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Clemencia López y Castelo (November 23, 1872 – June 4, 1963) was a Filipina activist involved in the movement for
Philippine independence The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
. López was born into a wealthy Filipino family, and many of her siblings were also notable activists in the struggle for Philippine independence. In 1901, López set out on a nearly two-year journey across the United States, petitioning for the freedom of three of her brothers who had been imprisoned by the American military in the Philippines. Throughout her stay in the United States, López drew attention to the Philippine independence movement, became the first Filipina to ever enter the
White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest (Washington, D.C.), NW in Washington, D.C., it has served as the residence of every U.S. president ...
, and spent time studying at
Wellesley College Wellesley College is a Private university, private Women's colleges in the United States, historically women's Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Wellesley, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1870 by Henr ...
. López returned to the Philippines in 1903 where she spent the remainder of her life campaigning for both Philippine independence and encouraging women to take on a greater role in public life.


Early life

Clemencia López was born in 1872 in
Balayan Balayan, officially the Municipality of Balayan (), is a municipality of the Philippines, municipality in the Philippine Province, province of Batangas, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 95,913 people. The town ...
, Batangas province, in the
Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
, to Natalio López and Maria Castelo. Her father Natalio, who died in 1886, was a businessman who had a history of publicly criticizing Spanish colonial rule. Natalio's pro-independence stance would be reflected in the positions many of his children later adopted.Prieto, pp. 203–204. López was one of ten children. She had six brothers – Mariano, Lorenzo, Sixto, Cipriano, Manuel, and José – and three sisters – Andrea, Juliana, and Maria. Several of the López children became pro-independence activists, notably Sixto López. In her early life, López mainly assisted her mother and sisters in domestic affairs, with little to no public role or prominence in the
public sphere The public sphere () is an area in social relation, social life where individuals can come together to freely discuss and identify societal problems, and through that discussion, Social influence, influence political action. A "Public" is "of or c ...
in the Philippines. Clemencia herself never earned a university degree.Prieto, p. 200. Unlike some of her more activist brothers, López did not overtly adopt an
anti-imperialist Anti-imperialism in political science and international relations is opposition to imperialism or neocolonialism. Anti-imperialist sentiment typically manifests as a political principle in independence struggles against intervention or influenc ...
, pro-independence stance as the United States, which took over the Philippines in 1898 following the Spanish-American War, became increasingly imperialistic. At the time,
Filipino nationalism Filipino nationalism refers to the establishment and support of a political identity associated with the modern nation-state of the Philippines, leading to a wide-ranging campaign for political, social, and economic freedom in the Philippines. ...
was both male-dominated and sexist. Prominent male Filipino nationalists, such as
José Rizal José Protasio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda (, ; June 19, 1861 – December 30, 1896) was a Filipino nationalist, writer and polymath active at the end of the Spanish colonial period of the Philippines. He is popularly considered a na ...
, did not view Filipino women as equal citizens or partners in the political struggle for freedom.


Journey to the United States and activism


Journey

The López family experienced firsthand the impact of American imperialism in the Philippines. Several of the López brothers were involved in some form with the Philippine revolutionary movement against the American presence in the Philippines, led by
Emilio Aguinaldo Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy (: March 22, 1869February 6, 1964) was a Filipino revolutionary, statesman, and military leader who became the first List of presidents of the Philippines, president of the Philippines (1899–1901), and the first pre ...
. Both Sixto and Cipriano López served in the so-called Aguinaldo Army. Sixto, a loud advocate of Filipino independence, was inspired by the writings of José Rizal, and he himself also wrote and distributed anti-American imperialism literature. By 1901, as American hostility increased, he had retreated to a voluntary exile in Hong Kong. On 13 December 1901, three of the López brothers – Lorenzo, Cipriano, and Manuel – were arrested by American General
J. Franklin Bell James Franklin Bell (January 9, 1856 – January 8, 1919) was an officer in the United States Army who served as Chief of Staff of the United States Army from 1906 to 1910. Bell was a Major general (United States), major general in the Regular ...
for their suspected role in the Philippine insurgency against the Americans.Cullinane, p. 135. The free members of the López family made several entreaties to American authorities in
Manila Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the Capital of the Philippines, capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City, with a population of 1,846,513 people in 2020. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on ...
for the freedom of the three imprisoned López brothers but were rejected. The López family believed the imprisonment of the brothers was unjust, especially as none of them were ever officially charged with a crime or brought to trial. Clemencia López, then 26 years old, resolved to travel to the United States herself to plea for her brothers’ freedom in person to the American President. López first visited her brother Sixto in Hong Kong for two weeks, and then set out for the United States in an unprecedented international voyage for a young Filipino woman.


