Jose Rizal's Family History

Study Notes

Family and Early Life

Jose Protacio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda, the seventh child of Francisco Rizal Mercado and Teodora Alonso Realonda, was born on June 19, 1861, in Calamba, Laguna.
Rizal's family had mixed origins, tracing back to Fujian, China.
His maternal ancestry included Chinese, Japanese, and Tagalog roots.
In 1849, Governor-General Narciso Claveria mandated Filipinos to adopt Spanish surnames, resulting in the family name "Mercado" being adopted.
The name "Rizal" wasn't found in official records, only the surname "Risal."
Rizal's mother, Teodora, was falsely accused of poisoning her sister-in-law and imprisoned for two years without a trial.
This incident led the family to use the surname "Rizal" to avoid association with Fr. Burgos, who had a connection with Rizal's brother, Paciano.
The execution of the Gomburza (Fr. Mariano Gomez, Fr. Jacinto Zamora, and Fr. Jose Burgos) in 1872 due to false accusations of leading the Cavite Mutiny deeply affected Rizal.
The Gomburza were advocating for reform for secular clergy, demanding equal rights for Filipino and Spanish priests.
Rizal's ancestral history includes Chinese descent, with his grandfather, Domingo Lam-co, being a Chinese immigrant merchant.
The legal status of Filipinos during the Spanish colonial period was linked to cultural identity, categorized as Chinese, mestizo, or Indio.
The status was determined by parentage, specifically the father's.
Through marriage, native women or mestizas could potentially change their status.
Rizal was considered a fourth-generation Chinese mestizo due to his ancestral lineage.
The family's acquired prestige, wealth, and status enabled them to classify themselves as Indios, making Don Francisco Mercado and Jose Rizal Indios.
The Galleon Trade's end in 1815 brought economic growth to the Philippines, benefiting Indios along with Western, British, and American merchants.
The opening of Manila to foreign trade in the mid-1830s increased demand for Philippine sugar and abaca, further contributing to economic prosperity.