Did you vote for Jessica?

For the past few weeks, Filipinos in the US (and around the world) have followed Jessica Sanchez’s meteoric rise on American Idol. She instantly became a source of pride and unity within the Filipino community. In fact, a major topic of discussion among Filipinos was reminding one another to vote for Jessica. Indeed, it almost became a “patriotic duty” of Filipinos to vote for Jessica, and a treasonous act if you didn’t, to be shunned and shamed by friends and relatives for such an egregious omission.

Thanks to the power of Filipino voters, Jessica was able to make it all the way to the finals. Unfortunately, screaming teenage American girls outnumbered Filipinos, and were able to put Philip Phillips over the top. But still, it was a remarkable achievement for Jessica as well as the Filipino community. (However, even though Jessica finished in second place, I would still consider that a victory. Remember, Jennifer Hudson and Susan Boyle also did not win at American Idol or Britain’s Got Talent, yet they went on to achieve phenomenal success.)

But there is also a valuable lesson to be learned in connection with Jessica Sanchez. It shows the power that Filipinos possess when they unite behind a particular person or cause, and then vote. When they do that, their voice is heard.

Soon, there will be the American elections. If Filipinos can demonstrate the same drive, passion, and enthusiasm in American politics as they do with American Idol, they will truly become a force to be reckoned with. It is no secret that politicians are out to get votes. Voters are their “target audience.” If there is a large group, representing a unified block of votes, politicians will be courting that group for the group’s vote. I would like politicians to really start courting the Filipino vote, which can only happen if they unify and go out to vote, just as they did with Jessica.

For my part, a politician’s stand on immigration is very important. It may still be a little too early to make a decision yet. I know that Romney talked about being very tough on immigration. But that rhetoric may have been to secure the Republican nomination. Many times, politicians change their positions for securing their party’s nomination, and then for the general election. So we would need to watch if Romney will support comprehensive immigration reform, when he campaigns in the general election.

I also know that Democrats typically favor comprehensive immigration reform. Before the 2008 election, Obama said he supported comprehensive immigration reform. However, he’s now almost at the end of his first term, and nothing was done, despite Democrats controlling the House, Senate, and Presidency during the first two years of his term. In addition, deportations/removals have been at an all-time high during Obama’s administration. Therefore, it remains to be seen if Obama will revisit the issue of immigration, and deliver on his promise for immigration reform if re-elected.

In the meantime, there are several things that Filipinos can do:

• If you are an immigrant, you should consider naturalizing, since only US citizens can vote.

• If you are a US citizen, make sure that you are registered to vote.

• Unite behind politicians or causes that best benefit the Filipino community and vote — just like you did with Jessica Sanchez.

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