DOCSLIB.ORG

Rizal-Blumentritt Correspondence How It Started 110 Years Ago 50 Selected Letters Between Rizal and Blumentritt

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Rizal-Blumentritt Correspondence How It Started 110 Years Ago 50 Selected Letters Between Rizal and Blumentritt Rizal-Blumentritt Correspondence How it Started 110 Years ago 50 Selected Letters between Rizal and Blumentritt © Courtesy of National Historical Institute, Manila 1. Rizal, Heidelberg, 31 July 1886 Rizal compliments Blumentritt with a copy of Rufino Baltazar Hernández, Aritmética, written in Tagalog and Spanish. 11 Obere Neckar Strasse Heidelberg, 31 July 1886 Esteemed Professor Ferdinand Blumentritt Esteemed Sir, Having heard that Your Lordship is studying our language and that you have already published some works on the subject, I take the liberty of sending you a valuable book(1) written in that language by a countryman of mine. The Spanish version is mediocre because the author is only a modest writer, but the Tagalog portion is good and this is precisely the language spoken in our province. I am Very respectfully yours, J. Rizal 2. Rizal, Leipzig, 16 August 1886 Gift of two books from Blumentritt - At his service in regard to Tagalog- His knowledge can be of use to him as much as the grammars of the friars - He could send Blumen- tritt works of more value than those published by Spanish travelers - "He who does not know his own language. ." 40, II, Albertstrasse Leipzig, 16 August 1886 Very esteemed Sir, I received your letter together with the two books that I value very much. I read them with great pleasure and satis- faction. I appreciate your kindness and I shall not forget your courtesy in accepting my insignificant gift. V could not answer you at once because I made a trip on the Rhine and I arrived at Leipzig only yesterday. I am at your service for everything concerning our language which I have studied since my early youth. My knowledge of it is not great but at least it may be useful to you as much as the grammars written by those ignorant friars. I could send you other works if I were at home. The friars do not know either foreign writers or those of their own nationality. One page alone of those books is worth more than all the Spanish travelers and the friars have written or will still write. He who does not know well his mother tongue will know much less others that he has not studied carefully. Their knowledge of Tagalog is like my knowledge of German. The traveling chroniclers remain only a short time in the Philippines and they spend this brief time among Spaniards. The majority of the friars never studied grammar and they talk only with uneducated Filipinos. For this reason these writers know as much Tagalog as I did of German six months after my arrival in Germany, and I don't dare write poetry or deliver sermons in German. For that same reason I hope you will pardon the errors of my "kitchen German ". Pardon the delay of my reply. Yours very cordially, Jose Rizal 3. Rizal, Leipzig, 22 August l886 Tagalog vocabulary by Blumentritt - Rizal wants to meet Kern - And to buy books in Vienna - He will study Dutch "because the Dutch have written much about us" - The friars.- Worldly and heavenly riches - "For our estates they would give us heavenly ones." - If Blumentritt could study life in our vil- lages - Christianity is more grand and sublime in Europe. Catholicism is more beautiful than Protestantism. Leipzig, 22 August 1886 My dear Sir, I have had the pleasure of receiving your letter as well as your new work(1) and I regret that I have nothing at hand to send you in return. I hope that this new work would be like all those that you have written with diligence, attention, care, and ability. I have already read your two vocabularies and I am astonished that you have taken so much trouble in studying a language like Tagalog which is so difliicult. You cannot be blamed for the little errors in them, for many times the people themselves commit them, as well as my learned and talented friend Dr. T. P. de Tavera(2) who has excelled himself in his exposition and has given me a pleasant surprise. I will lend you his works for a week, because I myself need them very greatly. Perhaps my annotations may be of some use to you. I like to read your book at once so that I am in a hurry to finish this letter. Pardon the many errors due to the haste with which I am writing it. By telling me about universities and professors you have awakened my eagerness. I should like to follow all that you advise me to do. I should like to meet Dr. Kerns in Leyden. I should like to go to Vienna and buy me a whole library; but I must have patience because I have neither time nor opportunity for it. I do not know Professor Gabelentz. Now we are on vacation and I cannot stay a long time at Leipzig. I will study Dutch also, because the Dutch are our neighbors and they have written much about us. I agree with your method of learning languages. Tomorrow I am going to look for the works of Waitz-Gerland at the municipal library. If I am able to translate them, I will do so and I am going to send you a transcription so that you may see it and correct it. I am also engaged in other studies at this moment. If I don't get sick during these months, I will surely go to Dresden, though for nothing more than shaking the and of a man as worthy and gentlemanly as you are. I will leave about September or October for that city. I am planning to get to Berlin towards the end of October and stay there for two or three months. Naturally I will then visit Professors