The Debut

Released in 2001, The Debut, became one of the most successful independent films to become a main feature in the Filipino American (Fil-Am) community. Co-written by Gene Cajayon, a Filipino-American filmmaker, the film proved itself in the American film industry by becoming the first featured film released nationwide that represented the Filipino and Filipino-American community in America. This film automatically took Filipino homes and stores by storm; when it first came out, there were only a few Filipinos and/or Filipino-Americans who had teenagers in their house, who have not seen this film yet.

It was such a popular trend to watch this film, and inspired many Filipino-American young ladies to carry on the tradition of having a debut, or something similar to this celebration.A Debut is an elaborate 18^th birthday celebration, similar in comparison to a Quincenera in the Mexican culture or a Sweet Sixteen in the American culture. It signifies a coming of age for a young female, and it is, in a sense, a rite of passage; just as boys receiving their first car or their first tool box from their father, the debut symbolizes a pathway into adulthood.

Starring Dante Basco, a well-acknowledged actor in both the American and Fil-Am entertainment industries, the film revolves around Filipino traditions, lifestyles and culture to ultimately produce and reveal the making and presentation of a 'debut'. The Debut in this movie, is used as the backdrop and symbolizes much more than just a celebration; it represents the Filipino and all of the cultural stigmas and hierarchies each person part of the culture must follow, obey and pursue to receive their rite of passage into adulthood. It is a symbol of the moment when a child’s parental figures are ready to give them away to the world; it is when a child’s parental figures are ready to let them go, whether it be to go off to school, or get married, they are getting ready for a life of their own.

This film helps to represent Filipino and Filipino-American ideologies that many parents hold as standards for their children. It gave adolescents living in America a better grasp on exactly why their parents were so strict on them as children and teenagers, which was ultimately because they had not yet received their rite of passage to become adults. The Debut impacted Filipinos and Filipino-Americans so greatly that it helped to re-instill many of the cultural traditions that Filipinos hold so dearly to their hearts.