It's funny how the picture above summarized Thia Megia's run on American Idol. Numerous blog and discussion forums have credited her singing Vannesa Williams Disney song "Colors of the Wind" while being in character as the culmination of this "Disney Princess" like title among the avid Idoloonies.
Nothing can be further from the truth as she proves over the American Idol finale just what kind of "Princess" she would be, an Asian American Pop Princess.
However, born in the region where the Fil-Americans have succeeded in getting Disney to believe in their innate talents and enabling the Cross cultural music industry to penetrate the mainstream, Thia surely has history riding on her shoulders.
Northern California from Salinas all the way to the northern reaches of Nevada and Washington state have always been the bastion of the Filipino American Community. It is home to the largest Filipino community in the USA Regionally speaking. It is not surprising that the current crop of Disney stars of Filipino heritage have been from Northern California.
Vanessa "Guangco" Hudgens - Born in Salinas, California was discovered in a Rodeo singing contest in the Central Valley before being signed up by Disney for her role in the High School Musical series.
Here she is discussing the dreaded filipino food BALOT.
Anna Maria Perez De Tagle - Born in San Francisco, California. She is best known for portraying Ashley Dewitt, the antagonist opposite Miley Cyrus's Hanna Montana as well as Demi Lovato's Camp Rock series.
Like Thia, Anna Maria have been competing in singing competitions around the Bay and eventually CBS Star Search where she was defeated by American Idol runner up David Archuleta.
Jasmine Marie Villegas - Born San Jose, California of Filipino-Mexican heritage and is a personal friend of Hayward born Thia Megia. Best known for being Justin Bieber's girlfriend in the Music Video "Baby".
She was once connected with Disney in a lead role for "That's So Raven" where Selena Gomez is a supporting character (onscreen sister).
Dante Basco - Born Pittsburg, California - first known for her portrayal of Rufio from the Disney Classic Peter Pan film Hook and have not subsided from his acting career since then in various film and TV sitcom.
The region is also host to Asian-American invasion of mainstream music industry led by Filipino-American musicians and vocalist.
Jocelyn Enriquez - Born Ssn Francisco, CA - Fil-Am Pop sensation in mid 1990's generating hits like I've Been thinking of You, A Little Bit of Ecstasy and Do you Miss me.
Buffy - Born San Franciso Bay Area, CA - Followed Jocelyn Enriquez's lead in conquering the airwaves with hits like Give me a Reason
One Vo1ce - Vallejo, Californa - for all of those K-pop addicts, the originals are the Filipino-Americans of Norcal in an all girl group RNB/hiphop long before there was 2ne1, Wonder Girls and SNSD.
The above are just a few of the musicians who created the 1st Asian-American mainstream invasion. Others like Pinays, Innerlude, Kai, Devotion and others showed America a tiny segment of the Pinoy spirit.
Thia Megia is here to conquer and continue the legacy, I'm sure of it.
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