(An Excerpt)
Continuation...

Dangers of non-assimilation

Many of the Chinese in the Philippines, particularly the unassimilated ones even if they are citizens, are victims of uncertainty and of an identity crisis, not to mention division and dissension, from the rest of the Filipinos.

Where do their sympathies and loyalties lie? To whom their minds and heart belong? To the People’s Republic of Beijing or the Republic of China in Taiwan? If the latter, what happens if and when Taiwan is reunified with the mainland?

For the Filipinos, here is the danger: the presence of a significant portion of the population, powerful because it wields tremendous economic power, paying only lip service allegiance to the Philippines for economic convenience, but in reality secretly owing the allegiance of tier hearts and souls to a resurgent China in Beijing or to another economically prosperous China in Taipei.

The complications and ramifications of this problem are horrendous to contemplate.

Us Filipinos

And yet, it can be solved by a forward-looking government and with the cooperation and willingness of the sides involved.

In Malaysia until very recently, similar problems existed. There a multiracial society existed, made up of the predominant Malay natives and including sizable groups of Chinese and Indians who, like the Chinese in the Philippines, controlled much of the economy because of their hold on trade and commerce.

It was not usual for multi-racial civil disorder to erupt from time to time.

But the August 1997 issue of the National Geographic contains a glowing report on the economic surge of Malaysia and the thrust of the article was the newfound sense of nationhood and identity of the people. Both an Indian and a Chinese were quoted as saying that before they considered themselves simply as Indian or Chinese living in a country with a lot of Malays. But, the new attitude fostered by the sense of nation is today “Us Malaysians” instead, or “We Indians, or we Chinese, or we Malays.”

I had my own personal experience with this sense of nation, of what has come to be regarded in social science language as “overseas Chinese.”

Recently, I was aboard a Singaporean airliner on a trip from Hong Kong to San Francisco. The stewardess was pretty and friendly and her features showed her Chinese origin. So, I engaged here in conversation. I asked if she spoke Manadrin. She said yes, and we talked for a while in Mandarin. Then, being from Fookien province in China, I asked if she knew Fookienese. She said yes and so we conversed in Fookienese. So I asked, “What generation Fookienese are you?” and she replied. “I am not Fookienese. I am a Singaporean.”

Here in the Philippines, something like this has already happened to the tribal groupings, who now say, “Us Filipinos.” Instead of we Ilocanos, or we Pampangos, or we Bikolanos, etc.

But it is yet to happen with reference to the Chinese. I have yet to hear a Filipino saying “Us Filipinos” to include Chinese Filipinos. I have yet to hear a Chinese Filipino say “Us Filipinos” instead of "I am a Chinese Filipino."

Why No

The Chinese-Filipino can not be lesser Filipino than the native. For one thing, he is a Filipino by choice. He could have become a citizen of some other country or remained Chinese but he chose to be Filipino. The native is a Filipino by accident of birth. His parents happened to be Filipinos.

I believe that instead of shutting out the other from one’s life, the Filipino and the Filipino-Chinese should embrace and love each other like the brothers they have become.

When that time comes, the term “ethnic Chinese” will become simply a technical term in the books on sociology instead of a political tag that acts as a wall separating and dividing two peoples who live in and love the same country.

This wall must fall if all the elements of Philippine society are to work together sincerely and purposely for the progress and prosperity of this country we all love.

We, you and I, have no country but this one. Let’s build it together and defend it together.

Republished with permission from Tulay Fortnightly.