Necessary Fictions: Philippine Literature and the Nation 1946-1980

Literature & Fiction

Hau, Caroline S.

History & Criticism

Ateneo De Manila Univ Pr

The rising strength of mainland China has spurred a revival of “Chineseness” in the Philippines. Perceived during the Cold War era as economically dominant, politically disloyal, and culturally different, the “Chinese” presented themselves as an integral part of the Filipino imagined community. Today, as Filipinos seek associations with China, many of them see the local Chinese community as key players in East Asian regional economic development. With the revaluing of Chineseness has come a repositioning of “Chinese” racial and cultural identity. Philippine mestizos (people of mixed ancestry) form an important sub-group of the Filipino elite, but their Chineseness was occluded as they disappeared into the emergent Filipino nation. In the twentieth century, mestizos defined themselves and based claims to privilege on “white” ancestry, but mestizos are now actively reclaiming their “Chinese” heritage. At the same time, so-called “pure Chinese” are parlaying their connections into cultural, social, symbolic, or economic capital, and leaders of mainland Chinese state companies have entered into politico-business alliances with the Filipino national elite. As the meanings of “Chinese” and “Filipino” evolve, intractable contradictions are appearing in the concepts of citizenship and national belonging. Through an examination of cinematic and literary works, The Chinese Question shows how race, class, ideology, nationality, territory, sovereignty, and mobility are shaping the discourses of national integration, regional identification, and global cosmopolitanism.

The Chinese Question: Ethnicity, Nation, and Region in and Beyond the Philippines (Kyoto Cseas Series on Asian Studies)

National University of Singapore Press

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Books by Hau, Caroline S.

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Hau, Caroline S.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Necessary Fictions: Philippine Literature and the Nation 1946-1980

The Chinese Question: Ethnicity, Nation, and Region in and Beyond the Philippines (Kyoto Cseas Series on Asian Studies)