Filipinization
The present anti-Chinese legislation in the Philippines is mainly a result of the Chinese economic influence in that country, an American professor declared in a speech before the China Society on "Roots of the Chinese Economic Position in the Philippines."
Dr. Edgar Wickberg, professor of history in the University of Kansas, said contrary to popular belief, the present economic position of the Chinese in the Philippines is not the result of a continuous growth since the 16th century. Instead, he said, it has been achieved only after a prolonged setback from 1750 to 1850.
Dr. Wickberg said there are two periods during which Chinese economic influence has been important: the period during the 16th and 17th centuries and the present period which began around 1850.
The extent and character of Chinese economic influence, the professor said, differed greatly in the two periods. "In the first, Chinese immigrants clustered around the few areas where Spanish colonists had settled, because their primary function was to provide economic services for the Spaniards. Thus many Filipinos were unaffected by this first period of Chinese influence.
"In the second period, however, economic competition developed. During the period 1750-1850 the Spanish government had reduced drastically both the number of Chinese in the Philippines and the economic influence of those that remained. This left the way open for Filipinos who had learned something of commerce from Chinese to assume economic functions hitherto carried by the Chinese.
"Then, after 1850, the Spanish government reversed its policies, allowing almost unrestricted immigration from China. The result was, by the end of Spanish rule in 1898, a Chinese population of 100,000 or more had been in the Philippines.
"Because of the rise of a Filipino trading class, the revival of Chinese immigration meant that Chinese and Filipinos were now competitors. So, for the first time, anti-Chinese sentiment on the part of the Filipinos became nationwide and became based upon economic competition as well as cultural prejudice."
Thereafter, Dr. Wickberg said, the Chinese were able to develop their prominent position in the Philippine economy by seizing on the advantages offered by the development of an export crop economy in the late 19th century Philippines.
As growth began along export-crop lines, middlemen between foreign export-import firms and the market of the interior were needed. "The Chinese middlemen filled this position better than any Filipino could do.
"Chinese adventuresomeness, business organization and experience, all served to give the Chinese advantages over their competitors," he explained.
Between 1850 and 1898, the professor added, the Chinese developed a dominant influence in the tobacco, hemp and rice industries and in general retailing. The Chinese also made much money in monopoly contracting for tax collection.
"The result of the renewed immigration and Chinese economic influence was renewal of anti-Chinese sentiment in the Philippines, which had been almost dormant for about a century. Efforts were made to legislate the Chinese out of certain occupations in order to give those occupations to Filipinos. Thus the period 1850-1898 offered us some precedents for the present situation," Professor Wick berg declared.
Blessing in Disguise
The nationalization laws of the Philippines are not necessarily bad for foreign businessmen in that country, according to Filipino Ambassador to China Narciso Ramos.
In an article written for a Taipei trade publication, Ramos admitted many Chinese businessmen were "adversely affected" when the Philippines nationalized the retail trade in 1953. "But," he added, "to most of them this proved to be a blessing in disguise."
His reasoning runs like this: due to the nationalization law, the Chinese shifted to industry and opened numerous factories. "Many of these have grown into 'big' business in which ... a good number of Chinese in Manila have become 'fabulously rich.'"
The Filipino diplomat said it was a wise step for the Chinese government to send a special mission composed of economic and investment experts to Manila last August to advise and help the Chinese businessmen there to start new ventures in industry pursuant to the socio-economic program of President Macapagal.
"The Chinese in the Philippines have contributed a great deal to the economic advancement of the country, and their participation in the new industrialization projects planned by the government would be welcome," Ramos said.
"There need be no alarm," he said, "in regard to some of the nationalistic measures adopted by the Philippine Congress such as the rice and corn law. These measures are not designed to liquidate Chinese interests or any foreign interests, but merely to keep such interests from easing out Filipinos in their own land from the means and facilities essential to their economic independence and stability."
Ramos said it was the fundamental policy of the Philippine government "to respect the rights of foreign residents recognized in international law and to treat them with equity and justice.
"One may rely on the good sense of the Filipinos not to defeat their own purposes by resorting to such extremes of nationalism as will completely deprive them of the valuable cooperation of the Chinese businessmen domiciled in their midst."
