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Juan dela Cruz statuette
Juan dela Cruz is the national personification used in the Philippines to represent the "Filipino". The name, Spanish for "John of the Cross", is roughly the equivalent of the American Uncle Sam and John Doe. Juan dela Cruz is usually depicted wearing the native Salakot hat, Barong Tagalog, long pants, and slippers (called Tsinelas in Filipino). The term Juan dela Cruz (sometimes shortened to "Juan") is also used when referring to the collective Filipino psyche.
The term was coined by Robert McCulloch Dick, a Scottish-born journalist working as a court reporter for the Manila Times in the early 1900s, after discovering it was the most common name in blotters.[1]
Activists often portray Juan dela Cruz as a victim of American imperialism, especially since most editorial cartoons of the American era often depicted Juan dela Cruz along with Uncle Sam. In modern times he is also portrayed in other caricatures as a commentary for Philippine government/ social issues in the viewpoint of the common Filipino.
[edit] See also
- Juan Tamad, or Lazy John — another character common in Filipino culture
[edit] References
