Ethnic groups in the Philippines: Encyclopedia II - Ethnic groups in the Philippines - Filipino-Mestizo

Ethnic groups in the Philippines - Filipino-Mestizo

Mestizos, (in Filipino, Mestiso or Mistiso): Filipinos of mixed ancestry. They form a tiny (2% to 3%) but economically and politically important minority. Mestizos in the Philippines may be of any race combination or ratio. A recent genetic study by Stanford University, however, indicates that 3.6% of the population has at least some European ancestry.

Ethnic groups in the Philippines - European-Filipino

Spanish-Filipino, (in Filipino, Mistisong Kastila or Kastilaloy): a combination of Filipino with either Spanish, Basque, or Mexican. Their features are distinguished by aquiline nose structures, light to dark hair, generally lighter skinned peoples with olive to light brown complexions, and somewhat taller than the average unmixed Filipino. Spanish-mestizos speak Filipino, though English is their primary language. Some, particularly those of the older generation have preserved Spanish as the spoken language of the home. They constitute the great majority of both upper, middle class and rarely intermingle with those outside their ethnic group. A great majority are either in politics or high-ranking executives of commerce and industry. Many can be found in the entertainment industry. Most elite 'Filipino' family dynasties, political families, and the elite clans are Spanish-mestizo. Many Spanish-mestizos and Spaniards living in the Philippine emigrated to either the United States or Spain following World War II and during the Marcos regime.

• Region: Makati City, Alabang district of Muntinlupa City, Cebu City, Iloilo City, Zamboanga City
• Language: English, Filipino, other Philippine dialects

Ethnic groups in the Philippines - Asian-Filipino

Chinese-Filipino, (in Filipino, Mistisong Intsik or Tsinoy): a combination of Filipino and Chinese. In general, a person is considered as a Chinese mestizo when he has a traceable direct Chinese ancestor. They are usually light yellowish skinned peoples who possess some epicanthic folds and some pads of fat in their cheekbones, much like Chinese faces. These groups, are successful and prosperous business people. They form part of both the upper, middle and lower classes. Some are also in the entertainment industry. Their primary languages are English, Chinese and Filipino. They number just over 1 million and are most concentrated in Manila (Binondo) and Angeles City in Pampanga province. The Chinese-Mestizos are more closer, in terms of culture, to the Filipinos than to the Chinese.

• Region: Metro Manila, Bacolod City, Angeles City, Vigan City, Lucena City, Cebu City
• Language: Filipino, Min Nan, Mandarin, English, other Philippine dialects

Japanese-Mestizo, (in Filipino, Mistisong Hapon): a combination of Filipino with Japanese or Okinawan. Many are descendants of the Japanese Catholics that fled Japan 300 years ago and are members of the lower class. Because of discrimination encountered, some fled to the mountains after World War II while many others changed their names in the attempts to assimilate. Many were also killed (c. 10,000 Japanese Mestizos and Japanese) while other were deported following World War II as an act of retaliation. Their sense of Japaneseness may take on extremes, some have completely lost their Japanese identity while others have "returned" to Japan, the homeland of their forebears. There is also a number of contemporary Japanese-mestizos, not associated with the history of the earlier established ones, born either in the Philippines or Japan. These latter are the resultant of unions between Filipinos and recent Japanese immigrants to the Philippines or Japanese and immigrant Filipino workers in Japan. Most Japanese-mestizos speak tribal languages and Filipino. There are believed to be between 100,000 and 200,000 Japanese-mestizos in the country, but no accurate figure is currently available. Significant numbers reside in Davao, Laguna, Pampanga and Baguio. They may also be known as Japinos, although this term is considered derogatory by many.

• Region: Davao, San Pedro town in Laguna, Pampanga, Baguio, and Manila.
• Language: Filipino, English

Indian-South Asian-Filipino: also called "Bumbay" along with more recent South Asian immigrants (see below), or "Sepoy," their ancestors came with the British between 1762 and 1764 during the various Anglo-Spanish wars. When the British decided to make a tactical withdrawal, many of the Indian soldiers (Sepoy) mutinied and refused to leave. Virtually all had taken a Filipina bride (or soon did so). They settled in what is now Cainta, Rizal, just east of Metro Manila. The region in and around Cainta still has many Sepoy descendants.

Ethnic groups in the Philippines - American-Filipino

American-Mestizo, (in Filipino, Mistisong Amerikano): a combination of Filipino and American (regardless of race). They are also known as Amerasians. They can be found in the upper class, but also amongst the middle and lower classes as a result of the abandonment of their American fathers upon completion of military service and subsequent withdrawal of US forces. Their physiognomy and facial features are much like the Spanish-mestizos, for those whose American ancestry was Caucasian or Latino/Hispanic-American. The number of American-mestizos is thought to be between 20,000 and 30,000. Most speak Filipino and English. The majority are to be found in Angeles City, which has the largest proportion of Amerasians in the Philippines. [1]

• Region: Angeles City, Olongapo City, and Metro Manila.
• Language: English, Filipino, other Philippine dialects

Ethnic groups in the Philippines - Other Mestizos

Other types of mestizos from unions of Filipinos with other nationalities may also exist, including such mixes as Filipino-British, Filipino-Arab, Filipino-Vietnamese, Filipino-Korean, Filipino-Italian, Filipino-Polish, Filipino-Israeli, Filipino-Canadian, Filipino-Dutch, among such others. Together they account for less than 25,000, but are nonetheless disproportionately over-represented in the entertainment industry.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Filipino-Mestizo", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki