How come Nonito and Brian Viloria all of a sudden claimed Filipino?

[hectari]

I remember Brian Viloria and Nonito Donaire when they were boxing in the Amateurs, Viloria was very popular going into the Olympics and they were representing America.

Nonito wasn't repping the Philippines he was just a skinny little kid and wearing American flag jackets and shirts saying he wanted to rep his country the best country in the word USA in the Olympics.

Viloria won the spot and I remember the feature on him on NBC they called him the Hawaiian Punch and he was repping Hawaii not the Philippines, I never knew he was Filipino until Manny Pacquiao blew up back in the 2005-2007 time, all of a sudden this Hawaii dude is claiming he is a Filipino but doesn't even speak the language.

Dude straight up bandwagoned, all of a sudden he is a Filipino guy?

Anyone else think this makes you look like a fake was he basically ashamed of his filipino side? was he trying to market himself toward the hawaii and American market because before Pacman there was no Filipino market?

Anyway its pathetic how both Brian and Nonito stopped being patriotic Americans in favor of Filipino Pride, just be real man and people will respect you more.

[Sugar Adam Ali]

Because they are trying to get big in Macau and more interest over their in a phillipino than in an American

[ReIoaded]

It wasn't just Donaire and Viloria who jumped the "Pilipino Pride Bandwagon" After Pacquiao showed up on the scene all kinds of Fil-AMs started to reclaim their roots.

Prior to that the only American groups I noticed who were cool with who they are and claimed roots were the Eskrimadors and Tinikling dancers.

[Hougigo]

haha... well look who got unbanned

[KRITKL]

This happens a lot in boxing.
Lots of Americans of Mexican backround fight for the USA in amateurs but once they turn pro they come out with the Mexican flag, also Berto and Haiti, Lewis with Canada.
Don't really care about it. Like you said Pac was huge at the time, why not try to cash in?

[hectari]

This happens a lot in boxing.
Lots of Americans of Mexican backround fight for the USA in amateurs but once they turn pro they come out with the Mexican flag, also Berto and Haiti, Lewis with Canada.
Don't really care about it. Like you said Pac was huge at the time, why not try to cash in?

Yeah good point, but at least with the Mexican American boxers, you knew they had Mexican blood and spoke about it or told a story of how their parents crossed the border illegally for a better life etc.

Viloria straight up said he was Hawaiian American lol. Dude had to be the smallest Polynesian I ever seen.

[ReIoaded]

This happens a lot in boxing.
Lots of Americans of Mexican backround fight for the USA in amateurs but once they turn pro they come out with the Mexican flag, also Berto and Haiti, Lewis with Canada.
Don't really care about it. Like you said Pac was huge at the time, why not try to cash in?

Prime example to support this would be Cassius Clay claiming Arab ancestry and baptizing himself as Muhammad Ali, (worthy of all praises) after defeating Sonny Liston in their first match.

[Ruthless One]

Yeah good point, but at least with the Mexican American boxers, you knew they had Mexican blood and spoke about it or told a story of how their parents crossed the border illegally for a better life etc.

Viloria straight up said he was Hawaiian American lol. Dude had to be the smallest Polynesian I ever seen.

True. Plenty of young Filipino Americans don't know much about their roots.

[2fast2strong]

Nonito was born there so he can claim it with no problems, and Viloria has Filipino blood so what's the problem?

How many Mexican American boxers rep Mexico when they were born in the states?

Stop hating.

[ReIoaded]

Yeah good point, but at least with the Mexican American boxers, you knew they had Mexican blood and spoke about it or told a story of how their parents crossed the border illegally for a better life etc.

Viloria straight up said he was Hawaiian American lol. Dude had to be the smallest Polynesian I ever seen.

Wasn't he born in Hawaii and born an America? I think that qualifies himself as a Hawaiian American, yes?

My daughter was born in California, America and I don't think anybody could make any disputes that she is either or both Californian American or Filipino American or simply Filipino.