Includes bibliographical references (p. [423]-440) and index.

Introduction : to be a "Filipino" and "Chinese" in the Philippines -- The Minnan region of Fujian : history and society -- The Chinese in late Spanish colonial Manila : an overview -- The Chinese merchants in turn-of-the-twentieth-century Manila : precursors of modern Chinese transnationalism in the Philippines -- Catholic conversion and marriage practices among Chinese merchants -- Family life and culture in Chinese merchant families -- Rethinking the Chinese mestizos and mestizas of Manila -- Early American colonial rule in the Philippines and the construction of "Filipino" and "Chinese" identities -- Chinese merchant families : family, identity, and culture in the early twentieth century -- Negotiating identities within Chinese merchant families : to be "Filipino" or to be Chinese."

"Building on works in Chinese transnationalism and cultural anthropology, this book examines the everyday practices of Chinese merchant families in Manila from the 1860s to the 1930s. The result is a fascinating study of how families and individuals creatively negotiated their identities in ways that challenge our understanding of the genesis of ethnic identities in the Philippines."--Jacket.