Virchow and Jagor, if I can get from you letters of recommendation to them. I will not forget your admonition concerning religion. I admit that the friars have done much good, or at least they wanted to do so. But allow me to remark that they are very well recompensed for their services, firstly, because they receive worldly riches and afterwards heavenly ones also; and because in truth they exchanged heavenly riches for the lands of our forefathers, however much earthly life . may not be exactly Christian life and nevertheless we have to live like other men. Dear Sir: You know our country through the books written by the friars and Spaniards who copied one another. If you had grown up in our villages as I had and had seen the sufferings of our country folk, you would have a very different idea of Catholicism in the Philippines. I have had an opportunity to study the religions in Europe. There I found Christianity beautiful, sublime, divine; Catholicism attractive, poetic, the same Christianity, poetized and beautified, more beautiful than the insipid Protestantism. Our country folk do not know these differences. Pardon my frankness which may perhaps seem to you strange for not having heard such a thing before. Perhaps you remember Lessing's fable about the boy and the serpent. Each one writes his history according to his convenience. Very sincerely yours, José Rizal 4. Rizal, Leipzig, 2 October l886 Tagalog version of Schiller's drama - Works of Meyer in Bibliotheca Philippina - "Everything referring to my native country interests me greatly." - On the Igorrotes of Dr. Hans Meyer - In order to learn the secret of German verbs - "To sit once at your table is enough honor for me." Leipzig, 2 October 1886 My dear Sir, I beg you to pardon me for not having answered on time your letter, which for me is as kind as all the rest; but I was and am still very busy with an urgent work which my compatriots have entrusted to me. They have asked me for Tagalog versions of the works of Schiller. You can easily imagine how difficult this kind of work is for me, especially knowing as you do the peculiarities of our language whose mode of speech is so different from the German. I have to understand and study first each phrase and then look for the corresponding Tagalog expression, avoiding carefully circumlocutions and Germanisms. However, I am consoled by the thought that I shall have the honor of interpreting the great Schiller in Tagalog to the Filipinos. I hope likewise to be able to go to Dresden towards the end of the present month. Dr. A. B. Meier(1), privy councilor, has excited my curiosity very much with his works which you mention in your Bibliotheca Philippina. Everything referring to my native country interests me greatly. Recently, the amiable Dr. Hans Meier complimented me with a copy of his book dealing with the Igorots. We also spoke about you. I should like to stay one more year in Germany (also in Austria) because my German is still defective and I have not yet understood the secret of the difficult German verbs. Those that end with the syllables ver, er, an, be, etc. are used frequently and they seem to me very strange. So I believe I shall spend fourteen days of next spring in Leitmeritz. According to the map, the p ace seems to be near the mountains, which gladdens me, for thus I can also study Bohemian life there. I thank you in advance for your invitation and I should like to return your kind hospitality some day in the Philippines. In case I spend there the coming year, I cannot accept your kind offer of lodging in your house.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Scientific Authority, Nationalism, and Colonial Entanglements Between Germany, Spain, and the Philippines, 1850 to 1900
    Scientific Authority, Nationalism, and Colonial Entanglements between Germany, Spain, and the Philippines, 1850 to 1900 Nathaniel Parker Weston A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy University of Washington 2012 Reading Committee: Uta G. Poiger, Chair Vicente L. Rafael Lynn Thomas Program Authorized to Offer Degree: History ©Copyright 2012 Nathaniel Parker Weston University of Washington Abstract Scientific Authority, Nationalism, and Colonial Entanglements between Germany, Spain, and the Philippines, 1850 to 1900 Nathaniel Parker Weston Chair of the Supervisory Committee: Professor Uta G. Poiger This dissertation analyzes the impact of German anthropology and natural history on colonialism and nationalism in Germany, Spain, the Philippines, and the United States during the second half of the nineteenth-century. In their scientific tracts, German authors rehearsed the construction of racial categories among colonized peoples in the years prior to the acquisition of formal colonies in Imperial Germany and portrayed their writings about Filipinos as superior to all that had been previously produced. Spanish writers subsequently translated several German studies to promote continued economic exploitation of the Philippines and uphold notions of Spaniards’ racial supremacy over Filipinos. However, Filipino authors also employed the translations, first to demand colonial reform and to examine civilizations in the Philippines before and after the arrival of the Spanish, and later to formulate nationalist arguments. By the 1880s, the writings of Filipino intellectuals found an audience in newly established German scientific associations, such as the German Society for Anthropology, Ethnology, and Prehistory, and German-language periodicals dealing with anthropology, ethnology, geography, and folklore.
