Fil-Mexican on American Idol: 'I want this so bad'

In tears as she made it to the Top 24 of the hit United States talent show "American Idol," 16-year-old Filipino Mexican Jessica Sanchez told the judges, "I want this so bad."   Sanchez, who hails from San Diego, California, earned the approval of "Idol" judges Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez, and Steven Tyler after a soulful solo rendition of "The Prayer," a duet popularized by Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli.     During Thursday's episode (US time) when the contestants were being narrowed down to 24, Sanchez entered the "judgment room" in tears. Lopez consoled her, saying she did a “really good job." Then Lopez broke the much-awaited question: “Will you join our Top 24?” to which Sanchez eagerly replied “Yes.”   “This is the biggest thing that’s ever happened to me,” she told host Ryan Seacrest as she rejoiced in the company of her family. “I’ve been watching this show since I was a little girl and now, I made it to the Top 24 and it’s just—it’s crazy!” All for family   Sanchez, who auditioned in her hometown, said she joined the competition to give back to her family, which has been supportive of her dream.   “My family has spent so much money on me. They’ve sacrificed so much time,” she said in an interview on "Idol," adding that her mother “is unemployed because of my music career.”   “Knowing that there’s a possibility of me helping my family in this situation—that’s why I’m here, that’s why I’m working hard,” she added.   ‘One of the best’   This is not Sanchez’s first time to compete on national television, having been a semifinalist in the show “America’s Got Talent” when she was only 11 years old.   According to PEP.ph, Sanchez wowed the show’s celebrity judges to a point of speechlessness with her rendition of Celine Dion’s “I Surrender.”    Sanchez's stint on “America’s Got Talent” earned her praise from the notorious music producer Simon Cowell, who said “she was one [of] the best I have ever heard.”   A year before that, Sanchez sang in “Showtime at the Apollo,” a music program that launched the career of the King of Pop Michael Jackson.   The PEP.ph report said Golden Globe winner Whoopi Goldberg, who hosted the show, called the then 10-year-old “back out on stage to accept a second round of applause” after “her first standing ovation.”   Other Filipinos on "American Idol"   As she enters the "American Idol" semifinals, Sanchez hopes to join other talents of Filipino descent who were able to sing their way through the finals of the popular, public-determined show that has been running for 11 seasons.   In Season 3, Jasmine Trias and Camile Velasco—who are both from Hawaii—secured spots in the Top 12 of the show. Velasco finished ninth, while Trias emerged third, making her the highest-ranking Filipino contestant so far.   Another Filipina, Ramiele Malubay, made the show’s Top 12 four seasons later, where she competed against eventual chart-toppers David Cook and David Archuleta.   Last year, 15-year-old Thia Megia finished 11th in the competition. She was part of the first "Idol" tour to the Philippines last September. - VVP, GMA News