your Filipino-Chinese roots. Chua founded Love With Languages Incorporated, which teaches Hookien and Mandarin, to Chinoys and Pinoys alike.
5. Xiao Chua, The Public Historian
“Ang mga Chinoy ay mga taong mayroong Chinese heritage na piniling maging Pilipino. Pinili ang bansang ito. Pinili maging Pilipino. And the other thing of course is this na hindi monolithic ang chinoy community ano ang ibig sabihin nito, ibig sabihin hindi pare pareho,” said Xiao Chua.
As a public historian, Chua uses his profession and skills to learn more about his Filipino-Chinese roots. Being proud of his heritage, Chua hopes that Chinoys should value their heritage to be more connected with their roots.
6. Father Aristotle Dy, School President And Chinese Teacher
“I am proud to be Chinoy because it helps to understand who I am, where I’m from, and what I can contribute to society. I feel like a much richer person because of my Chinoy identity,” said Father Ari Dy.
The main goal of Father Dy is to preserve the Chinese culture and tradition to stay in touch with the Chinoy roots. He shared the importance of valuing Chinoy roots in this modern society.
7. Teresita Ang See, A Social Activist, Writer, Academic
“Teresita Ang See. Founding president Kaisa Para Sa Kaunlaran. We are people who are comfortable with our Filipino identity but we take pride in our Chinese origins and our Chinese cultural heritage. So as our Kaisa credo says, Our blood may be Chinese but our roots grow deep in the Philippine soil.”
Ang See believes that respecting your roots and knowing your past is the first step to having a positive impact on society. She also advocates for helping others to build a better community for everyone, regardless of their heritage.
8. Lloyd & Shamcey Lee, The Chinoy Couple
“I stay rooted by teaching my kids the Chinoy values. I stay rooted by teaching my kids the richness of Chinese traditions and values,” shared Lloyd Lee.
Learn how this power couple handles their relationship with Filipino-Chinese values. Overcoming differences in culture, get to know how they grew their relationship in the upcoming season.
Do you want to hear more about their stories and be proud of your Chinoy #roots? Catch it this upcoming May 28, 2023, at 8 pm on CNN Philippines for our premiere!
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