Miss Texas has a message for Texas' Republican governor

AVERIE BISHOP

Averie Bishop used her Miss Texas platform to advocate for diversity and inclusion.

After giving up her crown as Miss Texas, it didn't take long for the Filipino American beauty queen Averie Bishop took her first steps into the political arena by criticizing Texas' conservative  leaders.

Days after crowning her successor, Ellie Breaux as Miss Texas 2023, Bishop aimed her message of diversity right at Texas Governor Greg Abbott who has campaigned against communities of color and through the Republican-controlled state legislature, make it harder for voters to cast their ballots.

In an opinion article published by MSNBC, Bishop wrote: "I also know that if our politicians continue to shut out, ignore and oppress marginalized and minority Texans, the state will never become the socio-economic and political powerhouse it wants to become."

During Bishop's  reign as Miss Texas last year, she consistently pushed her platform, "Y’all Means All” in all her appearances.

She was the first Asian American to win the title in the 85-year history of this scholarship competition. The winner represented the Lone Star state in the Miss America scholarship competition.

As a college student at Southern Methodist University, she saw the demographic changes in Texas as it became a majority-minority state, where no one ethnic group was in the majority. "I started seeing a new side of my state, a Texas that is home to one of the country’s largest South Asian communities, a thriving Black music industry, generations of Latinx and Chicano cultures, and some of the best Vietnamese food this side of the Pacific." she continued.

"And yet, so many of the leaders of my state are living in denial. Rather than celebrating this diversity and the ways it makes us stronger, they are trying to smother it."

During her year as Miss Texas she has spoken on race, abortion, immigration, voting, same-sex marriage, school shootings and comprehensive sex education, all of which leaned progressive and against the views of the Republican lawmakers, including Abbott.

In June as Bishop was preparing to end her year as Miss Texas, Abbott signed laws banning diversity offices and training at state universities, “sexually explicit” books at public schools, drag shows and gender-affirming care for youths.

In a recent article published in the Washington Post, Bishop, who graduated from Dedman School of Law at Southern Methodist University, school plans to join a law office to launch her career. At some point, Bishop told the Post, she might run for elective office.

In her MSNBC oped, the 27-year old Bishop concluded: "I became Miss Texas to advocate for the people of color, immigrants and LGTBQ people who hold up every community from Galveston to Waco. Now more than ever, it is crucial to hold our leaders and institutions accountable. And I think most Texans agree with me."

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow @DioknoEd on Twitter or at his blog Views From the Edge.

‘The Cleaning Lady’ offers a look at the hidden side of Asian America

Elodie Yung leads a diverse cast in 'The Cleaning Lady.'

American audiences will get a glimpse of Asian America rarely seen on television with today's  (Jan. 3) debut of a new drama, The Cleaning Lady.

With Asian Americans playing key roles in the series' creation, writer, executive producers and actors, the drama will feature complex, 3-dimensional characters, who don't fit the model minority mold and beyond the supporting friend, nerd and martial artist stereotypes usually portrayed in U.S. media.

Miranda Kwok (The 100) adapted the story from an Argentine series. Instead of having the characters be East Asian, which most Americans associate with when they picture Asian people, Kwok chose to have her characters come from the Philippines, broadening the image of what an Asian looks like. 

“I was inspired to create a show with a Southeast Asian female lead, which is something we’ve never seen on prime time television,” stated Kwok during a discussion at the advance community screening of The Cleaning Lady.

“What excited me about the show is that I wanted to do a female ‘Breaking Bad’ type story, but have the point of view from an undocumented person,” says Kwok, who is also the creator and writer. 

Kwok also noted that she “wanted to explore the story of an undocumented immigrant and show how she can defy all the odds that were against her, find her strength and faces those challenges.”

Eloidie Yung will play the central character, Thony De La Rosa, a whip-smart Cambodian, who is a doctor from the Philippines. She comes to the U.S. for a medical treatment to save her son, Luca, (portrayed by Sebastien and Valentino LaSalle) but when the system fails and pushes her into become an undocumented American. She uses her cunning and intelligence to fight back, breaking the law for all the right reasons.

Yung replaced Shannyn Sossamon, a Filipino American actress who was originally cast as the lead character. Casting Yung, who is Cambodian French, created another problem. Rather than facing the sure-as-fire controversy if Yung continued to play a Filipino, the creators tailored the storyline to reflect Yung's own ethnicity. So the central character Reyna became Thony.

“My dad came from another country and had to make his own place in France, so I could very much relate to that. I was so glad I could be seen for the first time for really who I am as a whole person, with my origins, my background, and also just what I could bring as an actor,” Yung said during a Fox TCA panel, when the series trailer was released. “It was such a strong part, and draining, but beautiful to have.”

To underscore the Filipino factor, the music of FilAm rapper Ruby Ibarra will be used in the series. The Bay Area artist, known for her Filipino American themes in her original lyrics, wrote several new cuts especially for The Cleaning Lady.

There will be plenty of Filipino cultural references as the De La Rosa family maneuvers it's way through the hidden world of the undocumented. Thony's Filipino husband, Marco De La Rosa, will be played by Ivan Shaw, who was born in Taiwan.

Marco's sister Fiona is also undocumented and is Thony's best friend and roommate. “It is completely groundbreaking in terms of the show and it’s diversity," says Martha Millan, a Filipino Aussie actor. "Being a part of this is incredible! Phenomenal!’’

Sabastien LaSalle, who plays Thony's son, Fiona's children played by Shawn Lew and Faith Bryant are also Asian American actors.

Additionally the series will feature other actors of Asian descent as the plot moves forward, including Filipino American Lou Diamond Philipps and his real-life daughter Gracie, who will play father and daughter in the series story.

Shay Mitchell, (Pretty Little Liars) who like Kwok, is from Canada is also executive producing.

The series premieres as the U.S. is experiencing a surge of anti-Asian hate, a move to ensure Asian American history is taught in the nation's public schools, a rise in political activism and a debate over U.S. immigration policies.

Kwok wants The Cleaning Lady “to tell a more timely story as to what is going on today. I wanted to layer in a lot of issues through the story.”

The Cleaning Lady airs on Fox at 9 p.m., Mondays or streamed on Hulu.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AAPI perspective, follow me on Twitter @DioknoEd.