Mission in the United States

In 1901, López arrived in the United States with the sponsorship of Fiske Warren, executive of the American Anti-Imperialist League (AIL).Murphy, p. 245. The AIL was mainly focused on opposing American involvement and imperialism in the Philippines and rallying citizens for Filipino independence. In the United States, López stayed with Fiske's sister, Cornelia Lyman Warren, who was an activist herself working for the
settlement movement The settlement movement was a reformist social movement that began in the 1880s and peaked around the 1920s in the United Kingdom and the United States. Its goal was to bring the rich and the poor of society together in both physical proximity an ...
. López's close connection to the Warren family allowed her to build an anti-imperialist network in the United States, especially with like-minded women who were eager to bring reforms to society. López would end up spending approximately nineteen months in the United States. While López's mission to free her brothers ultimately failed, she did briefly meet President Theodore Roosevelt in March 1902, purportedly making her the first Filipina to ever enter the White House. However, despite this visit, the President rejected Clemencia's
petition A petition is a request to do something, most commonly addressed to a government official or public entity. Petitions to a deity are a form of prayer called supplication. In the colloquial sense, a petition is a document addressed to an officia ...
to free her brothers. On 23 April 1902 George B. Cortelyou, President Roosevelt's
secretary A secretary, administrative assistant, executive assistant, personal secretary, or other similar titles is an individual whose work consists of supporting management, including executives, using a variety of project management, program evalu ...
, wrote to López that, regarding the imprisonment of her brothers, "there appears to be a consensus of opinion that no injustice was done". As it was, the López brothers were freed a few weeks later due to an unrelated
United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...
decision that guerilla fighters in the Philippines were no longer a significant threat. During López's stay in the United States, the country also began a series of congressional hearings on American presence in the Philippines. No Filipino, including López, was asked to appear before the Senate committee. According to historian Laura Prieto, López's mission in the United States became twofold, extending beyond the petition to free her brothers. During López's journey through the United States, she gained recognition for her anti-imperialist and pro-independence activism for the Philippines. López, as a representative of Filipinos in the United States, debunked
racist Racism is the belief that groups of humans possess different behavioral traits corresponding to inherited attributes and can be divided based on the superiority of one Race (human categorization), race or ethnicity over another. It may also me ...
and
sexist Sexism is prejudice or discrimination based on one's sex or gender. Sexism can affect anyone, but primarily affects women and girls. It has been linked to gender roles and stereotypes, and may include the belief that one sex or gender is int ...
American
stereotype In social psychology, a stereotype is a generalization, generalized belief about a particular category of people. It is an expectation that people might have about every person of a particular group. The type of expectation can vary; it can ...
s of Filipinos as savages and uncivilized. She challenged the American doctrine of " benevolent assimilation," a key contemporary American justification for the occupation of the Philippines which emphasized the American civilising mission.Prieto, p. 226. Indeed, López denounced American imperialism for exacerbating
gender inequality Gender inequality is the social phenomenon in which people are not treated equally on the basis of gender. This inequality can be caused by gender discrimination or sexism. The treatment may arise from distinctions regarding biology, psychology ...
and restricting civilian freedoms. She insisted that the United States’ imperialist policies were not contributing to the uplifting of the Philippines but rather were detrimental to her country. López, through the public image she conveyed, acted as living proof that Filipinos were civilized enough for self-government.Murphy, p. 261. In American newspapers, Clemencia López was described for her poise, intelligence, and beauty. López's Maria Clara style of dress and presentation was inherently part of López's anti-imperialist mission across the United States: Clemencia appeared in traditional Filipino “native costume” in front of
reporters A journalist is a person who gathers information in the form of text, audio or pictures, processes it into a newsworthy form and disseminates it to the public. This is called journalism. Roles Journalists can work in broadcast, print, adverti ...
, rejecting
Americanization Americanization or Americanisation (see spelling differences) is the influence of the American culture and economy on other countries outside the United States, including their media, cuisine, business practices, popular culture, technology ...
while simultaneously asserting Filipino independence.. López herself publicly argued that Filipinos “were already civilized” before the Spanish had even arrived in the sixteenth century, confusing American audiences and their preconceived notions of Filipino civilization.


Speech to the New England Woman Association

As a young woman, López was more effective at reaching audiences who, if she had been older or male, likely would have perceived her as a threat. While her brothers were considered enemies of the American state, López managed to claim a public role for Filipino women in the United States. López is most widely recognized for her speech on 29 May 1902 to the New England Woman Suffrage Association at the Park Street Church in Boston. In front of an audience of three hundred, many of whom had never seen a Filipino in their lives, López, speaking in Spanish, said:
You can do much to bring about the cessation of these horrors and cruelties which are today taking place in the Philippines, and to insist upon a more human course. . . you ought to understand that we are only contending for the liberty of our country, just as you once fought for the same liberty for yours...
López also denounced American imperialism for exacerbating gender inequality in the Philippines, openly rejected American conceptions of "benevolent assimilation", and discussed the ongoing "horrors and cruelties" occurring in the Philippines under American rule. López encouraged American
suffragist Suffrage, political franchise, or simply franchise is the right to vote in public, political elections and referendums (although the term is sometimes used for any right to vote). In some languages, and occasionally in English, the right to vo ...
women to use their political weight to participate in and influence any American investigation into the situation in the Philippines. López's speech was translated into English in the ''
Woman's Journal ''Woman's Journal'' was an American women's rights periodical published from 1870 to 1931. It was founded in 1870 in Boston, Massachusetts, by Lucy Stone and her husband Henry Browne Blackwell as a weekly newspaper. In 1917 it was purchased by ...
'' in what became her most prominent public event. The speech was reprinted in some American newspapers, and resulted in interviews with the ''
Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe,'' also known locally as ''the Globe'', is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes. ''The Boston Globe'' is the oldest and largest daily new ...
'' and '' St. Paul Globe'', enhancing López's public profile and broadening her audience.