    [Show full text]
  • The Philippines a Summary Account of Their Ethnographical Historical
    In compliance with current co i l w r niv it pyr ght a , Co nell U ers y Library produced this replacement vo lume on paper that meets the ANSI S tandard - 1 992 to replace the i re ab dete io ed o i in r par ly r rat r g al . C ornell University Library c o : D C ? i n n n CORNE LL UNIVE RSITY LIBRARY 3 1 924 W IT H AN APPE N D I X CON TAINING ' ' V Erla sz s l l d D rli k xn i ( H mbur ( Q g m mt in e t e A 5 a g, C ON TE NTS . PAGE ’ ' TR ANS L ATQ R S FA PRE CE l ’ AU THOR S LETTER - NOTE on THE AnniOR. THE PHILI PPINE S 1 - E RAZPH G OG _ Y , I L POPU LATIO N I Neg-riitos a 2 Pagan Mal ys l M a e a l s 3 , oh mm dan M ay C i M a 4? C hristian or iv lized al ys a s fi inege a n Mix d 5 S p niard , b d ed Bree s H'I S ’ PORY’ I . r o Early Pe i d , The a C r S n e 2 . L st entu y of pa ish Rul cen t E 3 . Re vents I AN B L U R D E R' IV . AMER C s ! APPE NDIX I The C on s titution of the Philippi ne R e; publ ic .
    [Show full text]
  • Jan. 2013 Introduction  RIZAL in Belgian Dear Brother Knights of Rizal Diamond Chapter and Affiliated Chapters in Belgium, Europe and Chocolate! Worldwide
    Diamond Chapter Antwerp—Flanders—Belgium Issue 38 Volume 7 January 2014 SPECIAL POINTS OF INTEREST Introduction Invitation 14th Chartering Anniversary Membership Past activities Knights of Rizal – Diamond Chapter – Jan. 2013 Introduction RIZAL in Belgian Dear Brother Knights of Rizal Diamond Chapter and affiliated chapters in Belgium, Europe and chocolate! worldwide, New Belgian Dear friends of our organization, Ambassador in the Philippines Although it has been a long time since our previous newsletter was released, it does not mean Ferdinand Blumentritt that we were sleeping or enjoying a nice long vacation. On the contrary, a lot of activities were organized by the Knights, their affiliated counterparts and befriended organizations. Invitations After the visit of our Supreme Commander, Sir Reghis Romero II and some of the board mem- bers, end of May, there were several Philippine Independence Day celebrations which were Calendar attended by Knights of our Chapter. Of course, the birthday of Dr. Jose Rizal on 19 June is an- Board coordinates & other yearly milestone, which was traditionally remembered in the venue of the Philippine members Embassy by the Belgian chapters of the Knights together with the Kababaihang Rizalistas, Brussels and Las Damas de Rizal, Belgium. The latter chapter participated for the first time since it was only created a few months earlier. Before the summer holidays, the four Belgian Chapters jointly invited everybody to listen to “Pop-A-Pella” an arrangement by the A Cappella Manila choir in the St. Rémi Church, St. Jans-Molenbeek. Even during the summer months, events were organized. New members were inducted by Las Damas de Rizal, Belgium on August 31st at the Courtyard Marriott.
