The Philippines, a Change in Course, and the Last Years

Abstract

After his release, Charles McCarthy was assigned to the Philippines, where he found new projects working with refugees and a renewed love for China. Desiring citizenship for those Chinese born in the Philippines, McCarthy set himself to a new pursuit. In 1969, Father McCarthy proposed that the Philippine Islands Constitutional Convention adopt the jus soli citizenship provision in the new Constitution, and largely due to his tireless efforts, naturalization was granted in 1974 to those Chinese residing permanently in the Philippines. He himself became a Filipino citizen and wrote prodigiously as an outspoken advocate for the rights of Chinese diaspora in the Philippines. In his final years, McCarthy endured increasing medical hardships while still maintaining frequent correspondence with family and Jesuit confreres.