Come together

She may have emerged second to this year’s white-guy-with-guitar American Idol, but Jessica Sanchez easily proved to be the idol of millions, of even, as her fans said, the world. And while she united her mother’s native land and had virtually every Filipino watching the results show like it were a Manny Pacquiao fight, Sanchez also triggered a subtle phenomenon on the way to becoming a finalist in the premier American network singing contest: the potential power of a unified Filipino-American movement.

There have been other Filipino-American contestants on “American Idol,” and they have been the subjects of various levels of enthusiasm and interest in the Fil-Am community. But Sanchez’s case is arguably the first time Fil-Ams displayed a decisive influence that propelled her farther in the contest—all the way to the finals, the first time for someone of her lineage—than was initially thought possible.

The slender 16-year-old girl from Chula Vista, California, daughter of a Hispanic father and a Filipino mother, came on the show shyly at first. But once she unleashed that beautiful, textured voice, she drew followers with every song and every “Idol” episode. Yet it took a near-disaster to truly get the ball rolling for her.

In an episode last April, Sanchez, who seemed to be doing quite well, was eliminated because she had earned the lowest number of votes from viewers. But this “defeat” lasted for only a few minutes because all three judges—Steven Tyler, Jennifer Lopez and Randy Jackson—decided to use their lone “save” of the season on her. “We are saving Jessica Sanchez without a doubt,” Jackson said.

That near-miss galvanized the Fil-Am community, which quickly recovered from its shock and proceeded to organize activities to gather support for Sanchez. Viewing parties were hosted, fliers were distributed at churches, and local Fil-Am officials called on their constituents to vote for the talented teenager. It became a matter of pride as well as a personal investment in one of the Fil-Am community’s own. Perhaps these sentiments were best expressed by actor Bernardo Bernardo, who is now based in Los Angeles: “Reaction to the case of Jessica Sanchez was more primal and theatrical. It was a case of ‘fighting for the underdog’—defending the dispossessed. The phenomenal voting campaign surge was triggered by the dramatic ‘save’ by the judges on ‘American Idol,’ when Sanchez failed to attract enough votes from ‘AI’ viewers. Before this decisive moment, most Fil-Ams were probably content to watch the show quietly on TV, teary-eyed, grinning proudly and basking in reflected glory as the judges heaped much-deserved hosannas on the petite show-stopper.”

With this year’s “American Idol” finale earning a record 132 million votes—notably 10 million more than last year’s finale—it is logical to assume that the Fil-Am voting bloc considerably helped swell those numbers. Now imagine what else an organized Fil-Am community can do. Imagine the kind of political sway it can muster on both the local and national levels in the United States. With the American presidential election coming up, imagine how it can represent a swing vote, and, on the way there, educate other members of the community on political issues significant to their lives.

We have already seen dividends from the efforts of active Fil-Am leaders elsewhere in the United States. One prominent example is the work of business and civic leader Loida Nicolas-Lewis, who continues to channel resources back to the Philippines and leads by example when calling for action, such as when she headed protest actions against China’s bullying in the West Philippine Sea. She and other leaders have kept the flame lit; now it is clear how vigorously it can burn.

With her immense talent, Jessica Sanchez is certain to make waves in a singing career. Her beginnings, buoyed by organized and dedicated action, have prepped her for something bigger.

Filipinos and Americans of Filipino descent now represent the second biggest Asian population in the United States (3.4 million, according to a 2012 US census brief). With continuing education, the Filipino-American community has the potential to effect meaningful change. All it needs is a worthy cause to follow, the impetus to come together, and the determination to succeed to make itself heard in a voice as strong and as powerful as its numbers.