China and the Shaping of Indonesia
- 321 pages
- 12 hours of reading
Kyoto CSEAS Series on Asian Studies Series
This series delves into the complexities of East and Southeast Asian studies, offering insightful perspectives on regional issues. A collaboration between leading institutions ensures academic rigor and global relevance. Readers can expect original research that significantly contributes to understanding the dynamic Asian landscape. It aims to make high-quality scholarship accessible worldwide.
Recommended Reading Order
Kyoto Cseas Series on Asian Studies - 12: The Chinese Question
Ethnicity, Nation, and Region in and Beyond the Philippines
- 392 pages
- 14 hours of reading
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.
