Filipino Mestizos

In the Philippines, Filipino Mestizo (Spanish: mestizo (masculine) / mestiza (feminine); Filipino/Tagalog: Mestiso (masculine) / Mestisa (feminine)), or colloquially Tisoy, is a name referring to people of mixed nativeFilipino and any foreign ancestry. The word mestizo itself is of Spanish origin. It was first used in the Americas to describe people of mixed Amerindian and European ancestry. Currently and historically, the Chinese mestizos were and are the most populous subgroup among the Filipino mestizos; they have been historically very influential in the creation of Filipino nationalism. Spanish mestizos also historically and currently exist as a smaller population, but remain a significant minority among Filipino mestizos which historically enjoyed prestigious status in Philippine society during the time of Spanish colonialism.