Finding My Roots: Do I Have Chinese Ancestors?

I have been doing a family tree and genealogical research on both my father's and mother's side for over ten years. One of the reasons why I did it is to know where I came from and what made me who I am.


I have been doing a family tree and genealogical research on both my father's and mother's sides for over ten years. One of the reasons why I did it is to know where I came from and what made me who I am. It's probably influenced by the fact that I graduated with a degree in History at university and so it shaped my interest in it. More importantly, I grew up without getting to meet and talk to my grandparents, especially on my mother's side since she was born out of wedlock. Apart from that, I never got close connections with relatives growing up partly because I'm a shy and introverted type.

So to cut the long story short, I managed to trace most of my family tree and stumbled upon key and prominent people in the past but it seems I have hit the proverbial "brick wall" on my mother's side due to the lack of documentary evidence and paperwork. Recently, I took an Ancestry DNA test to determine my ethnic breakdown.

I assume that I may have about 10% Chinese ancestry due to the fact that a branch in my mother's line is likely to have Chinese ancestors. The National Geographic's "The Genographic Project", Relaunched in 2012 as Geno 2.0, based on massive genetic testing of 80,000 Filipinos by the National Geographic in 2008–2009 found that the Philippines’ autosomal gene pool is overwhelmingly Asian, consisting of 53% Southeast Asian and Oceanian genes, and 36% East Asian genes, with only 5% Southern European genes, 3% South Asian (Indian subcontinent) genes, and 2% Native American genes. It goes to show, that there is no such thing as "pure Filipino."

Although the "official" family history mentioned that they're really descended from Portuguese explorer-adventurer Diogo Veloso (who never, ever been to the Philippines since he was killed in Cambodia), there's no evidence to make the connection.  Besides, it would have been impossible for him to settle in the Philippines when Spain and Portugal are locked in a colonial rivalry as to who rules the world. Their timeline is inaccurate since there is no definite evidence that showed he even left behind a progeny in the country. Furthermore, they have lived mostly in the Parian district their entire lives despite accumulating wealth and political influence. It is likely that they only assumed that surname under the Claveria decree as specifically mentioned by American historian Michael Cullinane.

I am a descendant of Chinese mestizo Josef Salvador, a brother of Josef Isidoro (the ancestor of all prominent Veloso clan personalities). Many of their descendants intermarried with locals, Chinese mestizos, and other later Chinese immigrants. Interestingly, some of my relatives and distant relatives have retained their Chinese identities while most have "lost" it through intermarriages with non-Chinese across generations.

Interestingly, I am remotely connected to one of Jose Rizal's siblings as one of my great-great-great-grand uncles got married to his grand niece. And Rizal has deep Chinese ancestors that go back to the 12th century!

It would have been likely that they retained their Chinese surname "Chiong" to distinguish themselves from the descendants of Spanish mestizos bearing the same surname. There is also called a padrino system where Chinese immigrants assume the surname of their sponsors. The Chinese diaspora throughout Southeast Asia did not happen in the 19th century (although it was the high point of their immigration to the other lands in the region - from Thailand to Indonesia). The Chinese had already traded with people from the Philippines even before the Spanish came. So it is safe to say that there is a significant part of the Filipino gene pool that has Chinese in it.

Image result for filipino ancestry dna

Interestingly, the Chiong surname has different variations in countries where their ancestors migrated throughout Southeast Asia and beyond. There are Hakka romanizations of the surname with Zhang (traditional 張, simplified 张), Zhang (章), and Zhuang (traditional 莊, simplified 庄) while the Cantonese and Gan romanizations of the surname with Zhang (traditional 張, simplified 张) and Zhang (章). Characters may have differed even with the same surname.

Other variations included the Minnan romanization variant Zheng (traditional 鄭, simplified 郑), the Cantonese romanization variant Zhong (traditional 鍾, simplified 钟) and Zhong (崇), the Cantonese and Gan romanization variant Zhuang (traditional 莊, simplified 庄), and the McCune romanization of the Korean surname Jeong (정).

Our paper trail may have ended here as there seems to be a lack of documentary evidence as to how they even came here. Bear in mind, pre-Claveria names don't have surnames and so all trees abruptly end there for my Veloso and Duterte ancestors. DNA will hopefully give an insight as to where such Chinese roots came from. It is interesting to note that the ancestry hometown of your Chinese ancestor will have their own book that keeps track of their roots as far back as possible amidst changing dynasties.


