Filipino mestizo
Encyclopedia : F : FI : FIL : Filipino mestizo
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Demographics of the Philippines
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Modern [genetic research] has shown that the racial stock of the majority of the Philippine population, the ethnic Filipinos who constitute the majority of the country, was established in prehistory by Austronesian-speaking Taiwanese aborigine migrants who arrived in successive waves to the Philippines around 3000 BCE, most of whom would later also mix with subsequent sporadic migrations from mainland Asia (modern-day southern China.)
Filipino mestizo, however, is taken to refer to specific minority communities of mixed ancestry whose origins stem from the mixture of ethnic Filipinos with foreign migrants, colonisers, or settlers in recent human history; such as recent Chinese merchants and settlers, Hispanics during the Spanish colonial period, Americans during the protectore period, Japanese during the Japanese occupation, but also independent migrants or refugees to the Philippines (Britons, Koreans, Vietnamese, etc.) These mestizo communities are independent of the general population in ethnic identity, social standing, cultural practices, and often linguistic heritage.
As a result of the above, most present-day Filipinos carry southern Chinese genetic markers, although the overwhelming majority would not be considered "Chinese-mestizos", since those markers were contributed in pre-history during the formation of the general "ethnic Filipino" population.
About four out of every 100 Filipinos, or 3.6% of the population, possess some European ancestry, although the average amount of European admixture among them was not specified. These specific Filipinos would all be mestizo, since 1) the European contribution was made in the recent human history of the archipelago, 2) it was not a generalised phenomenon in the overall population, and 3) the community resulting from the admixture became recognisably independent in ethnic identity, social standing, cultural practices, and linguistic heritage.
History
During the early colonial period of the Philippines, the term mestizo (also mestiso or mistiso) originally referred only to those of mixed Filipino and Spanish or Mexican ancestry. However, the term soon became generic and synonymous for "mixed race". With the Chinese presence in the Philippines always being numerically greater than that of Spaniards or Mexicans, individuals of mixed Filipino and Chinese ancestry became more prevalent than those of Filipino and Spanish or Filipino and Mexican descent.
The term has since been freely used to refer to all Filipinos of mixed ancestry, irrespective of racial combination or ratio, but typically including an ethnic Filipino base stock. The combined number of all types of mestisos constitute no more than 2% of the entire Filipino population. Of that 2%, less than half are of the Spanish variety. A recent [genetic study] by Stanford University, however, indicates that 3.6% of the population has at least some European ancestry. See also Demographics of the Philippines and Ethnic groups of the Philippines.
Modern categories of Filipino mestisos include the already mentioned Spanish-mestisos and Chinese-mestisos, as well as Japanese-mestisos (those of mixed Filipino and Japanese descent) and American-mestisos (those of mixed Filipino and American1 descent), et cetera. Those of a mixture of Filipino with another North Asian ancestry may also be commonly referred to as "Chinito/a" (diminutive of Chino/a; Chinese), though this would more correctly be applied only to those mestisos of Chinese descent. Other terms denoting Chinese-mestisos include Sangley and the vernacular "Tsinoy".
Furthermore, in Filipino usage, the term is often regarded a synonym of "beauty", and is also employed to denote any unmixed Filipino of a lighter skin complexion, especially when used in its vernacular form of "Tisoy", a backformation of [mes]TISOY.
Mestiso ascendancy
In contrast to Latin America, where Mestizos (European/Amerindian) quickly came to comprise the majority of the population, in the Philippines the combined number of all types of Filipino-mestisos never accounted for more than 2% of a population which--apart from a Chinese and Spanish minority which numbered fewer than the mestisos--was mainly and predominantly native Filipino. Upon the retreat of Spain and Mexico at the end of colonial occupation, people of mestiso ancestry were able to position themselves at the top of a caste-based social structure which the Spanish had previously established and dominated. As a result, mestisos held the greatest governing influence in the country, almost absolute control of commerce and industry, and an excessively disproportionate share of wealth.Conversely, their Latino mestizo counterparts--who by then comprised the common majority of Latin America--possessed little governing influence, lived at subsistence levels, and were ruled by a well-established Spanish creole population that was to remain in power.
