The Huaqiao Warriors: Chinese Resistance Movement in the Philippines, 1942-45

5. The Impact of the Resistance Movement on the Philippine Chinese Community

Chapter Five I 1 The Impact of the Resistance Movement on the Philippine Chinese Community mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmtm The proces s o f historiographic interpretatio n o f th e Japanes e occupation o f Southeas t Asi a starte d wit h th e publicatio n of WiUard Elsbree' s wor k i n 195 3 o n Japan' s rol e i n nationalis t movements.1 Fo r mor e tha n tw o decade s historian s ha d largel y reached th e consensu s tha t th e Japanese occupatio n constitute d a turnin g poin t i n th e politica l histor y o f th e region. 2 The n i n 1980, Alfre d McCoy' s edite d volum e Southeast Asia under Japanese Occupation appeare d a s a reassessmen t o f th e abov e thesis . A summar y o f the nin e essay s collected i n the volum e come s u p to th e conclusio n tha t "th e imag e o f the war' s uniform an d last ing impac t o n th e whol e o f Southeas t Asia , presente d b y th e transformation school , yield s t o a wide spectru m o f effec t rang - 154 The Huaqiao Warriors ing from th e profound i n Indonesia t o the nearly insignifican t i n Thailand an d th e Philippines." 3 The sam e judgmen t i s applicable t o th e impac t o f th e Japa nese occupation o n th e Chinese communitie s i n Southeast Asia . In vie w o f th e difference s i n loca l situations , th e impac t o f th e Japanese occupatio n o n differen t Chines e communities , includ ing thei r interna l powe r structur e an d thei r relation s wit h th e host communities , als o varied . In the Philippines , the Japanese occupation an d th e Chines e resistance movemen t le d t o chao s insid e th e Chines e commu nity i n th e immediat e postwa r years . Th e Chines e resistanc e movement create d ne w cleavages i n the already divided commu nity . Together wit h thes e cam e th e mor e frequent us e of violen t methods i n achievin g individua l an d grou p aims . I t als o le d t o the ris e o f radical forces , whic h challenge d th e traditiona l com munity leaders . Bu t th e long-ter m impac t o f thes e i s ye t t o b e assessed. As note d i n Chapte r Two , th e Philippin e Chines e commu nity wa s highl y divided . Originally , th e hometow n origi n an d the subsequent languag e groups, kinship an d occupationa l differ ences wer e th e basi c line s o f division , an d variou s association s emerged t o represen t differen t sectiona l interests . Wit h th e ris e of overseas Chines e nationalis m i n th e twentiet h century , espe cially afte r th e outbrea k o f hostilit y betwee n Chin a an d Japan , these traditiona l rivalrie s wer e submerge d t o a certain exten t b y the so-calle d "salvatio n movement, " whe n patrioti c organiza tions whic h surpasse d thes e traditiona l boundarie s wer e formed . Resistance versus collaboration Once th e Japanes e occupatio n wa s over , th e issu e o f wartim e collaboration an d resistanc e create d ne w conflicts . The majorit y of the Chines e i n th e Philippine s staye d i n th e citie s an d appar ently submitted t o the Japanese rule, and th e Japanese-sponsore d Chinese Associatio n wa s forme d i n Jun e 194 2 t o provid e som e Impact on the Philippine Chinese Community 15 5 sort o f communit y leadership . Althoug h thi s wa s inevitabl e fo r the surviva l o...