A teenage mom from New York who is part Filipino and part African-American bested eight other contestants to become the seventh member of the all-girl pop group The Pussycat Dolls.Asia Nitollano, daughter of R&B musician Joe Bataan (Nitollano), won the first "Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search for the Next Doll."
Nitollano is now an official member and performed with the group for the first time on the show’s finale last April 24.
She will be featured on the next album of the Pussycat Dolls, "Double the Trouble."
PCD lead singer Nicole Scherzinger, who is also part Filipino, is said to be embarking on a solo career.
The judges agreed that while Asia was not the best vocalist, she was the best overall performer.
Melissa Anne Leoni Reyes, the first runner-up in the show, is also of Filipino descent. Her parents, Tony and Belle, are from Baliuag, Bulacan.
Nitollano was born Feb. 14, 1988 in Mt. Vernon, New York. At 19, she is the youngest member of the group.
She was also a dancer for the New York Knicks.
