Similarities and Differences Between Mainland Chinese and Filipino Chinese 2

Similarities and Differences between Mainland Chinese and Filipino – Chinese

A Term Paper Presented to Professor Etheldreda Ferrer Department of English Far Eastern University

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for English 2 First Semester, school year 2010 – 2011

By: Bunny Dawn dS. Lagman Chen Chen Elizabeth B. Sia Ma. Roselle Anne G. Aricayos

It has been proven that the Filipinos have interacted with various neighbouring countries. Such interactions included trading goods using barter system and intermarrying for better alliance. One of the most prominent visitors to the Philippines is the Chinese who are present until now. Dejarmem (2006) believed that the Chinese traders bartered goods like silk and porcelain with the Filipinos’ pearls, shells, cotton, and rattan as early as the Song Dynasty. These foreigners intermarried with the Filipinos and greatly influenced their way of living. Due to the Philippines’ strategic location and rich natural resources, the Spaniards came to conquer the country in the early 16th Century. Also from this period, Chinese immigrants became numerous. According to Alip (1959), the Chinese immigrants were given great extent of democracy such that they could settle anywhere and put up the business in any place, but gradually the Spaniards took notice of this and decided to isolate the Chinese in permanent locations. He further explains that:

“In 1580, during the rule of Governor Gonzalo Ronquillo de Peñaloza (1580 – 1583), the Chinese were compelled to live in them in the Parian, a small district to the east side of Manila, and in the Alcaiceria de Binondo, a district with part of the Pasig River just on the opposite side of Old Manila. Both places were

within the range of the range of the cannons installed by the Government on the Walls of Old Manila” (p. 24).

At present, the Chinese have been attributing to the economy of the Philippines. They have been continuing their family line, and now, according to calculations done by the researchers on the given statistics of Nationmaster.com

and True

Knowledge,

Chinese

and Filipino-Chinese

comprise 2.2% of the Country’s population. They have adapted well to the Filipino culture just as how the Chinese influenced the Filipinos. The FilipinoChinese are now almost different from those of the Chinese in Mainland China, in terms of lifestyle and culture.

The Filipino-Chinese have been known for their success in business. Co (2010) agrees that Henry Sy, Lucio Tan and John Gokongwei are some of the largest names of Chinese business tycoons in the Philippines. At an early age, Henry Sy came to the Philippines and worked in his father’s store. After many years he collaborated with a friend to found the first S&M store, the origin of the renowned SM Malls. Lucio Tan, who didn’t make it in engineering, founded a humble scrap business before being involved in a tobacco factory he found the motivation to start his own tobacco industry. John Gokongwei, in his teenage years started from a simple buy-an-sell of basic commodities, later went to a small trading company, and then became

a shopkeeper in a merchandising store. Those were his stepping stones before reaching the success he has now in business.

This research is about the similarities and differences of FilipinoChinese and Mainland Chinese and the researchers found this topic interesting because two of the researchers wanted to discover their heritage while the other two researchers became interested in the differences of the two groups.

Chinese Merchant Traders have been known throughout Asia and Europe for a long, long time. Their diverse wares and products are sought even after 2,000 years and are widely known after Marco Polo’s journey through the “Silk Road” (Marco Polo and His Travels, n.d.). To China’s neighbors’ – countries like Formosa (currently Taiwan), Japan, Korea, Philippines, Malaysia, etc. – the Chinese made themselves known to them as merchants through their trading ships called “Junks”.

Traces of Chinese

ancestry can be found in majority of the Asian countries with special note to Koreans and Japanese. It is within this context that the researchers found interest on this topic in the first place. A commonality between different Asian countries have with each other is a connection to the Middle Kingdom, China, whether through the business

of trade or just simple intermarriage. Now, the researchers will first focus on the aspect of business or economy of China. Firstly, it must be noted that as the New Age Encyclopedia (1984) points out by the time China entered the modern world, they held the highest population in the world. In their first census back in Song Dynasty, the Chinese numbered at the 60 million – level. In between the Song Dynasty and Ming Dynasty, a sudden increase to 100 million occurred and in the opening of the 19th Century, China reached 430 million. The economic impact on this was not lost to anyone along with the 30 – grade scale of salary of just government workers, not including the salary of private companies and offices, which are significantly lower. As ascribed by Ford (1969) in their values left to them by the great Confucius, they value whatever riches they have but currently, though, the world views them as business – oriented people they are no better than the next man. Their minimum wage is quite low that even a 5 RMB (30 php) in a subway is treated as luxurious. The benefits they receive at retirement is quite luxurious such as the free bus rides, but the communist – like government of the country keeps people from getting too rich or too powerful.

