A study of the negotiation of identities of the Intsik in Mano po 1, 2 & 3

• Main Author: Chan, Louise Anne Marie N.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2007
• Subjects: Chinese > Philippines > Ethnic identity; Motion picture plays > Philippines; Comparative Literature
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_bachelors/2270
• Institution: De La Salle University

A Study of Negotiation of Identities of the Intsik in Mano Po 1, 2 & 3 is an analysis of the representation of the Intsik in the three mentioned films. Through the analyses of the film's different elements, the study explores what and how the constructed identities of the Intsik are represented, and how these ethnic representations are gendered. Using the ideas of Dr. Caroline Hau I have discussed how the Intsik identity is overdetermined and how the stereotypes regarding the Chinese are historically grounded. Dr. Hau also utilized Marxist critical theory to prove that the prejudiced existence of the Intsik in society is rooted from their economic visibility. I have analyzed how the films conform to certain stereotypes, especially those that conflate capital and ethnicity, and how the negotiation of the Chinese and Filipino identities are presented in the film. I have shown the historical basis for the specific stereotypes discussed. The study concludes that although there are some characters in the films whose existence goes beyond the stereotypes, there are more characters who reinforce them.