It is well-known that the Chinese in the Philippines, especially the older generation, are easy victims of extortion by corrupt government officials. However, not many realize that this phenomenon is actually rooted from Spanish colonial rulers hundreds of years ago. Extortion of the Chinese is in fact a tradition started by the Spanish officials. The […]
Chino is the Spanish word for Chinese. But not always. At one point in the olden days, it referred to Asians and even Africans! Making use of lots of material from Archivo General de Indias, Seville, Edward R. Slack Jr., professor at Eastern Washington University, authored the article “Sinifying New Spain: Cathay’s Influence on Colonial […]
First published in Tulay, Fortnightly Chinese-Filipino Digest 28, no. 13 (December 8-21, 2015): 5-6. In the course of researching an article of Salvador P. Escoto (1960-2007) on “Expulsion of the Chinese and Readmission to the Philippines: 1764-1779” in Philippine Studies 47.1 (1999), we found another article Escoto co-authored with John N. Schumacher in Philippine Studies […]
In 1948, a few years after the close of World War II, the number of the Chinese in the Philippines decreased in proportion to the country’s total population. Of the 121,702 Chinese in the Philippines, 2,126 were cooks and 963 were carpenters. Interestingly, there were 1,114 Chinese bankers, 1,669 domestic helpers, 181 family drivers, 99 […]
In the minds of many people, there is a prevailing perception that most, if not all, the Chinese in our country are businessmen. But is it true? Based on the 1903 census, among the 41,035 Chinese in the Philippines, there were 2,931 cooks, 2,508 carpenters, 1,363 shoemakers, 1,355 messengers, 998 servants, 549 bakers, 495 blacksmiths, […]
First published in Tulay Fortnightly, Chinese-Filipino Digest 27, no. 6 (August 19-September 8, 2014): 5-6. I was so happy and surprised to find a copy of History of Ilocos by Isabelo Florentino de los Reyes at a bookstore recently. Released this year by the UP Press, it is an English translation by Maria Elinora Peralta […]
First published in Tulay Fortnightly, Chinese-Filipino Digest 21, no. 7 (September 9, 2008): 5,13. The spectacular 2008 Olympic games in Beijing ended with astounding success. Chinese all over the world rejoiced over the momentous event, it being the first in China’s history. Not only did China host the event with flying colors, but the breadth […]
Most people, including historians, think that there were no female Chinese immigrants in early Philippine history. Data from 1870 show there were only 193 female and 22,807 male Chinese in the Philippines. Early Chinese immigrants in the Philippines seem, logically, to be generally made up of Chinese males who went overseas to seek better livelihood […]
The Chinese sari-sari (variety) store, popularly known among the Chinese as tsai-a-tiam (菜仔店), is a thing of the past. The younger generation of Chinese may not have the chance to see a Chinese sari-sari store anymore even in Chinatown or Chinese districts in Manila or the provinces. They may not have even heard of it […]
There is a Chinese saying, “In a nest that falls, there are no eggs left unbroken (傾窼之下無完卵).” And when we say we are the same people in one country – mother Philippines – we always say we are in the same boat, and share the same fate. For Chinese in the Philippines, we always emphasize […]