The question of alien and nation: An interview with Charlson Ong on Banyaga: A song of war

• Main Author: Caronongan, R. Aliza P.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2009
• Subjects: Comparative Literature
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_bachelors/2531
• Institution: De La Salle University

Although the Chinese and the Chinese-Filipinos have been in existence within Philippine shores since time immemorial, they still face the daunting task of belonging to a community that continues to possess xenophobic mindsets and stereotypes. Through an interview with Chinese-Filipino writer Charlson Ong, this thesis explores how the alien and the nation are articulated in his second Banyaga: A Song of War. It sheds light on the authors personal and literary influences, his thoughts on Chinese-Filipino literature, and how he has used his novel to intellectually problematize the alienated stance and foreign-ness of the Chinese and the Chinese-Filipino characters in his novel. Ong asserts how the banyaga figure is not necessarily always the foreigner and that being an alien stems from a personal mindset that is eventually heightened by the society, as demonstrated by the sworn brotherhood and the generation gap. This thesis greatly contributes to those who wish to further study the works of Charlson Ong or other Chinese-Filipino writers through a recommendation that encourages future researchers to critically study other Chinese-Filipino writings and explore how such writings depict, re-construct, or perhaps interrogate the stance of the Chinese-Filipino at present.