Wellesley College and departure

During her stay in the United States Clemencia also enrolled at
Wellesley College Wellesley College is a Private university, private Women's colleges in the United States, historically women's Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Wellesley, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1870 by Henr ...
, an institution known for welcoming students from diverse backgrounds. It was here at Wellesley, as well as with her primary host, Cornelia Warren, that Clemencia would spend the majority of her time in the United States.Prieto, p. 229. The opportunity to study at Wellesley was particularly rare for López as university was still not available to Filipinas back at home. While López did not earn a university degree, she did benefit from access to notable scholars, including economist and historian Katharine Coman, as well as opportunities to improve her English language skills, which allowed her to better communicate with American audiences. In the Fall of 1903, López finally returned to the Philippines. One hundred people gathered to say farewell to López in 1903, including Moorfield Storey, George Boutwell, and William Lloyd Garrison Jr.


Later life and legacy


Later life

Little is known about López's later life in the Philippines. In 1905, she was a founder of the Asociación Feminista Filipina (AFF), the first women's rights organization in the Philippines. The AFF encouraged women's role in public life and encouraged women to participate in
nation-building Nation-building is constructing or structuring a national identity using the power of the state. Nation-building aims at the unification of the people within the state so that it remains politically stable and viable. According to Harris Mylonas, ...
in the Philippines. For the remainder of her life, López continued campaigning for the complete independence of the Philippines (achieved in 1946), and campaigned for women's equality until her death in 1963.


Legacy

López's actions throughout her life challenged racist and sexist stereotypes prevalent in the early twentieth century United States. As a feminist, López also countered American notions of Filipino women as subjugated and submissive. López is remarkable for, as a woman from a colonized territory, entering the public sphere and rejecting American imperialist policies and ideas on American soil. When López left the United States in 1903, American speakers such as suffragist Fanny Ames and Professor Katharine Coman praised López for her representation of the Philippines. Despite these contributions, López's journey and public prominence did not directly lead to Philippine independence, nor did it immediately change American
public opinion Public opinion, or popular opinion, is the collective opinion on a specific topic or voting intention relevant to society. It is the people's views on matters affecting them. In the 21st century, public opinion is widely thought to be heavily ...
towards Filipinos more broadly. Some white American feminists, who argued for the existence of the white women's burden, continued to view Filipino women as subjugated and helpless, regardless of López's refutations.


Recognition

Clemencia López and her family have recently started receiving more recognition in the United States and in the Philippines. On 15 June 2013, in honor of the centennial of the end of the Philippine American War, the City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program unveiled "Alab ng Puso: My Heart's Sole Burning Fire", the first Filipino mural in the East Coast of the United States. Clemencia Lopez was depicted as one of the three largest portraits painted at the central part of the 22' x 60' mural honoring her as one of the three "Mothers of History". Just the previous year, her story was extensively chronicled in the first book documenting the local history of Filipinos in Philadelphia, titled "Filipinos of Greater Philadelphia" since her brother, Sixto Lopez resided in Philadelphia while campaigning for the US recognition of
Philippine Independence The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
. In 2018, the Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs unveiled ten
portrait A portrait is a painting, photograph, sculpture, or other artistic representation of a person, in which the face is always predominant. In arts, a portrait may be represented as half body and even full body. If the subject in full body better r ...
s of prominent Filipinos in history, including Clemencia López. The portraits were organized by Project Saysay, a Filipino
advocacy group Advocacy groups, also known as lobby groups, interest groups, special interest groups, pressure groups, or public associations, use various forms of advocacy or lobbying to influence public opinion and ultimately public policy. They play an impor ...
which seeks to shed light on great Filipinos in history. Prints of the portraits were featured in various Philippine embassies around the world, including at the Philippine Consulate General in New York in September 2018. The López family home in Balayan is preserved in recognition of the López family. In 1997, the
National Historical Commission of the Philippines The National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP; ) is a government agency of the Philippines. Its mission is "the promotion of Philippine history and cultural heritage through research, dissemination, conservation, sites management ...
(NHCP) placed a marker at the home recognizing Sixto López, and in 2013 the NHCP installed another marker recognizing Clemencia López for her patriotism.


Gallery


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lopez, Clemencia 1872 births 1963 deaths Filipino activists Filipino women activists Women human rights activists Filipino human rights activists Filipino expatriates in the United States Filipino nationalists People from Batangas People from the Spanish colonial Philippines Tagalog people Wellesley College alumni