The Chinese community and the Spanish model of colonization in the Philippines

Abstract

The Philippines were the physical space of a long relationship between the Spaniards and the Chinese community for more than 300 years. The aim of this essay is to show how the Chinese were to be inserted in the Spanish colonial world, the difficulties in this process, and the means which were used to solve them. The role played by the Chinese community in the Philippines was of such an importance, of such an essential nature, that every necessary accommodation was made to create an environment of understanding and amicable coexistence. This model of relationship is an example of pragmatism, despite the deep religious and cultural differences, and it proves, to some extent, the validity of the Spanish imperial model as an experience in the first global world.