The Chinese still uphold old laws when it comes to family, though discouraged, arranged marriages by parents are still practiced. According to the New Age Encyclopedia (1984), in early China family is prioritized and nourished by each person given their own roles and activities. The father is

the head of the household. He also works to earn a living and could have as many wives as he can. The mother continues the family line by bearing sons. Together the parents will guide their children and decide for their marriage. Meanwhile children help with household chores. Sons help their fathers in their work and daughters help their mothers make their meals, wash the clothes, and make handicrafts. Also in addition, in Chinese tradition, you could only marry someone who has the same wealth and social status with your family. If the other family is well – off or an official family. He will never be permitted to marry someone from a poor family. The bride should wear a red skirt and be covered in an opaque red handkerchief – like veil. And the male would wear a red dress – like clothes (Pillai, n.d.). But in recent years, people discarded some of the marriage procedures and wedding ceremonies, giving way to a more western setting. As stated in the New Encyclopedia (1984) in the coming of the 20th Century, the concept of Chinese family has undergone tremendous changes. The exertion of authority of women against the precious authority of men in the family rose during the May Fourth Movement of 1919. The Communists who ruled at that time formed the marriage Law of 1950 which aimed family organization and removal of male authority. Fixed marriages and getting concubines were ceased and more rights for divorce and for women were granted. Even from there many changes, attitude regarding family like in early China are still practiced today but are more present in the countryside than in the city. Arranged marriages

still exist especially in remote villages throughout China and at present a “One – Child” Policy is implemented in China.

The main language in china is Mandarin, which is spoken by almost 90% of their population. The more prominent sublanguages or dialects are Cantonese, which is widely spoken by the Chinese in Hong Kong and the Guang Dong Province, and Fujian / Hokkien, which is widely spoken in the Fujian Provinces.

Jin Bo (2004) concludes that Buddhism is the main religion in China, with over 13,000 Buddhist temples present all over the country. These major temples could accommodate more or less one million Chinese per day, also counting tourists. The second is Taoism composing over 1,500 Taoist monasteries. These monasteries are located mostly o the mountains, where more of the believers become monks, and some monasteries are in the city. The third is Islam with over 30,000 mosques established in mostly Southern China. The minor religions are Catholicism, with over 4,600 meeting sites, and Christianity, with over 12,000 churches and 25,000 simple activity sites.

It is within rights to say that Filipino-Chinese are similar to their Mainland cousins but at the same time quite dissimilar as well. It is well

known, in the Philippines, in the perception of Filipinos, that the Chinese are wealthy. While it is true in cases of Lucio Tan, Henry Sy, John Gokongwei, etc. and the majority of the Filipino – Chinese, there are those who are on the same salary scale as any other Filipino. Co (2010) states that the difference that makes it so, that the Chinese is richer, is because of the long ingrained thriftiness and shrewdness from their ancestors. That mentality saves them a lot of trouble and is able to spend wisely making it look like they’re richer than they actually are.

Some Filipino-Chinese do not only do business for their own benefit but also found charitable foundations that can help other less fortunate people and such. Such foundations are as follows: Jollibee Foundation, Metrobank Foundation, Cityland foundation, etc. They also built different hospitals in the Philippines like the Chinese General Hospital, Metropolitan Hospital, St. Luke’s Hospital, etc. Besides that most volunteer Fire Brigades are supported by Filipino – Chinese Organizations or individuals like the owner of Eng Bee Tin, Mr. Ube (“Chinese Filipino”, n.d.). Like any other culture values and religion go together. Traditional Chinese values survive drastic changes like moving to another country as long as Buddhism survives and vice – versa. Values founded by Confucius and his disciples are up until now are still used by Filipino – Chinese. But ever since integrating into the Philippines, the Chinese have adopted various

Filipino traits and values, welcoming the change, as much as the Filipinos took values from their Filipino – Chinese cousins. Religion for that matter is not so much as the Filipinos adopting Chinese religions but more of the Chinese embracing Christianity. Small pockets of Filipino – Chinese Christian communities have been established in the last 50 years (Christian Gospel Center, n.d.). Though using the word “Christianity” loosely, as even though it is commonly connected to Roman Catholicism in the Philippines, The Filipino – Chinese tend to gravitate more toward Protestantism.