In reference to Cullinane's research, I do think that the Chinese may have left their homeland to look for better living opportunities elsewhere brought about by the disastrous policies by the Qing overlords especially after the humiliating defeat in the 1842 Opium War. That's where paper records about their activities in Cebu got started.

Hopefully, by the end of the month, I could piece together this forgotten part of my genealogical past.

Want to know your ethnic breakdown? Get a 15% discount on your first Ancestry DNA test by visiting this link.

COMMENTS

BLOGGER: 2
  1. Your Affiliate Money Printing Machine is ready -

    Plus, making profit with it is as simple as 1..2..3!

    Here's how it works...

    STEP 1. Input into the system which affiliate products the system will push
    STEP 2. Add some PUSH button traffic (it takes JUST 2 minutes)
    STEP 3. See how the affiliate products system grow your list and sell your affiliate products for you!

    Do you want to start making money??

    The solution is right here

    ReplyDelete
  2. Superbly written article, if only all bloggers offered the same content as you, the internet would be a far better place.. bobs burgers season 9

    ReplyDelete

Name

100,1,1924 summer olympics,1,1936,1,1949,1,2012 olympics,1,2014 aff suzuki cup,1,2016 olympic basketball,2,2019 fiba world cup,2,adobo,1,adolf,1,aff suzuki cup teams,1,afghanistan,1,aguilas,1,ai art,1,al-andalus,4,alan nacorda,1,albinism,1,alcohol,1,alcoholic,1,alejo santos,1,alibata,1,altered timeline,20,alternate history,34,althistory,22,american,2,ancestry,2,ancient filipino,1,andres bonifacio,2,andres bonifacio family tree,1,andres bonifacio genealogy,1,andres novales,1,ang pasko ay sumapit,1,antonio luna,3,articles,1,artificial intelligence,1,artista,4,artistas,3,asian,1,asian games,1,asians,1,ask me,6,athletes,1,automobiles,1,azkals,8,aztecas,1,bacolod city arena,1,balangiga,1,barato sa unang panahon,1,barcelona,1,basketball,11,bayanihan,1,baybayin,1,beauty,1,bells,1,benjie paras family tree,1,berlin,1,beverage,1,biases,1,bill hoyt,1,billy ray bates,1,biopic,1,bisaya,1,black and white,2,black superman,1,bombs,1,border,1,boyfriend-girlfriend,1,brain drain,2,Brazil,1,british,1,british empire,1,brown,1,burger,1,butterfly effect,20,calvin abueva,1,calvin abueva family tree,1,calvin abueva genealogy,1,calvin sweeney,1,campaign ads,1,canonigo family,3,canonigo family history,2,canonigo family tree,4,canonigo genealogy,4,canonigo surname,2,carcar,1,cartago delenda est,1,carthage,1,carthagiensis victoriae,1,cartographic history,1,cat meat,1,catfish,1,ceboom,1,cebu,11,cebu arenas,1,cebu brt system,1,Cebu cinema,1,cebu city,9,cebu coliseum,1,cebu developments,1,cebu hauntings,2,cebu heritage,7,cebu history,32,cebu masterplan,1,cebu megadome,2,cebu mrt system,1,cebu railways,1,cebu shopping malls,3,cebu sports facilities,1,cebu stadiums,1,cebu streets,1,Cebu theaters,1,cebu tourism,1,cebuano,3,cebuano spy,1,cebuano television show,1,celebrity gossip,2,characters,1,chika minute,1,china,2,chinese,4,chinese ancestors,2,chiong veloso family,1,chismis,1,christianity,2,christmas,2,christmas carols,1,christmas in the philippines,3,chronicles,4,Civil War,2,claudio,1,coke go for goal,1,colon obelisk,1,colon street,1,colorized old photographs,3,comic book,2,comic books,1,comics,1,comparison,1,conrado tudtud,1,controversy,1,corrupt politicians,5,costliest typhoons,2,covid-19,1,cuisine,5,culinary trip,2,cultural,1,cultural cringe,1,culture,1,curse,1,dall