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Jake Zyrus

The reflection paper discusses the memoir "I Am Jake" by Jake Zyrus (formerly known as Charice Pempengco) and their experience struggling with gender identity from a young age. Jake was forced by their mother at a young age to sing for money and fame, which took away their childhood. They attempted suicide multiple times due to feeling trapped in the wrong body. After transitioning to living as male, Jake was happier and able to express their true self through singing. The paper emphasizes that people should respect others for who they are instead of discriminating against LGBTQA+ individuals.

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Diane Magnaye
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3K views

Jake Zyrus

The reflection paper discusses the memoir "I Am Jake" by Jake Zyrus (formerly known as Charice Pempengco) and their experience struggling with gender identity from a young age. Jake was forced by their mother at a young age to sing for money and fame, which took away their childhood. They attempted suicide multiple times due to feeling trapped in the wrong body. After transitioning to living as male, Jake was happier and able to express their true self through singing. The paper emphasizes that people should respect others for who they are instead of discriminating against LGBTQA+ individuals.

Uploaded by

Diane Magnaye
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Magnaye, Diane Ronalene C.

BSA II-01
Philippine Literature
Reflection Paper: I AM JAKE

The story of Jake Zyrus (formerly known as Charice Pempengco) was too painful and inspiring at the
same time. At first, I thought I would never finish this book and will just search for summary in the
internet, but in just one sitting, for like three hours, I finished the book. I don't usually read books and
when I do, I choose those that I can relate too and this was not one of them but I really enjoyed
reading it. There are so many emotions in every chapter of this book. I even almost cried in some
parts of the story because of how painful it is. Jake Zyrus struggled when he was young but strived to
get the life he always wanted.

Not knowing who you really are or what you really want to do already sucks. But being someone that
deep in your heart does not feel like you every single day is like a life living in hell. That was what Jake
experienced ever since he was born. I was so hurt by the tattoo he had made in his arm that says, “I’m
a child called ‘it’.” Jake learned to sing at a very young age. His mother saw this as their ticket out of
poverty. She dragged him in every singing contest that is present. That moment, Jake’s mother clearly
forgot that he was just a child. He never experienced the childhood that all parents dreamt their
children to have. His mother will be happy if Jake win the contest but she will hurt him if he lose. Jake
was brutally raised by his mother. The only time that Jake really felt happy as a child was when he was
with his dad. He was told what to say in front of the media about his family. His mother taught him to
say things that will make her look good and heroic, while destroying the image of his beloved father.
Imagine, you are being treated like an object but you have to act like nothing is wrong.

He was discovered by the biggest stars in hollywood like Ellen DeGeneres, Oprah Winfrey, David
Foster, and etc. This opened so many opportunities for him. Being in hollywood means having more
money. Unfortunately for him, all the money he earned immediately landed on his mother. The only
moment he knew how much he makes was when he reached 18 and got his own accountant. Despite
the things that his mother did to him, Jake still craves for her love and acceptance. When he had a
girlfriend in US, he admitted to his mother what he truly is and was hoping that she would understand
but he only received harsh words. His mom was, is still and will always be his weakness.

Knowing that he has a chance to transform into the person he’s always dreamed of gave him another
reason to live. He attempted to kill himself not just once but three times. Many people may think that
he was being ungrateful and unreasonable because of how he acted with all the blessing he received.
But that’s not it. Since he was a kid, he never actually lived his own life. He was told how to act, who
to be with, what to wear, what to say. Ending his life was the only way he can escape that life. So
really, people can’t blame or criticize him for his actions.

People always believed that being bisexual, lesbian or gay is like a disease. It will spread once you
interact with someone that is a homosexual. But no. Jake Zyrus always thought that he was a boy.
Even since he was a kid, he believed that he’s a boy. He was confused on why he is not like the other
boys in his school. When he transformed into a boy, he was so happy. He was now able to sing the
male parts of the song that he never thought he would be able to do. He now sings with emotions
unlike before when he is being forced to sing songs that he does not like.

God created us the way we are. But in our everyday lives, He also gives us a chance. A chance to
choose on who we really wanted to be. Like Jake Zyrus. He was born as Charice but as he grew older,
he learned that he can be someone that he wanted. Someone that he chose. Why would people stop
others to become who they want to be? Who they were destined to become. Isn't that why God gave
us a chance to widen more our knowledge and understanding about things? We always have a choice.
Either it to be what we are when we were born or be someone we wanted. Jake Zyrus’ transition
made his life more happier. This gave his life more meaning. Some may be against with the decision of
the LGBTQA++ community but still we must not disrespect and discriminate them. If you can’t show
respect, then just ignore them. But never hurt there feelings because they are still human beings.

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