Monday, February 05, 2007 Seares: Filipino Chinese? Chinese Filipino By Pachico A. Seares News Sense
LAST Thursday dawn, when fire struck a decades-old building along Manalili and Plaridel Sts., in Cebu City, firefighters included the efficient Cebu Filipino-Chinese Volunteers Fire Brigade.
Officials of Cebu Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce worried about merchants who lost homes and businesses in the fire. Most of them, a shopkeeper told news reporters, are Filipino Chinese.
In news reports the next day, the fire victims were called Chinese Filipinos.
What is it, Filipino Chinese or Chinese Filipino?
For clarity
Newspaper style books say that in naming persons of dual nationality or mixed background, first name describes second name, not the second describing the first.
Asian American is American national of Asian descent. Amerasian is Asian national of American descent.
Thus, Filipino Chinese is Chinese national of Filipino descent. But Chinese Filipino is Filipino national of Chinese descent.
Not just a style thing. The rule aims for clarity and non-confusion.
I asked Chinese-Filipino businessman Rod Ngo why local Chinese Filipinos call themselves and their organizations Filipino Chinese. He said, “Not sure. Maybe, our first is first. We’re Filipino first, Chinese second.”
Maybe not, but what the heck. Brigade volunteers usually reach fire scenes faster than government firefighters. A house owner in distress won’t care how they are called.