e,1,dancing sun,1,dante guidetti,1,darna,2,darna ajaib,1,darth vader family tree,1,davao basketball arena,1,davao sports venue,1,david nepomuceno,1,deadliest firecrackers,1,deadliest typhoons,2,december,1,december 7 1941,1,delenda est,1,department stores,1,developments,1,disaster relief,1,disinformation,1,disputed islands,1,dna test,1,dongmakgol,1,drinking culture,1,dutch,1,dynamites,1,dynasty,1,eddie gil,1,election,4,election ads,2,election campaign,4,electioneering,5,elections,6,eleksyon 2016,1,eleksyon 49,1,elena jurado,1,elena jurado ancestors,1,elena jurado family tree,1,elena jurado genealogy,1,elpidio,1,emperor novales,1,enrique of malacca,1,entertainment,2,epal,2,epalism,2,exotic cuisine,1,expatriates,1,fake facebook profiles,1,fake profiles,1,family history,2,family tree,6,famous relatives,1,fashion,1,fear,1,fear factor,1,fears,1,feature,14,featured,6,fernando poe jr,1,fiba olympic qualifying tournament,2,fiba world championship,5,fiba world cup,4,fifa world cup,1,fighter wine,1,filipino,5,Filipino architecture,2,filipino celebrities,1,filipino comics,1,filipino culture,2,filipino diaspora,1,filipino films,1,filipino mall culture,1,filipino nationalism,1,filipino spanish,1,filipino-american,1,filipino-american war,7,filipino-indonesian family,1,filipinos,3,films,3,finding their roots,18,firecrackers,1,fireworks,1,first asian actor in hollywood,1,first touch soccer,2,first touch soccer kits,1,food,7,food trip,3,football,5,football history,6,football league structure,2,football legends,2,football tournament,2,foreign relations,3,foreigners,1,fpj,1,france,1,FTS kits,3,fts15,3,fts15 kits,4,future,1,gabe norwood,1,gabe norwood family tree,1,gabe norwood genealogy,1,gabriel daniel norwood,1,game shows,1,gangnam style,1,gastronomy,4,gaudencio bueno,1,genealogy,8,genie,1,genie of the lamp,1,germans,1,germany,4,gilas,1,gilas pilipinas,11,globalization,1,God Save the Queen,1,goliat,1,gomburza,1,good friday,1,good old days,1,goodbye philippines,1,gossips,3,grandfather paradox,3,Guerrillas,1,guest blogging,3,guest post,3,halalan 2016,1,hamburger,1,han,1,han solo family tree,1,Harry Turtledove,2,hawaii,1,headline,13,henry the black,1,hero,2,hero obsession,1,higugmaa ang dios,1,hilario moncado,1,hipodromo,1,hippodrome,1,hispania,4,historical films,2,historical leaders,2,history,47,history of cebuano language,1,hitler,1,holy week,1,hymns,1,identity thieves,1,imperial manila,1,import,1,independence day,1,indonesian darna,1,indonesian family history,1,indonesian family tree,1,infographics,1,inuman,1,invasion,2,iron sky,1,ispageti,1,italian,1,italians,1,jai alai building,1,jai alai in cebu,1,japan,1,japanese,4,japanese bazaars,1,jeepney,1,jersey,1,jersey number,1,jersey numbers,1,jerseys,1,jesus,1,jim olmedo alapag,1,jimmy alapag,1,jimmy alapag family tree,1,jimmy alapag genealogy,1,jorgensen,2,jose rizal,6,jose rizal family tree,3,jose rizal genealogy,3,jose rizal girlfriends,2,josephine bracken,1,julian daan,1,kahadloki ang dios,1,kalayaan,1,kansas history,1,karaang sugbu,18,karen,1,kasadya ning taknaa,1,killing adolf hitler,1,kingdom of humanity,1,kjc king dome,1,kobe paras family tree,1,komics,1,kontrabida,1,korean,4,korean war,2,koreans,3,koreans in the philippines,1,krag,2,kris,2,language,2,lapulapu,2,learning spanish,1,lebron james ancestors,1,lebron james family history,1,lebron james family tree,1,lebron james genealogy,1,lebrons real father,1,leia organa family tree,1,lito lapid,1,litratista,1,living in cebu,2,london olympics,1,london riots,1,long