Philippine Literature in Spanish: Canon Away from Canon

Why does everyone know Claro M. Recto's name in the Philippines but almost nobody has ever read his works? Following Pascale Casanova as well as some postulates by Pierre Bourdieu and Itamar Even-Zohar, the article outlines the complex linguistic reality in the Philippines at the beginning of the 20th century and traces the origins of the current literary canon of Philippine literature, as well as its contemporary position both nationally and internationally. It also discusses how markers of literary prestige were supplanted by markers of political and patriotic prestige, thereby creating a literary canon based on an author's contribution to the creation of a suitable 'Philippine national identity'.