Shay Mitchell seems to deny her Filipina heritage after saying her mother is Spanish
On an episode of her new show ‘Thirst’ which just premiered last month, Shay Mitchell seems to deny her Filipina heritage after saying her mother is Spanish. Shay’s mother was born in the province of Pampanga in the Philippines. Beginning in 1565, Spain colonized the Philippines and the country was under the Spanish empire’s rule for more than 300 years.
Proudly Filipina and Tony Award-winning (the first Asian actress to win) singer and actress Lea Salonga is also Shay’s cousin. In several previous interviews, Shay has talked about how much she admired Lea’s success as the singing voice for Jasmine in Disney’s ‘Aladdin’ and Fa Mulan in ‘Mulan.’
In a 2016 interview with PopSugar called, “Why I Used to Hide My Filipina Heritage,” Shay said of her 17-year-old self, “When I was younger, I really didn’t want to look like myself. I didn’t want to have tan skin. I wanted to have light eyes. I wanted my hair to be light. I wanted to look like my friends. All of my good friends growing up were blonde-haired. Had light skin. Fair complexions and beautiful light eyes. I truly just wanted to fit in with them.”
From disappointment to anger, confusion, and criticism, the internet has had a lot to say about Shay saying her mother is Spanish.
“So disappointed if you denying you are from 🇵🇭. I hope my 3 girls will never be ashamed of their origins. You are ungrateful of maybe the hard work your mum has gone through. Don’t forget where do you come from,” one person said.
Another person commented, “Girl just because the Philippines was colonized by Spain doesn’t make you “Spanish” smh. Claiming that you’re Spanish instead of Filipino just proves that you stand behind years of colonialism.”
There’s obviously a lot to unpack here — being the child of an immigrant, being multiracial, assimilation, colorism, colonialism, self-love, etc. but it can be a healthy and important discussion. Sound off in the comments (please, no bullying).