During the late 19th century, Filipino mestizos initiated most movements and revolts against Spain. One such movement, lead by the national hero of the Philippines, Chinese-mestiso José Rizal, was the Propaganda Movement. Although these movements failed to achieve their intended goals, Filipino mestisos also initiated the calls for Filipino revolt and, with the aid of the Spanish-American War and the Philippine-American War, subsequently achieved independence. In the 1899 Constitution of Malolos, they instituted Spanish as the official language of the Philippines despite it never being spoken by more than 10% of the total population. However, it was scrapped as an official language in the 1973 Constitution under the Marcos administration, and as a college requirement in 1987 during the Aquino administration.
By the time the Philippines had gained independence from Spain, Filipino mestizos had placed themselves as the fundamental role players in the founding of the modern Philippine government, and in the majority of its key positions. The first president of the First Philippine Republic, Emilio Aguinaldo, was a Chinese-mestizo, while the next and first president of the Philippine Commonwealth, Manuel L. Quezón, was a Spanish-mestizo, and the next president, Sergio Osmeña, was another Chinese-mestiso. Today, despite constituting one of the smallest minorities, mestisos continue to hold a monopoly over the country’s economic and corrupt oligarchic political systems.
Spanish-mestisos have long constituted the great majority of the upper class and rarely intermingle with those outside their ethnic group. Today, a great majority are either in politics or are high-ranking executives of commerce and industry and hold great control over the country's economy. An almost equally large number are also members of the entertainment industry, which they have saturated disproportionately. The biased favouritism responsible for their overwhelming presence in film and television is deeply-rooted on established Filipino "ideals of beauty" that stem from colonial concepts, and which are determined based on the possession of partial European ancestry. See also: Colonial mentality.
Chinese-mestizos also form part of both the upper and middle classes. Most are successful and prosperous business people, and also highly involved in the running of the country. Some are also in the entertainment industry.
Two famous Spanish-mestizas residing outside of the Philippines are Isabel Preysler, in her youth a stunningly beautiful model in Spain, mother of pop singer Enrique Iglesias and ex-wife of Spanish music legend Julio Iglesias; and Lalaine Vergara, more commonly known for playing "Miranda Sánchez" (a Mexican-American character) on Disney Channel's highly-rated show, Lizzie McGuire.
Types of mestizos
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- Spanish-Mestizo, (in Filipino, Mistisong Kastila or Kastilaloy): a combination of native Filipino with Spanish, Mexican, and/or Portuguese. Their features are distinguished by aquiline nose structures, light to dark wavy hair, generally lighter skinned peoples with olive to light brown complexions. Spanish-mestizos speak Filipino, though English is their primary language. Some, particularly those of the older generation have preserved Spanish as the spoken language of the home. They constitute the great majority of both upper, middle class and rarely intermingle with those outside their ethnic group. A great majority are either in politics or high-ranking executives of commerce and industry. Many can be found in the entertainment industry. Most elite Filipino family dynasties, political families, and the elite clans are Spanish-mestizo. Many Spanish-mestizos and Spaniards living in the Philippine emigrated to either the United States or Spain following World War II and during the Marcos regime.
- Chinese-Spanish (Tornatra), (in Filipino, Mistisong Kastila-Intsik): a combination of Spanish and Chinese, or of Spanish, Chinese, and native Filipino. They tend to identify with either Spanish or Chinese people. They form part of the upper and middle classes. Most have remarried with either Spanish or Chinese people. As such, there are only a few thousand Tornatras left in the Philippines.
