On January 30, Ellen Adarna took to Instagram to share a video of her husband Derek Ramsay putting up a Philippine flag in front of their neighbor’s Chinese sign. It was captioned, “I like the view. Patriotic,” with the hashtag “#ProudPinoy.”
Instagram/maria.elena.adarna
Instagram/maria.elena.adarnaWhile some people took the IG story as a lighthearted joke, several netizens called out Ellen and Derek for their *misplaced nationalism.*
The Chinese sign—which allegedly translates to “May good luck arrive at these doors each year, and may all things be gradually fulfilled to your heart’s desires”—is put on display on Lunar New Year as part of Chinese tradition.
“How does a prosperity sign even get you this mad?” says one netizen. “There's nothing to be proud of if the intention for putting up our flag is to mock your Chinese neighbor for simply wishing everyone good luck,” says another.
Twitter
Twitter
Even Chinese-Filipino TV personality Richard Juan took to Twitter to express his disappointment.
“The sad truth is, despite HUNDREDS OF YEARS of history in the Philippines, it’s the unwelcoming actions like this that [make] us Chinoys feel like we STILL don’t belong here,” he wrote.
“I acknowledge that I’m one of the few privileged but it’s a fact that many Chinoys who spent most [of] their lives here sometimes feel that they don’t truly belong. Just because some Chinoys may not have Filipino blood does not mean we are not Pinoy. Chinoys are Pinoys.”
Twitter/richardjuanHowever, some netizens defended the couple, saying that it *doesn't make sense* why Ellen and Derek "can't display the Philippine flag within their own property."
Twitter
As of writing, neither Ellen nor Derek has responded to the issue.
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