Filipinos know how early we were taught the basic values of respecting the elderly and keeping our heritage to heart. Now, the American educational kids show we loved as kids, Blue’s Clues, is set to do the same through its Filipino-American host, Joshua Dela Cruz.
Blue’s Clues & You! will premiere two new episodes, one of which is titled “Blue’s Big Baking Show,” where Josh will get a visit from his lola to help him prepare bibingka, a sweet Filipino delicacy that’s usually served during the holidays.
The episode is yet to premiere, but we get to see a preview through a short clip shared by one E.J. Ramos David, Ph.D. a Filipino-American psychology professor, on Twitter. In the snippet, we can see Josh warmly welcoming his lola, doing the pagmamano, and being called Joshy by his lola — because who didn’t get a special nickname from their grandmas as kids?
“We have an entire generation of American kids being exposed to a Filipino dude on TV, doing the “Mano po” to his Lola, & making bibingka. My kids are seeing their lives on TV,” David captions his tweet. True enough, Filipino-Americans abroad are already finding the yet-to-air episode a delightful display of Filipino tradition.
More than the nostalgia, Filipino-American audiences are looking forward to the fact that younger generations will finally feel seen on television. Good job, Josh!
