Pedestrian Observer GB: How we came to have Spanish surnames

It is said that one of the main reasons why Filipino-Americans are without significant political clout commensurate with their huge number is because of the difficulty of segregating our surnames from that of Latinos. In the process our identity as an ethnic group is somewhat diluted by the more numerous Spanish-speaking residents. How it came to be such will be explained during a colloquium to be held on May 14 at 10384 Bunche Hall of UCLA Campus.

The free event starting at 3 p.m. will have Francis Alvarez Gealogo, an associate professor of History at the Ateneo de Manila University, discuss a decree issued by Spanish Governor General to the Philippines Narciso Claveria in 1849 that led to the compiling of a catalogue of family names for Filipinos to adopt. The aim was to put some administrative order to the Philippine naming systems utilizing Spanish surnames, as well as indigenous words related to plants, animals, minerals, geography, arts, etc. That effectively transformed the Philippine naming system.

Gealogo is from Cavite City and currently connected with the Center for History of Medicine program of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor as a Fulbright senior visiting professor.

Contributed by D. Grava