    [Show full text]
  • Wika at Kulturang Tsek Para Sa Mga Pilipino
    Wika at Kulturang Tsek Para sa Mga Pilipino Leoš Středa, Jakub Černý et al. České lingvoreálie pro Filipínce Wika at Kulturang Tsek Para sa Mga Pilipino Czech Language and Cultural Background for Filipinos Leoš Středa, Jakub Černý & kol. Leoš STŘEDA Jakub ČERNÝ České lingvoreálie pro Filipínce Wika at Kulturang Tsek Para sa Mga Pilipino Czech Language and Cultural Background for Filipinos Autorská spolupráce: Rowena YANSON, Katherine BENDOY, Paul SANTOS, Danielle JAVIER Jazyková spolupráce: Taťana KUHNOVÁ Vydalo Velvyslanectví České republiky na Filipínách, Manila, Filipíny 1. vydání, 2014 neprodejné vazba brožovaná ISBN 978-80-260-7202-7 2 Obsah – Content – Nilalaman 1| První lekce: České reálie 4 Unang Aralin: Mga realidad tungkol sa Republika ng Tsek First Lesson: About the Czech Republic 2|Druhá lekce: Pozdravy v češtině 8 Ikalawang aralin: Mga pagbati sa Tsek Second Lesson: Czech Greetings 3| Třetí lekce: Pomoc a dotazy na cestu 12 Ikatlong aralin: Paghingi ng tulong at direksyon Third Lesson : Asking for Help and Directions 4| Čtvrtá lekce: Představujeme se 16 Ikaapat na aralin: Paano ipakilala ang iyong sarili Fourth Lesson: Introducing Ourselves 5| Pátá lekce: Přejeme si 21 Ikalimang aralin: Ang pag bati sa tao Fifth Lesson: Wish Someone Something 6| Šestá lekce: Nerozumíme si 25 Ikaanim na aralin: Paglutas ng hindi pagkakaunawaan Sixth Lesson: Solving a Misunderstanding 7| Sedmá lekce: Časové údaje 28 Ikapitong aralin: Oras Seventh Lesson: Time Data 8| Osmá lekce: Cestujeme 32 Ikawalong aralin: Ukol sa paglalakbay Eighth Lesson: Communication during traveling 9| Devátá lekce: Restaurace, hotel 39 Ika-siyam na aralin: Pagkain sa labas, hotel Ninth Lesson: Eating out, hotel 10| Příloha-Kalakip-Attachment 42 Slovníček českých výrazů Mga salitang Tsek: Dyksyunaryo Czech Vocabulary: Dictionary 11| Vytvořili učitelé a studenti češtiny 45 Autoři publikace Mga may-akda Authors 3 1| První lekce - Unang aralin – First Lesson České reálie Mga realidad tungkol sa Republika ng Tsek About the Czech Republic Vítejte na kurzech češtiny.