United States
Chinese Woman Physicist
Dr. Wu Chien-shiung, hailed as "the world's foremost female experimental physicist," was in the news again last month.
The physicist, who is a professor at Columbia University, announced she had made another advance in the field of physics.
Her experimental findings—conclusive evidence confirming the theory of conservation of vector current in nuclear beta decay—are highly technical but very important in nuclear physics.
The conservation theory was advanced in 1958, and many laboratories throughout the world have tried to confirm it experimentally. But Dr. Wu was the first to do so.
In a report to a meeting of the American Institute of Physics, she said her confirmation of the conservation theory "puts the universal Fermi interaction on a much firmer footing... It also gives strong support to the two-neutrino interpretation of the recent high-energy neutrino experiment, reported in July, 1962."
Dr. Wu's experiments were conducted at Columbia University with the support of the Atomic Energy Commission.
A graduate of the National Central University in Nanking, Dr. Wu went to the United States in 1936. She became known internationally when she helped disprove the "law of parity" which won for her Chinese colleagues, Professors Lee Tsung-dao and Yang Chen-ning, their joint Nobel Prize in physics in 1957.
Late last year, Dr. Wu was awarded the Benjamin Franklin Institute Medal and named woman of the year by the New York City branch of the American Association of University Women.
New Queen From Hawaii
Miss Shirley Fong of Hawaii, who visited Taiwan last year as Narcissus Queen, has been chosen this year's "Miss Chinatown U.S.A."
A University of Hawaii student, the 20-year-old beauty won over 14 other contestants from Chinese communities all over the United States.
The beauty contest, a highlight in the lunar new year celebrations in San Francisco's Chinatown, has been held yearly since its inauguration in 1958. It was the third time a Chinese girl from Hawaii captured the beauty title. Miss Darrah Lau, the retiring queen, was also from that state.
In the talent part of the contest, Miss Fong performed a Polynesian dance she had created herself.
Other winners included Lillian Cheng of Chicago, first runner-up; Christine Lee, Los Angeles, second; Yang Ming-wei, Fremont, California, third.
Jennie Wang of Washington, D.C., was chosen "Miss Talent" and Ruth Lee was named "Miss Chinatown San Francisco."
Hongkong
Food Invasion
The Bamboo Curtain along the Communist border across Hongkong was burst open on the eve of the lunar new year when thousands of Chinese in the crown colony rushed food to their hungry relatives and friends living behind the curtain.
As the lunar new year drew near, the Hongkong government had to issue 3,000 reentry permits every day. The humanitarian visits lasted right up to the lunar new year day.
Fearing that food parcels sent to the mainland might carry bombs, the Reds had announced a ban on the influx of food packages from Hongkong. This prompted local inhabitants to carry foods personally through the curtain.
Despite Communist precautions, a series of blasts occurred on the other side of the Bamboo Curtain. As a result, the Reds arrested hundreds of people near the border as suspects. Among them were many Chinese residents from Hongkong who carried neither guns nor bombs, but only food for their relatives.
England
Beware of Pickpockets
The impoverished Communist regime on the Chinese mainland has once again turned the squeeze on the overseas Chinese, according to financial sources in London.
The Peiping regime is attempting to "induce" the suffering millions on the mainland to surrender their gold hoardings and jewelry by dangling before them the bait of additional food rations. The attempt has met with little or no success.
Financial sources in London believed that the need for "inducements" was necessitated by the drop of overseas Chinese remittances to the mainland from approximately £22,000,000 in previous years to £12,000,000 in 1961.
Now, the sources said, the Peiping regime is reaching out for the pockets of Chinese living abroad. These inducements, according to reports reaching London, were decided at a secret meeting of the "State Council" last June. "The Returned Overseas Chinese Association" in Peiping was instructed to make contacts with relatives and friends abroad to step up the flow of overseas remittances to the mainland.
One of the most important incentives is to allow people receiving overseas remittances to buy additional food rations. Against foreign currency remittances, relatives or friends are issued "special privilege coupons" for purchase of cut-price rations at the "Overseas Chinese Supply Agency."
But in three months since its introduction, there were few takers because it was obvious that the coupons could buy precious little. So, beginning last September, the Reds decided to up the value of these special privilege coupons. A 100 yuan coupon could buy 80 pounds of rice instead of 12 pounds; four pounds of edible oil instead of two; five pounds of sugar instead of two.