distance relationships,1,long lost family,4,los extranjeros,1,los tiradores de la muerte,1,lost ancestors,2,lost landmarks,8,louisiana,1,love on the internet,2,luke skywalker family tree,1,luzon lumber,1,mabolo golden era,1,machine learning,1,mactan,1,maharlika pilipinas basketball league,1,malacañang,3,malaysia,1,malditas,2,mall of asia arena,2,malls,1,mampor,1,manila,2,manila men,1,manila xi,1,maniniyot,1,mariano vestil,1,marie josephine leopoldine bracken,1,marites,1,mars ravelo,1,mass hysteria,1,massacre,1,max joseph,1,mba,1,medicinal wines,1,medieval christianity,1,megadome project,1,merdeka,1,mes que un club,1,metro cebu,5,metropolitan basketball association,1,mexicans,1,mexico,1,micronations,1,midjourney,1,military food,1,military ration,1,minda mora,1,mindanao,1,ming dynasty,1,missouri history,1,moa arena,1,money,1,Morac-Songhreti-Meads,1,moro,2,mortal kombat,1,movies,3,mtv,1,mugen philippines,1,mugen pilipinas,1,murang bilihin noon,1,muslim,2,national anthems,2,national basketball association,1,national dish,1,natural disasters,1,nazi,1,Nazi victory,2,NBA,3,negros basketball arena,1,netherlands,1,netherlands east indies,1,nev schulman,1,news misreporting,1,nightmare,1,nippon bazar,1,no hablo espanol,1,north korea,1,nuisance candidates,1,occupied Japan,1,ofw,2,old cebu,25,old documentaries,1,old films,1,old parks of cebu,1,old photographs,3,old plazas of cebu,1,Olympic Games,2,olympic gold medals,1,olympics,2,one hundred,1,online relationships,1,operation,1,overseas filipino workers,2,paduka pahala,1,pagkaing pinoy,1,pandemic,1,pangasinan,1,paputok,1,paracel,1,parallel worlds,3,paras family tree,1,paras genealogy,1,pascual racuyal,1,pasko sa sugbu,1,pasta,1,pastor apollo quiboloy,1,paul john dalistan,1,paul lee,1,paul lee family tree,1,paul lee genealogy,1,paulino alcantara,1,pba,5,pba dleague,1,PBA home away format,2,pba players,4,pbl,1,pcbl,1,pearl harbor,1,peftok,1,penitence,1,penitencial practices,1,perrelos,1,personal,2,pesos,1,Philippine architecture,2,philippine arena,3,Philippine basketball,2,philippine basketball association,8,philippine basketball team,8,philippine cinema,2,philippine election,2,philippine expeditionary force,1,philippine football team,10,philippine history,24,philippine movies,6,philippine politics,5,philippine sports stadium,1,philippine television,1,philippine-american war,4,philippines,25,philippines football league,6,philippines in the olympics,2,philippines-china relations,2,phobia,1,phobias,1,pilate,1,pinoy food,3,pinoys,1,point of divergence,11,political,4,political corruption,6,politics,6,pontius,1,pop culture,3,Portugal,1,portuguese,1,prejudices,2,presidentiables,2,presidential,2,presidential election 2016,2,presidents,4,princess,1,private,1,public transportation,1,pulutan,1,punic wars,1,quirino,1,race relations,2,racism,3,Red Legs,1,religion,1,republic of cebu,1,Republic of Koneuwe,1,rizals chinese ancestors,1,Robert Silverberg,1,robinsons galleria cebu,2,Roma Eterna,1,Roman Empire,1,rome,2,royal ancestors,1,rumors,2,russia,1,sabah,1,samahang basketbol ng pilipinas,2,scarborough shoal,2,scripts,1,sea games,1,seaside city arena,1,segunda katigbak ancestors,1,segunda katigbak descendants,1,seven years war,1,shoutout culture,1,showbiz,1,si goot da wanderpol,1,sick man of asia,1,sidekicks,1,silmido,1,sioktong,1,siomai,1,siomai sa tisa,1,siopao,1,skin color,1,skin tone,1,skin whitening,1,sm arena cebu,1,sm city cebu,1,sm malls,1,sm seaside city,4,sm seaside city arena,2,smart gilas,6,soccer,2,social commentary,2,south