    [Show full text]
  • First Homecoming (1887-1888)
    DR. JOSE PROTACIO MERCADO RIZAL ALONZO Y REALONDA MEANINGS OF NAME • Doctor- completed his medical course in Spain and was conferred the degree of Licentiate in Medicine by the Universidad Central de Madrid • Jose- was chosen by his mother who was a devotee of the Christian saint San Jose (St. Joseph) • Protacio- from Gervacio P. which come from a Christian calendar • Mercado- adopted in 1731 by Domigo Lamco (the paternal great-great- grandfather of Jose Rizal) which the Spanish term mercado means ‘market’ in English • Rizal- from the word ‘Ricial’ in Spanish means a field where wheat, cut while still green, sprouts again • Alonzo- old surname of his mother • Y- and • Realonda- it was used by Doña Teodora from the surname of her godmother based on the culture by that time • June 19, 1861- moonlit of Wednesday between eleven and midnight Jose Rizal was born in the lakeshore town of Calamba, Laguna • June 22, 1861- aged three days old, Rizal was baptized in the Catholic church • Father Rufino Collantes- a Batangueño, the parish priest who baptized Rizal • Father Pedro Casanas- Rizal’s godfather, native of Calamba and close friend of the Rizal family • Lieutenant-General Jose Lemery- the governor general of the Philippines when Rizal was born RIZAL’S PARENTS Don Francisco Mercado (1818-1898) -born in Biñan, Laguna on May 11, 1818 -studied Latin and Philosophy at the College of San Jose in Manila -became a tenant-farmer of the Dominican-owned hacienda -a hardy and independent-minded man, who talked less and worked more, and was strong in
    [Show full text]
  • Vjera Borozan Heritage of Colonialism and Dangerous Consequences Of
    Heritage of Colonialism and Vjera Borozan Dangerous Consequences of the Accumulation of Capital Interior of Oba’s compound burnt during siege of Benin City (present day Nigeria) , with bronze plaques in the foreground and three British soldiers of the Benin Punative Expedition 9–18 February 1897. Photographer Reginald Granville. (zdroj Wikimedia Commons, možné přiřadit ke kapitole o kradeži artefaktu) Right from the outset of this editorial, I would like to alert the reader to the fact 1 See Todd Shepard, Voices of that many of the texts in previous editions of Artalk Revue have touched upon the topic Decolonization: A Brief History with Documents, Boston/New York: Bedford/ of colonialism or the neocolonial and neoliberal practices of late capitalism. This attests St. Martin’s, 2014, pp. 8–9. to the omnipresent nature of this topic in art and theory, in contemporary politics 2 Although there are still a few European and economics, and in our everyday lives. These five new contributions consider this overseas colonies/territories, the end of problem from other, new perspectives, searching for and examining the foundations of the long “decolonisation era” is usually dated as 1997, when the United Kingdom current demands for decolonisation. returned Hong Kong to China. Recent th Although the term “decolonisation” first appeared in the mid-19 century, it events in the region and contemporary only really entered into usage after the Second World War, in works by European and decolonisation discourse make this fact particularly symptomatic. American scholars and politicians, mostly in reference to the process by which former European colonies gained their territorial sovereignty.1 At this time, decolonisation also referred to a number of other terms used to describe the situation in European overseas colonies, such as national liberation, the end of empire, or the transfer of power.2 The term first gained traction in French in connection to the Algerian war of liberation in the late 1950s.
    [Show full text]
  • Jose Rizal and Maximo Viola in Vienna, 20Th Till the 24Th of May 1887
    Jose Rizal and Maximo Viola in Vienna, 20th till the 24th of May 1887 Hotel Metropol as a historical landmark May is a beautiful month of spring. One wakens to chirping of birds as the sun rises. Trees slowly fill with varying tones of green foliage again. Fruit trees like apricots and apples display flowering buds, the leafless magnolias now bedecked with myriads of its sweet-scented flowers. One cannot underrate the environmental effect specifically the beauty of nature on one´s disposition and general feelings. At this time of the year, people spend more time out of their homes, perhaps to shed off the constrictive atmosphere and cooped up state of mind after enduring the long foggy, months of autumn and the bone- chilling months of winter. As travelling companions, Jose Rizal and Maximo Viola must have experienced this wonderful spring-time sensation, a dynamic thrust of energy and enthusiasm. Both were at the transitional range between young-full-age of adulthood. Rizal was just a month near to his 26th birthday while Viola, who had finished his medical study a year before, was thirty years old. While in Leitmeritz, Jose Rizal gave an extemporaneous speech, much to the bewilderment of the audience as it was delivered in the German language. He stated that solace can be found in the woods, and the rich beauty of nature – the flowers and the birds, provide relief to emotional discomforts and uplift a saddened spirit. After a memorable encounter with Professor Ferdinand Blumentritt and enjoying the four-day stay in Leitmeritz, Rizal and Viola left on the 16th of May, travelled to Vienna via Prague and Bruenn, thereby covering a distance of over four hundred kilometres.
