On p. 68 of Karnow’s book “In Our Image” (1989) described Rizal’s father as “an ambitious Chinese mestizo, (who) leased land from the Dominicans . . .” It is important point out that Rizal’s family could only lease land from the Dominicans because only pure blooded Spaniards, Insulares or Penisulares, are allowed to own land during the Spanish times.
Back on p. 63 Karnow revealed that Lopez (ABS-CBN, Meralco, EDC Geothermal) is Chinese. He wrote:
“The fabulously wealthy Lopez family, proprietors of banks, newspapers, plantations and public utilities, is of Chinese extraction despite the Hispanic sounding name – which was derived from “Lo”, one of the commonest names in China.”
For some reason on this page 63 as in page 223 Stanley Karnow repeated “Cory Aquino’s great-grandfather Jose Cojuangco was a penniless Chinese immigrant. . . ”
Why did Chinese Lo chang his name to the Hispanic sounding name “Lopez”?
If you fast forward to p. 223 (below), you will read the Karnow’s deliberate mistake.
“Some of the biggest Filipino fortunes dated back to the sugar boom of the 19th century. During the 1860’s, for instance, Eugenio Lopez acquired (from who?) 9,000 acres of sugarcane fields on the island of Negros, and his descendants today control utilizes, newspapers and TV stations.”
How could a Chinese be allowed to buy real estate during the Spanish regime when Rizal’s father part-Spaniard or a Chinese mestizo could only lease farm lands from the Dominicans?
When Rizal published Noli and Fili, his family were exiled to Hong Kong. That’s where he went to see his mother and operate on her eyes.
“In Our Image: America’s Empire in the Philippines” by Stanley Karnow
March 3, 1990 | ISBN-10: 0345328167 | ISBN-13: 978-0345328168
http://www.amazon.com/In-Our-Image-Americas-Philippines/dp/0345328167
