Former Beauty Queen Sparks Outrage After Blaming K-Pop for Filipinos ‘Losing Identity’

Imelda Bautista Schweighart, who was crowned Miss Philippines Earth 2016, took her feelings about the genre to a Facebook post on Monday.

 

“I hate K-Pop,” Schweighart declared. “Filipinos are losing their identity trying to be like Koreans. A little pride, please?”

The beauty queen, who was writing in Filipino and English, went on to suggest that Filipinos are better than Koreans in speaking English. She then compared the latter to the Chinese, whom she accused of invasion.

“It’s obvious Filipinos are better in speaking English than Koreans,” the 25-year-old claimed. “I thought it’s the Chinese who invades? I think we’re getting it wrong. We’re always being invaded.”

Schweighart continued her tirade in the comments section, claiming that K-Pop encourages plastic surgery and fuels insecurity.

“I’m not sure if anyone can identify with (K-pop stars) but if anyone could, it’s imagining what you could look like after heavy plastic surgery. Insecurity is what they sell,” Schweighart wrote, according to the South China Morning Post. “They are not promoting self-love.”

Replying to one user, Schweighart, who is German-Filipino, praised “Western influence” and proclaimed Westerners as the Filipino people’s “superiors.”

“Western influence is top notch. And we are under them up to this day. We need them as Filipinos and I salute to them for being exemplar in everything, because ultimately, they are our superiors,” the beauty queen wrote. “There are indifferences but I’d rather see Filipinos find their identity instead of always being watered down.”

Social media users quickly accused Schweighart of hypocrisy and xenophobia. As of this writing, her social profiles are no longer accessible.

“Xenophobic and hypocrite at its finest! Ms. Imelda Schweighart, you were Miss Earth Philippines 2016? I can’t believe you were,” one Twitter user wrote. “Liking K-Pop doesn’t make you any less Filipino. It is just us appreciating an art made of sensibility. You can never imagine how they resonate with us.”

A Facebook user noted, “Schweighart’s statement is pure short-sightedness and insecurity. She shouldn’t use false nationalism to coerce people to stick to one kind of music. Let the talents speak for themselves.”

This is not the first time Schweighart has drawn flak for her views. She gave up her Miss Philippines Earth 2016 crown after facing a backlash for insulting Ecuador’s Katherine Espin, winner of Miss Earth 2016, for having “fake nose, fake chin and fake boobs,” according to CNN Philippines.

Feature Image via Rappler (left; screenshot)