    [Show full text]
  • Dr. José Rizal “Connecting the Philippines and Germany”
    Institut für Asien- und Afrikawissenschaften Philosophische Fakultät III der Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin Dr. José Rizal “Connecting the Philippines and Germany” An Overview of a Symposium held in Berlin on 14. June 2011 Südostasien Working Papers No. 45 Berlin 2011 SÜDOSTASIEN Working Papers ISSN: 1432-2811 published by the Department of Southeast Asian Studies Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin Unter den Linden 6 10999 Berlin, Germany Tel. +49-30-2093 66031 Fax +49-30-2093 66049 Email: [email protected] Cover photograph: National Historical Comission of the Philippines The Working Papers do not necessarily express the views of the editors or the Institute of Asian and African Studies. Al- though the editors are responsible for their selection, responsibility for the opinions expressed in the Papers rests with the authors. Any kind of reproduction without permission is prohibited. José Rizal “Connecting the Philippines and Germany” Südostasien Working Papers No. 45 Berlin 2011 Table of Contents 1. Introductory Remarks 4 Prof Dr. Vincent Houben 2. Rotten Beef and Stinking Fish: Rizal and the Writing of Pilippine History 5 Dr. Ambeth R. Ocampo 3. Rizal and Germany: First Impressions and Lasting Influences 24 Prof. Dr. Bernhard Dahm 4. Biographies 25 4.1 Dr. Ambeth R. Ocampo 25 4.2 Prof. Dr. Bernhard Dahm 25 3 1. Introductory Remarks This working paper contains two keynote speeches, which were presented on occasion of the Dr. José Rizal Symposium at the Humboldt University on 14 June 2011, commemorating the 150th birth anni- versary of this national hero of the Republic of the Philippines. The event, entitled “Connecting the Philippines and Germany”, was organized jointly by the Southeast Asian Studies section of the Insti- tute of Asian and African Studies at Humboldt University and the Philippine Embassy in Berlin.
    [Show full text]
  • Ladislava Gažiová Nitroglycerin in Pomegranate
    Nitroglycerin in pomegranate Ladislava Gažiová Czechoslovak historical magazine. Photo: Ladislava Gažiová During one of my night-time finger-wading map searches of general geopolitical 1 Jindřich Tomas, Litoměřický profesor knowledge, I came across the name Salud Algabre. I have never heard of this Ferdinand Blumentritt a jeho styky s Filipínami, zvláště s José Rizalem, female revolutionary from the Philippines. The hour is late, so I leave Algabre for in: Litoměřicko-vlastivědný sborník, tomorrow’s googling and I quickly search Wikipedia to get a closer look at the political Litoměřice 1977, p. 96–114. and social developments in the Philippines. I come across quite surprising information about a Czech friend of the Filipino national hero José Rizal. His name was Ferdinand Blumentritt. The next day, I read a text by Jindřich Tomas, a historian who has long been involved with Blumentritt.1 I find that Ferdinand Blumentritt was a high school teacher living in Litoměřice and also a well-known filipinologist who played an important role in the history of Filipino liberation struggles. In the Czech context, his name is not well known. At the same time, I was intrigued that the man hadn’t left Central Europe in his entire life. Nowadays, it is often discussed that interest in post-colonial thinking in the Czech Republic and Slovakia is still in early stages of development.. Therefore, it is not surprising that important actors of anti-colonial history remain neglected. But Ferdinand Blumentritt is undoubtedly one of the most interesting personalities of the 19th century. Known for his open stances against anti-Semitism of the era, he was a keen supporter of a number of Filipino fighters against the colonial rule of Spain and, subsequently, the United States.
