Discurso y parecer
(Discourse and point of view)
In 1677, Fr. Victorio Riccio of the Order of Preachers wrote this
discourse expressing his point of view on why the Chinese, also called
Sangleyes, should not be allowed to live in the Philippines.
He speaks as one who has dealt with the Chinese for thirty years and
lived in China for twelve years, and says that knowing them as he does, in
conscience he must express what he feels about the Chinese.
His arguments: first, the Sangleyes are idolatrous and atheistic and
do not honor or serve God; second, the Sangleyes, who are materialistic
and do not fear God, are a grave danger to the Catholic faith; third,
and closely linked to the second reason, is that the Sangleyes are a bad
influence on the new converts to the Faith, who can see that the Chinese
enjoy life more and have more wealth in spite of their not being
Christian; and fourth, the Sangleyes are not loyal to Spain, having
instigated more than seven rebellions against the Spaniards in the
Philippine Islands.
Click on a thumbnail below to view a facsimile
