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New book by Dr. Fernando N. Zialcita on Filipino Identity
Posted by: Department Admin
Date Posted: 2006-02-09
Authentic Though Not Exotic: Essays on Filipino Identity
by Fernando Nakpil Zialcita
About the book
Cultural identity continues to be important within and among nations. However, many Filipinos question the "authenticity" of their identity. They are uneasy about the heavy Spanish influence that came with colonialism. They wonder if their culture is but a mixture of conflicting traditions. Moreover, they fear that the Hispanic presence seems an oddity in a Southeast Asia that defines itself as non-Western.
This collection of essays offers another way to look at the encounter between the Western and the indigenous. It suggests that through a dialectical process, this encounter has generated a broader sense of community that has transcended the kin. Local genius transformed Spanish influences, even as it was itself transformed by the latter, resulting in a new culture. Finally, "Southeast Asia" is a recent construct that should be redefined to reflect the diversity of cultures present in it.
About the Author
Fernando Nakpil Zialcita has an M.A. in Philosophy from Ateneo de Manila University, and an M.A. and a Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of Hawaii. Dr. Zialcita teaches at the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at the Loyola Schools, Ateneo de Manila University, and heads the Cultural Heritage Studies Program at the same.
The book is published by Ateneo de Manila University Press, Ateneo de Manila University, Quezon City.
For more information please call the DSA at 426-6001 local 5270 or 5271 or you can visit the Ateneo de Manila University Press website at http://www.ateneopress.org/. For book orders, please visit http://ateneopress.org/detail_socsci.asp?ID=111.
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