Philippine E-Journals

The Chinese in Negros Island: Their World War II Experience

Earl Jude Paul L. Cleope

 

Abstract:

Most Filipino World War II historians put emphasis on the history of the most famous events in the war and setting aside the untold stories of the people involved. Historical accounts delve predominantly on famous people who occupied positions in the government and the military or the resistance movements during the war. Notably, writers and researchers have never turned their heads to focus on the Chinese experiences during the War. This paper aims to present undocumented accounts of the Chinese in Negros Island who migrated to the Philippines but soon found themselves being under the Chrysanthemum Empire just like their homeland. These accounts are stored in the World War II Archives of the Silliman University Library, labeled as the Robert B. Sillliman World War II Papers. Their stories and those of their kind who served the combined US and Philippine Armed Forces during the War will make the World War II history in the Philippines interesting.