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Popular Religiosity and the Transnational Journey: Inscribing Filipino Identity in the Santo Niño Fiesta in New Zealand

2010; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 11; Issue: 3-4 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/14442213.2010.513401

1740-9314

Josefina Socorro Flores Tondo,

Socioeconomic Development in Asia

Abstract Catholic diasporic populations often carry their icons and customary modes of devotion with them. Among New Zealand's secular society, some migrant communities display their religion publicly through processions, fiestas and festivals. The present article explores the role of religion in the Filipino diaspora. I focus on the celebration of the Cebuano Santo Niño–Sinulog fiesta in New Zealand and examine how Filipino cultural forms of expression connect and mix notions of homeland, family, home, sacred domain, identity and transnational settlement. By examining the fiesta and its structure of power relationships, I explore the metaphoric interface between two homes in the diasporic consciousness and the significant role of sacred symbols in aiding and facilitating the maintenance of imagined 'Filipino' identity in a foreign land. Keywords: DiasporaPopular Devotions'Popular' And 'Official' ReligiosityFiesta Santo Patron Santo Niño Sinulog Transnational JourneyDevoteeAffect Acknowledgements The author acknowledges the support and cooperation of the Filipino communities in New Zealand with this research, especially the Santo Niño–Sinulog fiesta organisers of Auckland, Christchurch and Temuka. Thanks also to my research supervisors, Professors Martin Fuchs and Patrick McAllister, for their guidance in the research process. Special thanks also to Professor Pnina Werbner, who has been a great source of encouragement and support in the process of writing this article. This article is part of the researcher's doctoral thesis titled, 'Popular Religiosity and the Transnational Journey: Inscribing Filipino identity through the Sacred (Filipino Popular devotions and fiesta in New Zealand, Malaysia and Singapore)'. Notes 1. A devotion consisting of special prayers on 9 successive days. 2. The use of the word 'festival' means there are other activities in the celebration that are not part of the religious rituals and observances. Other popular fiestas in the Philippines are those of the Black Nazarene, Our Lady of Penafrancia, Santo Niño Ati-atihan in Kalibo and Dinagyang in Iloilo. 3. Sinulog is celebrated in at least five countries: Australia (Canberra and Sydney), Canada (Ontario), China (Macau), Switzerland (Geneva), the US (New Jersey, Florida, Pennsylvania, Illinois, California, Texas) and New Zealand (Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington, Temuka, Timaru). In Los Angeles, the Sinulog has been celebrated since 1930. In Christchurch, Filipinos have celebrated the Santo Niño–Sinulog fiesta since 2004. 4. An estimated 17,000 Filipinos reside in New Zealand. Thus, a gathering of 7000 is impressive. 5. Significant studies had been undertaken by Battistela and Paganoni (1992 Battistela , G Paganoni A . 1992 Philippine Labor Migration: Impact and Policy , Scalabrini Migration Center , Quezon City . [Google Scholar]), Bautista (2003 Bautista , M. C. R. B . 2003 'Migrant workers and their environments: Insights from the Filipino diaspora' , Conference on Philippine Migration , University of the Philippines , Quezon City [Google Scholar]), Cabilao (1992 Cabilao, M. 1992. "'Local options and life abroad'". In Remittances and Returness: The Cultural Economy of Migration in Ilocos, Edited by: Pertierra, R. 24–56. Quezon City: New Day Publishers. [Google Scholar]), Carino (1987 Cariño , B. V . 1987 'The Philippine national recording systems on international migration' , International Migration Review , 21 , 4 , 1265 69 .[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]), Escobar (1992 Escobar, M. 1992. "A rural economy and the overseas connection". 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The total Asian population increased by 50 per cent over the period 2001–6, but remains a small minority, with only 354,552 people compared with 2.6 million Europeans and more than half a million Maori (Statistics New Zealand 2007 Statistics New Zealand 2007 Permanent and Long Term Migration from the Philippines , Population Statistics Unit, Statistics New Zealand , Wellington, , New Zealand [Google Scholar]). 7. The Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC), with two million members in the Philippines, has two weekly services in Christchurch and The Seventh Day Adventists (SDA) have started a Filipino service in Bishopdale, Christchurch. 8. The rosary has three 'mysteries' prayed at different days of the week: Joyful (Mondays and Thursdays), Sorrowful (Tuesdays and Fridays) and Glorious (Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays). The Glorious mysteries were recited during the procession interspersed with Marian and devotional hymns between decades. 9. Viva is a Spanish expression for life and, when used in terms of the Santo Patron, indicates praise and joyful approval. 10. The barong is the traditional Filipino costume made of fine and transparent fibre. Previously white or cream and exclusively for men, it now comes in different colours and is worn by women as well. 11. The bamboo tree figures in indigenous accounts of creation, wherein Bathala (God), in the form of a bird, heard noises in the bamboo and pecked it until the bamboo split into two parts. From two internodes, the first woman, Maganda (beautiful), and the first man, Malakas (strong), emerged simultaneously. 12. In Catholic Sunday rites, the Proclamation of the Word consists of readings from the Old Testament, the Epistles or Catholic pastoral letters, and the Gospel. 13. offertory procession is the part of the liturgy in which the wine and bread for consecration are taken to the altar with the offerings of the congregation. 14. Consecration is the highlight of the liturgy of the Eucharist called transubstantiation in theological terms, wherein the bread and wine become the body and blood of Christ. 15. 'Kiwi' is the local slang for New Zealanders. Usage within the Filipino diaspora mostly indicates those from a European lineage, meaning White New Zealander. 16. In the Catholic Church, 'Monsignor' is a title bestowed by the highest ecclesiastical authority, either in conjunction with an office or merely titular. The celebrant holds an important office in the diocese and is a respected leader among the Auckland Diocese clergy. 17. Filipinas from which the English version 'Philippines' is derived, is neither a 'native' name nor the 'Filipino' a 'native identity'. Both were derived from 'Felipe', the name of the Spanish King (Felipe II), to indicate the annexation of the archipelago Las Islas Felipinas under the Spanish crown. The Spaniards called the natives of the islands Indios. 'Filipino' was initially used to refer to Spaniards born in the Philippine islands in contrast with the Peninsulares, those born in the Spanish peninsula. 18. Republic of Biak na Bato in 1897; Constitucion politica de Malolos in 1899; Philippine Commonwealth Constitution in 1935; New Society Constitution in 1973; and the present Republic of the Philippines Constitution enacted in 1987, also known as the Freedom Constitution.