I am not an avid boxing fan but I do know that there was a big fight this past weekend between Manny Pacquiao and Antonio Margarito. I decided to blog about it not to talk aboutof any highlights but about pride. It is always great to see someone from your family's homeland make a name for themselves here in the United States. As we've discussed in lecture so many times, being famous in your own country is a lot easier than becoming famous here in the United States. We all know how many talented people go unnoticed because of the number of people trying to make it in the same industry. I'm not saying breaking out through sports is easier because I'm sure patience is a key characteristic to have whether you're trying to "make it" as a singer, dancer, boxer, actress, politician, etc. But it is great to see that minorities are definitely in demand!
For Pacquiao and Margarito, I'm sure it brings so much pride to the Philippines and Mexico to know that one of their own has made it onto HBO -- a premier channel that not everyone who has a television can watch. Having your fight show on HBO requires a price ($54.95 for HD quality) can pretty much be a big deal for fighters who have been training for years to make it on any television. I know that there was a winner decided for this fight but I really want to commend both Pacquiao and Margarito for pursuing their dreams and making so many people proud! =)
I am not a big fan of boxing, either but those around me are. It is actually pretty interesting how you talked about pride and being proud of those who made it big in this country and how it brings honor to his/her country. But I have noticed that despite the fact that Pacquiao is not Latino, he has a huge Latin fan base. For example, most of the people I know (who are Mexican) rooted for Pacquiao instead of the other boxer (who is Latino). It is interesting how he is so loved by so many. Perhaps it is because he seems like a humble, hardworking person and many people can definitely identify with that.
ReplyDeleteI have this love/hate relationship with Manny. As an Philippine boxer, he is truly a national icon. The seventh child in a poor family, making millions here in the U.S. is really a rags to riches story that he has built through his hard work and determination. And, according to my relatives in the Philippines, when Manny fights, there is almost no crime in the Philippines because everyone is watching.
ReplyDeleteBut then, Manny goes and runs for political office…and wins. As a government official, Manny fights for the Church and its conservative reproductive health policies. In one media event, Manny celebrated the anniversary of the Humanae Vitae, the encyclical papal degree which “officially” declared artificial birth control methods – condoms, birth control pills, IUDS, etc – as “abortifacient” and therefore a sin. This decree resulted in a huge blow to women’s health and women's rights advocates, especially for women in former Catholic colonies like the Philippines. Today, the Philippines has one of the highest growth rates in all of Southeast Asia and women lack access to basic forms of family planning methods and information because of conservative politicians and the stubborn voice of the few male bishops in the Philippines Catholic hierarchy. Manny was the surprise guest for the Humanae Vitae because he said that as the fourth child of his parents, had they practiced birth control then, there will be no Manny Pacquiao among us. Seriously?? Give me a break, Manny. The Philippines would be a more stable country if we had no Manny but more women who had a right over their bodies and could plan their families according to their own free will.
Source: “Humanae Vitae @ 40: A Celebration of Life.” Univesity of Santo Tomas. http://www.ust.edu.ph