For generations, Filipinos and Filipino – Chinese / Chinese have intermarried and unlike the former practice of taking concubines of Mainland China, it had almost never happened in the Philippines ever since the colonization of the Philippines by the Spain. Currently, Filipino – Chinese follow the law of monogamy as does Mainland China. And though arranged marriages had long been out of date is still practiced in certain families in China and in the Philippines as well. One child policy of China does not take effect or is not practiced by Filipino – Chinese communities. In fact, Mainland Chinese come to the Philippines for something other than business which is having children here, where no policy is dictating to them to only have one child.

See (1997) says that language is one way to know ones identity or origin. To realize that many Chinese youth have lost the ability to speak, read, and write in Chinese, is a depressing truth. Dr. Gerald Mcbeath, a political scientist, surveyed 2,490 Filipino – Chinese students and showed that roughly 32.9% of them are fluent in mandarin, 37.7% are fluent in English, and 59.6% are fluent in Filipino. Outside of Mandarin, a more used Chinese dialect is either of Fujian / Hokkien / Fookien or Cantonese Chinese. These dialects are the usual language used in the famous “Chinatown” or Ongpin.

See (1997) sates that most of the early Chinese who left their country for better life had nothing at first. With them were determination, hardworking attitudes and clean intentions. Their success mostly came from the open doors and positive enticement of their new home.

China has had encounters with the Philippines since pre – Hispanic times when the Chinese bartered goods from our native folks. Since then, no one could stop their migration. They started to live here, built their home and had families, and earned a living. See (1997) said that the first generations believed that “Once a Chinese, always a Chinese.” But even if they tried to prevent the changes in their culture, still they can’t prevent it because of the environment they are now living with. Most of the Filipino – Chinese who

came to the Philippines at an early age would experience growing up with Filipinos but still lived within Chinese communities. They have greatly changed because of their interactions with the Filipinos, that most of the new generation of Filipino – Chinese do not see themselves neither as Chinese or Filipino but a unique blend of both.

The Chinese are set in their ways and most of the time don’t stray too far off their given paths. Stiff in following the old ways much like their Japanese and maybe Korean cousins. Even after all the years, the Chinese haven’t changed much but there is something to be said to Filipino – Chinese. After so long, their interaction with the Philippines, they’ve diversified, diverting from a majority of Chinese traditions. Things such as festivals, superstition and myths will persist as seen on many special occasions in various media. The Moon Festival, the Chinese New Year, etc. all celebrated by all Chinese but in China, these occasions don’t call for much fanfare as it here in the Philippines. Someone once told the researchers, it is a lonely time in China at the Yuletides, Christmas. China does not put much salt on what the rest of the world celebrates and they are somewhat selfish and condescending when it comes the festivities of the rest of the world. Hong Kong and Macau, two separate islands, both autonomous to China but still Chinese, goes with the rest of the world and celebrate its holidays. But the Filipino – Chinese found it in themselves to veer off the usual front of the

Chinese on these celebrations and joins their Filipino neighbors and enjoy all kinds of festivities. It might be that the Chinese have seemingly never changed, that they had stayed on their own paths long set but it is obvious to the researchers that it is not. One of the researchers, themselves, has stated that the Filipino – Chinese in the Philippines are so much more unique than what they had been used to in China. Much goes the same for another Researcher, a Filipino – Chinese, in fact, that they had been surprised by huge difference of traits and attributes of both cultures. It is safe to say, based on gathered facts and well – meaning “Interviews” that indeed that the once one culture of the Chinese, once the Filipino – Chinese have settled in the Philippines, have diverged into two unique different cultures. Reference List: Alip, E.M. (1959). Ten centuries of Philippine Chinese relations (History, Political, Social, Economic). Manila: Alip & Sons, Inc.

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