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An extended meditation on the encounter between the native and the foreign, this compilation of scholarly essays on Philippine culture and history provokes discussion on the fascinating and sometimes uneasy hybridity that is the Philippines. Spanning an eclectic range of disciplines including anthropology, religion, sociology, philology, literary criticism, historiography, film and art studies, political science, and economics, the compilation traces the manifestations and paradoxes of hybridity by exploring the processes of cultural interaction and transformation.

The book argues that, although subjects of the colonial enterprise, Indios criollos had primacy of agency. The hegemonic cultural discourse invited a counter-discourse that was subtly crafted by emergent Philippine culture.

More Hispanic Than We Admit recuperates our Hispanic past and inspires a continued and lasting engagement with Hispanic Philippine studies.

REVIEW

“One may remove the Indonesian, Chinese, or Japanese cultural influences that form the Filipino’s personality today and the Filipino will still be recognizable as Filipino. But if one removes the Hispanic roots of his society and his culture, the Filipino will cease to be what he is. It is false nationalism to deny that we have been deeply influenced by Christianity colored by Hispanic culture. We are more Hispanic than many of us are willing to admit.”

—Jose Arcilla, SJ, Ateneo de Manila University

ABOUT THE EDITOR

Isaac Donoso holds a doctorate in Islamic studies and master’s degrees in humanities and in Hispanic philology from the University of Alicante in Spain. He also has master’s degree in Islamic studies from the University of the Philippines and in music from the University of the La Rioja in Spain. In 2004 and 2008 he was awarded the research prize Ibn al-Abbar, the most important Spanish award for Islamic studies. His published works include Islamic For East: Ethnogenesis of Philippine Islam (2013), as well as a critical edition of José Rizal’s Noli me tangere (2011) and prose works (2012), and of Jesús Balmori’s novelLos párajos de fuego (2010). He also edited the volumes More Hispanic than We Admit: Insights into Philippine Cultural History (2008) and Historia culturalde la lengua española en Filipinas: ayer y hoy (2012). He currently teaches at the University of Alicante.

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