First published in Tulay Monthly, Chinese-Filipino Digest 2, no. 7 (December 24, 1989): 7, 12. Dr. Randy Bulatao, eminent sociologist, in his study on ethnic prejudices (against Muslims and against Chinese) concluded that, “Childhood prejudices and narrow loyalties may be diluted and overlaid with specific concerns as one matures, but they remain latent and capable […]
First published in Tulay Fortnightly, Chinese-Filipino Digest 25, no. 3 (July 10-23, 2012): 5. Was Rizal anti-Chinese? There is no simple answer. It has been raised several times in the entire year (June 2011 to June 2012) of celebrating the 150th birthday of Dr. Jose Rizal, our national hero. History neither happens in a vacuum, […]
My husband and I had a great laugh when we saw a series of signs – saying “Boycott China Products Now!!” – recently lining a street behind St. Luke’s Medical Center, Quezon City and ending at the barangay hall on Broadway corner E. Rodriguez Sr. Ave. We immediately looked at the tags of the clothes […]
For more than 40 years, we have lived by the meaningful credo of Kaisa Para Sa Kaunlaran: “The Philippines is our country. It is the land of our birth, the home of our people. Our blood may be Chinese but our roots grow deep in Philippine soil, our bonds are with the Filipino people. We […]
First published in Tulay Fortnightly, Chinese-Filipino Digest 28, no. 3 (July 7-20, 2015): 9. This is a new generation. The generation Uy, Yu and Lao belong to is different. They are native-born. They are Filipinos. In 1970, I was a student at the University of the Philippines. One late afternoon, two men came to see […]
Ignorance and lack of communication can lead to misunderstanding. This in turn leads to stereotyping and discrimination. In extreme situations, such discrimination becomes the basis for ethnic aggression and cleansing. Horrible memories of Nazi abuses against the Jews, ethnic cleansing in Europe, Asia, and Africa, remain in the world’s social consciousness. The first steps toward […]