Philippine E-Journals

Political Integration and the Chinese in the Philippines: A Preliminary Investigation

Theresa C. Cariño

Discipline: Social Science, Cultural Studies

 

Abstract:

In the four decades since the end of the Second World War, ethnic Chinese communities throughout Southeast Asia have undergone varying degrees of acculturation and integration into their host societies. Nevertheless, from the perspective of many Southeast Asian governments, the suspicion remains that their citizens of Chinese descent are likely to be Chinese first and loyal citizens second. Their political and cultural assimilation is considered superficial at best and their economic power a threat in the long term. These lingering suspicions have occasionally been expressed in state policies ranging from forced assimilation to expulsion, and underscore the enormous potential for communal tensions and conflict in the region.