In the Philippines beauty pageants are not only big business but also a source of pride for many. No beauty contest is more important to Filipinos than Miss Universe. So far the Philippines has brought home the Miss Universe crown four times.
But apparently not a single Miss Universe Philippines winner has been "a woman of color." Until now.
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| https://www.philstar.com/lifestyle/fashion-and-beauty/2024/05/23/2357317/woman-color-makes-historic-win-miss-universe-philippines-2024 |
Chelsea Manalo of Bulacan was crowned Miss Universe Philippines 2024, besting 52 other hopefuls at the close of glitzy ceremonies in Pasay City.
Outgoing titleholder Michelle Marquez Dee passed on the beautifully crafted La Mer de Majeste crown to the dusky Bulakeña as the first national winner of color, who won the title on her first try.
A dark horse, in the truest sense of the word, though not alluding to her skin color, Chelsea was beneath most of the prediction radars, probably because she was a first timer to the national stage. She came out of nowhere to win the most coveted title.
Chelsea will be the country's representative to the Mexico pageant toward the end of the year. She will also be the country's first delegate who is a woman of color.
Excuse me but aren't all Filipina women women of color? From yellow Chinoy's to light brown mulattos to the dark Negritos and Igorots isn't every single Filipina a woman of color? Apparently not. Here are two pictures of several Miss Universe Philippines winners over the years.
To call Chelsea Manalo "the country's first delegate who is a woman of color" is bizarre. A woman of color, a person of color, is someone who is not White.
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| https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/woman%20of%20color |
a woman whose skin pigmentation is other than and especially darker than what is considered characteristic of people typically defined as white : a woman who is of a race other than white or who is of mixed race
Are Filipinas White? Catriona Gray, who was raised in Australia by a Scottish father, could be called White but look at the ladies in the above pictures. They are all women of color.
What this dsignation really means is Chelsea Manalo is the first half-African American to represent the Philippines.
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| https://www.philstar.com/lifestyle/fashion-and-beauty/2024/05/23/2357300/bulacan-barbie-becomes-first-filipino-black-american-win-miss-universe-philippines |
The 22-year-old stunner from Meycauayan, Bulacan is a Filipino-American who is not new in the pageant scene.
In the comments section, fans have been supportive and even projected her as the next Miss Universe.
“Living black barbie," one comment said.
The Bulakenya beauty is believed to be the first-ever Filipino-African American who will represent the country in Miss Universe in Mexico by the end of the year.
At least Chelsea, unlike Catriona Gray, is a native Filipina. The only thing American about her is her father who died a few years ago. But because she inherited his black genes she is now being touted as the first woman of color to represent the Philippines at the Miss Universe pageant. It's as dumb and untrue as when Jennifer Lawrence claimed she was the first female action star. It is also incredibly racist and denies that Filipinas are women of color.
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