It is still unknown what response the overseas Chinese have made to these inducements. Whatever the response may be, the new Communist measures showed how desperately the Peiping regime is reaching for what little foreign exchange it can lay its hands on.
Philippines
Triumph of Culinary Art
Several thousand Chinese employees in Filipino and American-owned retail establishments in the Philippines were discharged this month by order of the anti-dummy board.
The order was issued in accordance with the provisions of the Retail Nationalization Law of 1954 and a recent decision of the Supreme Court.
The sharp teeth of the Nationalization Law, however, failed to crack hundreds of Chinese cooks.
According to a Commerce Department ruling, alien cooks will be considered "technical personnel" and thereby permitted to continue working in restaurants and hotels.
The department said the term "technical personnel" refers to "any person who possesses an extraordinary or special skill or knowledge having to do with the practical, industrial or mechanical arts or science which is indispensable or necessary for the operation of a retail business."
It said the decision was made "after carefully studying the nature of the duties and functions of cooks as well as the important role that they play in the operation of hotels and restaurants."
However, the ruling doesn't eliminate all problems for alien cooks. They are required to apply individually for classification as technical personnel, face investigation of their qualifications, then have their case decided by the president of the Philippines.
Moreover, approval will only cover a period of two years, although this can be extended. And the employer is required to employ Filipino understudies who will replace the alien at the end of the two-year period.
Needed: Men and Money
The Overseas Chinese Anti-Communist Federation in the Philippines issued a call for men and money in support of a counter-invasion.
The call was issued on the occasion of the "Freedom Day" last January 23. The day was also marked by the visit of ex-Communist pilot Liu Cheng-sze who defected to Taiwan in March last year.
To mark the significant occasion, the federation launched a drive to recruit 3,000 "seed members" who are willing to give both money and personal service to the anti-Communist cause.
The federation has more than 40 branches in the Philippines. However, its members are civic groups. The "seed membership" are to be individuals.
"Seed members" are required to contribute money to a counter-invasion chest and offer personal services or mobilize friends and relatives to do the same in support of military action against the Communist regime on the Chinese mainland.
The federation has a five-point guideline for its work. They are: calling for sympathy and support of the free world in free China's anti-Communist struggle; coordinating the efforts of all overseas Chinese communities in support of the cause; calling on friends and relatives on the mainland to rise up against the Red regime; giving material relief to the mainland population in liberated areas; and recruiting personnel for wartime service and post-liberation reconstruction.
Response to the anti-Communist call was overwhelming. In less than a week, the federation received more than 10,000 applications.
The patriotic movement in the Philippines was highly lauded by Kao Hsin, chairman of the Overseas Chinese Affairs Commission, who predicted overseas Chinese in other countries and areas would follow it. He said this would help shorten the suffering of the people on the mainland.
South Africa
Another Bar Removed
In racially conscious South Africa a Chinese resident is socially somewhere between the ruling whites and the "untouchable" blacks. He can enjoy some of the privileges denied the aborigines. As a non-white, however, he is subject to other discriminations.
This situation is tolerable provided one is accustomed to it. Yet this middle status can sometimes be worse than being at the bottom of the social scale.
Wu Wen-hsi, a Chinese resident of Johannesburg, learned how much a Chinese has to endure after he had been injured last summer in a traffic accident. An ambulance rushed him to a white hospital. He was refused admission on the ground he is a non-white resident.
Then Wu was taken to a hospital for coloreds. Here he was also rejected because he is not a black.
Despite considerable delay in getting treatment, Wu was lucky enough, to pull through.
An opposition paper got wind of the story and decided to make political hay out of it. Besides splashing the news across its front page, the paper sought an interview with Dr. Wei Yu-sun, the new Chinese consul general, in the hope that he might make some comment which the opposition could use to lash at the government.
Dr. Wei deftly dodged the interview, knowing nothing good would come out of hurt feelings. Instead, he quietly negotiated with the South African government for a removal of the white hospital ban against Chinese.
His patience and persuasive representations paid off. Late last December, the Health Department informed him that from now on Chinese residents could be admitted to white hospitals where the accommodation is better and the charge lower.