ABSTRACT
The concepts of “Filipino-ness” and “Chinese-ness” have had a complex relationship in the Philippines. Wickberg (1964: 63) explains that as early as the Spanish occupation of the islands legal distinctions have already been enforced between the “Indio,” the Chinese, the Spanish, and the Chinese mestizo. The government of the colonial population, he continues, has been informed and reinforced by these distinctions: the “Indio” pays less tribute than the Chinese mestizo and the mestizo pays less tribute than what the Chinese pays for. Moreover, the first two groups are also forced to supply labor for the Spanish government while enjoying significantly more rights like mobility and participation in local governance.