korea,1,southeast asian games,1,Soviet invasion of Japan,1,spaghetti,1,spain,6,spanish filipino,1,spanish flu,1,spanish in the philippines,1,spanish language,1,spanish-american war,1,speaking spanish,1,sports,4,sports uniform,1,spratly islands,2,spratly islands dispute,2,st malo,1,stable diffusion,1,star wars family tree,1,Star-Spangled Banner,1,Stephen Curry family tree,1,Stephen Curry genealogy,1,stereotypes,2,street fighter,1,street food,2,sulu sultanate,1,summer,1,superheroes,3,superheroine,1,superpowers,2,supporting actors,1,taegukgi,1,taisho bazar,1,team pilipinas,1,teban,1,telenovela,4,teleserye,4,television,4,television programs,6,television shows,6,territorial dispute,3,The Guns of the South,1,things to do,1,three wishes,1,time travel,2,tomas,1,tomas claudio,1,tourist attractions,1,tourist destinations,1,Trans-Mississippi,1,tv personalities,1,typhoon bopha,1,typhoon haiyan,1,typhoon odette,1,typhoon pablo,1,typhoon rai,1,typhoon yolanda,1,typhoons,2,uk,1,United football league,2,united kingdom,1,united states,4,urban legends,6,urduja,1,us civil war,3,usa,1,valentin santos,1,vehicles,1,vicente rubi,1,video,3,video game,4,video game characters,1,video games,6,villains,1,vino kulafu,1,voc,1,war,8,war in film,1,war movies,1,war on terror,1,warrior princess,1,watusi,1,white,1,white man's burden,1,who do you think you are,9,william grayson,1,willie revillame,1,willing willie,1,wish list,1,women,2,wonder woman,1,world basketball championship,3,world domination,1,world war 2,5,world war one,2,writings,1,written language,1,written scripts,1,ww2,2,wwi,1,wwII,2,
ltr
item
Istoryadista | History Blog | Cebu Blogger: Finding My Roots: Do I Have Chinese Ancestors?
Finding My Roots: Do I Have Chinese Ancestors?
I have been doing a family tree and genealogical research on both my father's and mother's side for over ten years. One of the reasons why I did it is to know where I came from and what made me who I am.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjQUo-sUqqfsR7lgpUjzXb6BKY8Xebgm6Jb08Vo11nMRhQSbQVv2tp21fpvIBbDiFpYTKGbc6L-mbCHBjcY8iOlODADwyo0i03SkP6T7SNGCcMq5g2D7RYJdDf6fJdWjLRuKdJL_CMDh3p/s640/chinese+filipinos.jpg
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjQUo-sUqqfsR7lgpUjzXb6BKY8Xebgm6Jb08Vo11nMRhQSbQVv2tp21fpvIBbDiFpYTKGbc6L-mbCHBjcY8iOlODADwyo0i03SkP6T7SNGCcMq5g2D7RYJdDf6fJdWjLRuKdJL_CMDh3p/s72-c/chinese+filipinos.jpg
Istoryadista | History Blog | Cebu Blogger
https://www.istoryadista.net/2020/03/finding-their-roots-do-i-have-chinese.html
https://www.istoryadista.net/
https://www.istoryadista.net/
https://www.istoryadista.net/2020/03/finding-their-roots-do-i-have-chinese.html
true
2148827822363692190
UTF-8
Loaded All Posts Not found any posts VIEW ALL Read More Reply Cancel reply Delete By Home PAGES POSTS View All RECOMMENDED FOR YOU LABEL ARCHIVE SEARCH ALL POSTS Not found any post match with your request Back Home Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat January February March April May June July August September October November December Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec just now 1 minute ago $$1$$ minutes ago 1 hour ago $$1$$ hours ago Yesterday $$1$$ days ago $$1$$ weeks ago more than 5 weeks ago Followers Follow THIS PREMIUM CONTENT IS LOCKED STEP 1: Share to a social network STEP 2: Click the link on your social network Copy All Code Select All Code All codes were copied to your clipboard Can not copy the codes / texts, please press [CTRL]+[C] (or CMD+C with Mac) to copy Table of Content