Alec Mapa puts hot issue in Pinoy perspective

OUTSPOKEN Alec Mapa on being gay and a Filipino (a “double whammy” he described it one time) in US entertainment: “I am not invisible. I refuse to be. Have you seen my hair?”

LOS ANGELES—While we are energized by the lively discussion, especially in cyberspace, of the “Desperate Housewives” issue, let us pose this question: Why are there no Filipino characters in hospital drama TV shows?

As we wrote in our blog, in many US hospitals, you can’t turn a corner without bumping into a Filipino healthcare professional — doctor, nurse, therapist, nurse aide and so on. So have you, like me, wondered why there are no Pinoy characters in the main cast of these hospital drama shows? And to think there are dozens of these shows on American television.

It makes us think every time we see a new billboard or poster in LA announcing a new hospital drama. Where is the actor representing the ubiquitous Filipino doctor or nurse in the picture of the smiling cast dressed in scrubs?

The question reflects a larger issue. True, there are more actors (we’re using the term to denote thespians of both sexes, as is fashionable these days) of Asian and other racial make-up working on American TV shows these days. But we are still a long way from seeing an accurate representation of the diversity of the US population on the small screen.

We asked Alec Mapa, one of the few Filipino-American actors able to find regular work in US television, some questions on this matter. In our column last Friday, we reported that Alec has a recurring guest role as Vern (best friend of Gabrielle, Eva Longoria’s character) on “Desperate Housewives.” He shared his views on the whole brouhaha over the remark made by Teri Hatcher’s character on Philippine medical schools.

Alec, whose other TV credits include “Ugly Betty” (he has a recurring role on this acclaimed series this season), “Some of My Best Friends” (he starred with Jason Bateman) and “Half & Half,” also appears in films and stage plays. He is currently filming a movie with Adam Sandler titled “You Don’t Mess with the Zohan.”

He took over B.D. Wong’s Tony Award-winning title role in David Henry Hwang’s “M. Butterfly.” Alec’s hilarious recollection of being an understudy who is coveting that role, and of his funny, poignant memories of growing up Filipino and gay in San Francisco, made his one-man show, “I Remember Mapa” a memorable stage entertainment for us to this day. We hope a Manila impresario brings Alec to perform in the Philippines someday — he will make you laugh, cry and think, sometimes all at the same time.

Witty and eloquent, Alec champions causes supporting gay, lesbian and Asian-American communities.

The following are excerpts of Alec’s replies, via e-mail, to our questions.

There are thousands of Filipino healthcare professionals (nurses, doctors, etc.) in US hospitals. Have you wondered why, amid this abundance of hospital drama shows, there is not one Filipino character in these shows?
I’m guessing that whoever writes and produces these shows hasn’t been in a hospital lately. Because if they had, they’d know the ER has more Filipinos than Daly City. I blame the technical directors. There exists a team of experts on all of these medical shows, whose sole purpose is to recreate an accurate hospital environment. Apparently, they care more about showing a syringe accurately than they do about showing a nurse accurately.

Does this indicate how far we are from achieving a more realistic presentation of the racial diversity of the US population in TV shows in general?
It’s an indication of who’s in charge and who’s making creative decisions. More Asians behind the scenes, more Asians in front of the camera. It’s that simple. Nobody’s going to hand it to us. No one. It’s not enough for us to decry the lack of representation. We have to establish footholds in all creative sectors — writing, producing, directing, etc. We’re far too resourceful and hardworking to be victims. Think about it. There aren’t any filmmakers in the Philippines sitting trying to think of more for white people.

Does this also prove the belief that the Filipino-American population, despite numbering in the hundreds of thousands in the US, is almost an “invisible” race in the US because Filipinos easily integrate into mainstream American society?
I am not invisible. I refuse to be. Have you seen my hair? I’ve learned after 20 years in this business, that we aren’t entitled to anything regardless of how many hands are stretched out. I know it’s not the answer people want to hear. I was unemployed for years because all I did was complain that nobody got me. It wasn’t until I got pro-active and started writing my own shows that all the mainstream opportunities manifested.

Do you think there should be more writers of various races working on American television so they will write more shows that reflect the true diversity of the American population?
“Grey’s Anatomy” has a diverse cast because the show’s creator, Shonda Rhimes, is an African-American woman who insisted on having a diverse cast. Can you imagine what that show would look like if a Filipina were in charge?

As one of the few Filipino-American actors able to work regularly on TV shows, what has been your experience like? How easy or tough can it be?
My suffering isn’t greater or lesser than anyone else’s. As a gay Filipino, I have a career that isn’t even supposed to exist. I work because I work my ass off.

Many Filipinos were outraged by the remark of Teri Hatcher’s character on “Desperate Housewives.” Was the remark a random case of poor judgment on the writers’ part?
I would have to say yes, it was a random case of poor judgment. Writing for television is a game of Beat the Clock. These writers are constantly under the gun, time-wise. They’re the hardest working people in the business and I know many of them personally. They’re not bad people. Quite the opposite. They’re hard working talented people who just let a stinker slip under the wire. Personally, I think political correctness is another form of censorship and a real comedy killer. If I had to constantly worry about offending people, my act would consist of knock-knock jokes.

And following up on that, can you put the furor that ensued from your perspective?
Culturally, Filipinos have an extraordinary amount of pride. We have enormous reserves of humor, but we don’t react well if we feel we’re being teased or belittled. I can’t poke fun at my father. He goes nuts.

Do you think the controversy is good or bad in relation to your recurring guest job on the show? And to Fil-Am actors trying to make it on American TV in general?
I hardly think one line on a TV show will be the death knell for me or all of the Filipino actors on television.

Teri Hatcher is somehow caught in the controversy. Some have said that she should have refused to say that remark in the script.
Who are “some”? I doubt that it’s anyone who actually works in television. Teri was doing her job. She’s not a writer, producer or a network executive. It wasn’t her call to make. Having said that, if it was something she felt strongly about, if she was an expert on all things “medically” Filipino, I’m sure she would have said something.

On a lighter note, do you think it’s high time that we see a sitcom featuring a Fil-Am family? Name one or two situations that immediately come to your mind.

“Meet the Daquioags!” They’re your average American family, only they’re all Filipinos!

Episode number 1: The Daquioags invite their Caucasian next door neighbors over for dinner and hilarity ensues when the main course is balut!

“The Bionic Lola” — Discovered alive after being buried in a mudslide, Lola Cariño was turned by the Philippine government and all of the Philippines’ best doctors into Manila’s first bionic grandmother. She can peel 87 shrimps a second and attend Mass in seven different churches all at once.

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