    [Show full text]
  • Mohamed Ariffin2019.Pdf (2.820Mb)
    This thesis has been submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for a postgraduate degree (e.g. PhD, MPhil, DClinPsychol) at the University of Edinburgh. Please note the following terms and conditions of use: This work is protected by copyright and other intellectual property rights, which are retained by the thesis author, unless otherwise stated. A copy can be downloaded for personal non-commercial research or study, without prior permission or charge. This thesis cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission in writing from the author. The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the author. When referring to this work, full bibliographic details including the author, title, awarding institution and date of the thesis must be given. American Imperialism, Anthropology and Racial Taxonomy in the Philippines, 1898-1946 Nur Dayana Mohamed Ariffin Ph.D. The University of Edinburgh 2019 i SIGNED DECLARATION I declare that this thesis, entitled ‘American Imperialism, Anthropology and Racial Taxonomy in the Philippines, 1898-1946’ has been composed solely by myself and that it has not been submitted, in whole or in part, in any previous application for a degree. Except where states otherwise by reference or acknowledgment, the work presented is entirely my own. I confirm that this thesis is being submitted for the doctoral degree in Science and Technology Studies. Signature: Name: Nur Dayana Mohamed Ariffin Date: 19th August 2019 ii ABSTRACT Racial classification and taxonomy of the population in the Philippines was formed primarily based on the colonial perception of race.
    [Show full text]
  • Did Jose Rizal Die a Catholic? Revisiting Rizal’S Last 24 Hours Using Spy Reports
    Southeast Asian Studies, Vol. 49, No. 2, September 2011 Did Jose Rizal Die a Catholic? Revisiting Rizal’s Last 24 Hours Using Spy Reports Rene Escalante* There is one issue in Jose Rizal’s life that historians have debated on several occa- sions but remains unsettled. That issue is whether Rizal, on the eve of his death, re-embraced the Catholic faith and disassociated himself from Masonry. The mat- ter is controversial because parties on both sides are affiliated with an organization that promotes moral values and the pursuit of truth. The pro-retraction camp is represented by the Jesuits, the archbishop of Manila, and a few other members of the Catholic hierarchy. Since they are all ordained priests, they are assumed to be truthful in their pronouncements. Their opponents are the members of Masonry, an organization that promotes brotherhood, integrity, decency, and professionalism. This paper resurrects the retraction controversy in the light of the emergence of another primary source that speaks about what happened to Rizal on the eve of his death. This document was never considered in the history of the retraction controversy because it was made available to researchers only in the past decade. The author of the report is a credible eyewitness because he was physically present in the vicinity of where Rizal was detained. His narrative is lucid and contains details that cast doubt on the credibility and reliability of earlier primary sources on which previous narratives were based. This document needs serious consideration and should be included in the discourse on Rizal’s retraction.
    [Show full text]
  • Anti-Colonial Archipelagos: Expressions of Agency and Modernity in the Caribbean and the Philippines, 1880-1910
    Anti-Colonial Archipelagos: Expressions of Agency and Modernity in the Caribbean and the Philippines, 1880-1910 DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Kristina A. Escondo, M.A., B.A. Graduate Program in Spanish and Portuguese The Ohio State University 2014 Dissertation Committee: Dr. Ignacio Corona Dr. Ileana Rodríguez, Adviser Dr. Fernando Unzueta, Co-Adviser Copyright by Kristina A. Escondo 2014 Abstract In the past decade, an impetus towards a more globalized field of Hispanic studies has emerged, critiquing the Peninsular/Latin America binary in academic departments and highlighting the need for significant studies of Hispanic Asian and African literatures. Various scholars have been contributing to this call, both in the study of Africa and in Asia, in order to move away from the centrality of the Spanish presence. My research is located in this emerging trend. This project highlights Filipino texts in order to continue building a transoceanic bridge to the Pacific by comparatively placing it alongside Cuban and Puerto Rican texts. This project carries out a transoceanic comparative study of Cuban, Puerto Rican and Filipino nationalist and revolution literatures written during the late nineteenth century, leading up to Spain’s loss of its final colonies in the Spanish-American War in 1898 and the first few years of U.S. neo-colonization. This study uses South Asian and Latin American Subaltern Studies as a point of departure and addresses the gap in Iberian and Latin American studies that ignores the former Spanish colonies in the Pacific Ocean with a decolonial objective in mind.
    [Show full text]