- Chinese-Mestizo, (in Filipino, Mistisong Intsik or Tsinoy): a combination of native Filipino and Chinese. They are usually lighter skinned people who possess more pronounced epicanthic folds and higher cheekbones, much like the Chinese. These groups, are successful and prosperous business people. They form part of both the upper, middle and lower classes. Some are also in the entertainment industry. Their primary languages are English, Lan-nang-oe, and Filipino. They number just over 1 million and are most concentrated in Manila (Binondo) and Angeles City in Pampanga province. The Chinese-Mestizos are more closer, in terms of culture, to the Filipinos than to the Chinese.
- Japanese-Mestizo, (in Filipino, Mistisong Hapon): a combination of native Filipino with Japanese or Okinawan. Many are descendants of the Japanese Catholics that fled Japan 300 years ago and are members of the lower class. Because of discrimination encountered, some fled to the mountains after World War II while many others changed their names in the attempts to assimilate. Many were also killed (c. 10,000 Japanese Mestizos and Japanese) while other were deported following World War II as an act of retaliation. Their sense of Japaneseness may take on extremes, some have completely lost their Japanese identity while others have "returned" to Japan, the homeland of their forebears. There is also a number of contemporary Japanese-mestizos, not associated with the history of the earlier established ones, born either in the Philippines or Japan. These latter are the resultant of unions between Filipinos and recent Japanese immigrants to the Philippines or Japanese and immigrant Filipino workers in Japan. Most Japanese-mestizos speak tribal languages and Tagalog. There are believed to be between 100,000 and 200,000 Japanese-mestizos in the country, but no accurate figure is currently available. Significant numbers reside in Davao, Laguna, Pampanga and Baguio. They may also be known as Japinos, although this term is considered derogatory by many.
- American-Mestizo, (in Filipino, Mistisong Amerikano): a combination of Filipino and American (regardless of race). They are also known as Amerasians. They can be found in the upper class, but also amongst the middle and lower classes as a result of the abandonment of their American fathers upon completion of military service and subsequent withdrawal of US forces. Their physiognomy and facial features are much like the Spanish-mestizos, for those whose American ancestry was Caucasian or Latino/Hispanic-American. The number of American-mestizos is thought to be between 20,000 and 30,000. Most speak Filipino and English. The majority are to be found in Angeles City, which has the largest proportion of Amerasians in the Philippines. [link]
- Bumbay-mestizos: called Bumbay (Filipino for Bombay) or "Sepoy" (along with more recent unmixed South Asian immigrants), their ancestors arrived with the British between 1762 and 1764 during the various Anglo-Spanish wars. Though "Bumbay" would imply India, the term is generic and implies any other South Asian as well (Pakistani, Bangladeshi, etc). When the British decided to withdrawal, many of their South Asian soldiers (Sepoy) mutinied and refused to leave. Virtually all had taken Filipina brides (or soon did so). They settled in what is now Cainta, Rizal, just east of Metro Manila. The region in and around Cainta still has many Sepoy descendants.
- Other types of mestizos from unions of Filipino citizens with other nationalities may also exist, including such mixes as Filipino and Australian, Filipino and German, Filipino and Italians, Filipino and Arab, Filipino and Polish, among such others. Together they number less than 25,000 (less than 0.03% of the total population of the country), but are nonetheless considered by some as disproportionately overrepresented in the entertainment industry.
Famous Filipino-Mestizos
- Isabel Preysler: Filipino-Spanish actor,now living in Spain.
- Pilita Corrales: Filipino-Spanish singer from Cebu.
- Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala: Filipino-Spanish-Basque
- Corazon Aquino: Philippine president of Tornatran (or mixed Filipino-Spanish-Chinese) ancestry.
- Jaime Cardinal Sin: Filipino-Chinese priest from Capiz.
- Rob Schneider: Filipino-Jewish American actor.
- Sam Milby: Filipino-American actor.
- Robert Jaworski: Filipino-Polish senator and basketball player.
- Zsa-zsa Padilla
- Enrique Iglesias: Son of Julio Iglesias and a Filipino socialite
See also
Footnotes
- In the American-mestisos, the American element may be of any race; White American, Hispanic American or African American.
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