The Chinese Mestizo in Philippine History

The Chinese Mestizo in Philippine History

Overview

• The significance of mestizos in Philippine history remains inadequately assessed.

• Focus primarily on the Chinese mestizo, distinct from Spanish mestizos, whose population was much smaller in the Philippines.

  • By the late 19th century, the Chinese mestizo population exceeded 200,000, while the Spanish mestizo population was probably never more than 35,000.

  • The Chinese mestizo engaged more in commerce compared to Spanish mestizos, who showed interests in military matters.

Rise to Prominence

• Between 1741 and 1898, Chinese mestizos became significant landholders and middlemen in agriculture and trade.

• Their rise indicates social change during the Spanish period.

  • Areas of greatest impact: Central Luzon, Cebu, and Iloilo.

  • Generalizations about other regions remain elusive.

Impact of Immigration

• Renewed Chinese immigration shifted mestizo focus away from commerce, leading to a loss of potential native middle-class status.

• The Chinese immigrant population took over the commercial success once held by mestizos.

Cultural Characteristics

• Chinese mestizos possessed a unique blend of cultural traits:

  • They were flamboyant and deeply devoted to Spanish Catholicism, often outpacing even the Spanish in these respects.

  • Their financial skills contrasted with their cultural identity, as they rejected their Chinese heritage but also struggled with their indio identity.

• The mestizo's identity became more aligned with urbanized, hispanized indios in the late 19th century, reflecting broader cultural and social evolutions.

Hypotheses for Further Study

1. Contemporary Filipino elite likely descends from indios and mestizos who became prominent in commercial agriculture during the later Spanish period.

   • Suggests significant social change occurred in the late Spanish period, possibly more than in the period after 1898.

2. The mestizo acted as a catalytic agent of social change, contributing to the monetary economy in regions of the Philippines.

   • In certain areas, mestizos were pivotal for the local economy alongside provincial governors.

3. The Chinese mestizo played a crucial role in hispanization and the development of a Filipino culture prevalent in Manila and larger towns today.

4. Investigating relationships between landowning religious orders, mestizo tenants, and indio laborers could provide insights into the Philippine Revolution.