Asian Voices in English

The Chinese Margin in Philippine Literature in English

THE CHINESE MARGIN IN PHILIPPINE LITERATURE IN ENGLISH Lily Rose Tope For the Chinese, being a minority group in the Philippines has never been easy. They have often been the object of merciless derision not only because of their alien ways but also because of the Filipinos' distrust of their ability to survive in the direst of circumstances and their incredible talent at accumulating wealth. History too had a hand in driving the wedge between the two peoples. The Spaniards, fearful of the increasing influence of the Chinese in the colonial economy, set forth a divide-and-rule campaign which resulted in the belief among the natives that the Chinese were out to fleece them and which justified the persecution and (in the spirit of colonial zeal) massacre of thousands of Chinese. This is unfortunate especially when one considers how China has enriched Philippine culture. Although the cultural exchange between the Philippines and China is not as intense as that between the Philippines and its colonizers, Philippine -Chinese relations are older, dating back to pre-Hispanic times, or in Chinese terms, the Tang dynasty. In fact the Philippines, for a time, was considered a colony of China and Philippine datus (chieftains) periodically paid tribute to the Ming emperors. That China (and other Asian countries for that matter) does not enjoy the esteem we accord our colonizers underscores the Filipinos' lack of appreciation of Chinese contributions to Philippine culture - and these contributions are significant. Let me cite a few. The Chinese taught the Filipinos the art of retail trade and commercial farming.1 They taught us the virtues of frugality and enterprise as well as filial piety which later brought about the extended family system. Certain social customs such as the hiring of professional mourners for a funeral, the veneration of ancestors, the wearing of white garments for mourning, the use of firecrackers during the New Year, to mention only a few, are of Chinese origin.2 Our languages were also enriched by Chinese words, incorporating technologies , implements and social institutions of Chinese origins into our everyday life. Words depicting utensils for everyday needs abound: batya, susi, hikaw, tanso, 1. Teresita Ang See, 'Chinese Elements in Philippine Culture', paper read at the University of the East, Department of History Lecture, n.d., p. 2. 2. Ibid. LILY ROSE TOPE siyanse, etc. Words depicting kinship are just as numerous: ate, kuya, ditse, sanse, diko, etc. A popular source of new words is food: petsay, siopao, hopia, mami, upo, toge, etc. Moreover, the Chinese have contributed to the cause of nationhood in the persons of patriotic men and women of Chinese extraction who have bound their fates with that of their Filipino compatriots. General Paua fought against Spain and was described as more Filipino than most Filipinos. Jose Rizal, the national hero, had parents who were of Chinese descent. During more recent times, Chinese genes gave Roman Catholic Philippines its first saint, macho Philippines its first woman president and pious devotees a church leader whose cardinal sin is his abundant sense of humor. What is worth noting is that this cultural relationship is relatively painless, for the elements absorbed into Filipino life were never imposed. The Chinese, except for one occasion, came in search of trade and greener pastures, and not of conquest . Thus Philippine culture acquired a degree of Chineseness not through imposition but through assimilation. Early literary relations between the two countries were practically nil because of two reasons. First, the Chinese came solely to trade. The first Chinese settlers in the Philippines were not men of culture, they were mostly merchants, artisans, laborers and peasants. Literature had no place in the struggle to survive in alien territory. Second, the language barrier proved insurmountable. The Chinese kept their language within their communities and the pictographic quality of their script made it difficult for the Filipinos to decipher the language. It was only recently when second generation Philippine-educated Chinese, conversant in English and Filipino, decided to jo~n the social mainstream that some sign of literary activity was felt. Among the initial activities was translation, from and into Chinese, English and Filipino. Another important event was the introduction of the printing press into Philippine life, a legacy of the early Chinese migrants. Filipino writers such as Virginia Moreno, Ricaredo Demetillo, Emmanuel Torres, Alejandrino Hufana and N.V.M. Gonzales were influenced by Chinese writings. Of more recent development is the role played by Maoist esthetics in the formation of Philippine protest...