RIZAL IN AMERICA 1888
‘’I visited the cities of America, with their grandiose edifices, their electric lights, and their
great conceptions. America is, undoubtedly a great country, but she has many defects’ ’
--- JOSE RIZAL
April 28, 1888 - Rizal first saw America
- Rizal saw discriminatory treatment of the chinise and negros by the white Americans.
- He kept notes of his observations during the trip from San Francisco to New york -some
were unfavorable but true
Arrival in San Francisco
Belgic- this steamer docked at San Francisco on April 28, 1888, Saturday morning.
-The American health authorities placed the ship under quarantine, that it came from the
where a cholera epidemic was alleged to be raging.
The American consul had given the ship a clean bill of health.
The British governor of Hong Kong certified the absence of cholera cases china.
Rizal soon discovered that it was motivated by politics and the ship was carrying 643 Chinese
coolies.
After a week of quarantine , all of the passengers were allowed to land except for the second and
third-class Chinese and Japanese passengers.
Rizal in San Francisco
May 4, 1888 - the day Rizal was permitted to go ashore and register to the palace hotel which was
there a considered first class in the city.
- I lodged in palace hotel, $4 a day with bath and everything included St.312, I saw the
golden gate, on Sunday the store are closed. The best street in San Francisco is
market street’’ Rizal wrote in his diary.
Leland Standford - A senator president in California
- founder and benefactor of standford University at Palo Alto California.
Dupant street - The grand Avenue
Grover Cleveland - the president of the united state at that time
May 6, 1888 - It was Sunday 4:30 PM, Rizal left the San Francisco for Oakland by ferry boat
- Arriving at Oakland Rizal ride on a train
Sacramento- the restaurant where Rizal stopped to eat for 75 cents and slept in his coach.
May 7, 1888 - Early following morning Rizal awoke and had a good breakfast at Reno, Nevada now
glamorized by American high propaganda the biggest little city in the world.
Rizal’s diary recounts his travels observations from Nevada, Chicago until
he reach Albany as follows:
Monday, May 7. - Rizal saw an Indian attired in semi-European suit and semi idian suit leaning against
a wall.
- wide deserts without plants nor [Link]. Lonely place
- far from this deserts can be seen some blue mountains and there still snow on the
top of the mountains.
Tuesday, May 8.- Near ogden believed in the good cultivation system of the irrigation in that place
In approaching Ogden fields he saw horses, oxen, and trees and some small houses
are seen from the distance.
- from Ogden to Denver the clock is set one hour ahead of time, he also notice yellow
flowers on their way.
- The mountains at a distance are covered with snow
-The banks of Salt Lake are more beautiful than the other things he saw
- There are mountains in the middle of the lake like the island of talim in laguna de bay
- he saw three Mormon boys at Faminton
-There were sheep, cows, and horses in the meadows
- the region is not thickly populated.
- In utah, the women serve at the table.
Wendsday, May 9.- they passed through the mountains and rocks along a river, he said that the river is
noisy and its noise gives life to the lifeless territory.
- Rizal woke up at Colorado, the 5th state they crossed over.
- At 10:30 they climb up a certain height, and this is why snow, pines is seen along
the way they passed tunnels made of wood to protect the roads against the snow
and the tunnels is bright wich gave majestic effect.
- Rizal compared that Colorado has more trees than the three states they passed
[Link] the country is plain.
- they reached Omaha, a big city since he left San Francisco.
- He compared that the Missouri river is twice as wide as the Pasig river in its widest
part
- The train passed over the Missouri bridge for 2 and 1/2 minutes; the train went
slowly and there in Illinois.
Friday, May 11.- there in Chicago the country is cultivated
-they left Chicago at 8:14 Friday night he observed that every cigar store in Chicago has
an Indian figure, and always different.
Saturday, May 12. Rizal saw Niagara falls and went to the side below the falls between two rocks and
says that it was the greatest cascade he ever saw.
- he says that its not beautiful nor so fine as the falls at Las Banos.
Sunday, May 13 - they are in Albany a big city.
- The Hudson River which runs along carries many boats
- they crossed over a bridge and Rizal says the landscape is beautiful and it is not
inferior to the best in Europe
- they went along the banks of Hudson they are very beautiful although a little more
solitary those of the pasig….the Hudson is wide beautiful ships.
- their trip ended on Sunday, May 13, at 11:10 AM
May 16, 1888 - He left new york for liverpool on the board on the city of Rome the second largest city
in Rome at that time
Rizal’s Good and Bad impressions of America
Good Impression:
1. The material progress of the country as shown in the great cities, huge
farms,flourishing industries and busy factories
2. The drive and energy of the American people
3. The natural beauties of the land
4. The high standard of the living
5. The opportunities for better life offered to poor immigrants.
Bad Impressions:
One bad impression Rizal had of America was the lack of racial equality. There existed racial prejudice
which is inconsistent with the principles of democracy and free- dom which the Americans talk so
much but do not prac- tise.
Rizal was critical of America's racial inequality and prejudice, which he saw as being at odds with the country's
professed values of democracy and freedom. He observed that there was no true civil liberty, with laws preventing
intermarriage between different races and a widespread hatred against certain Asian communities. He
communicated these views to his friend, Jose Alejandrino, stating that America is a land of freedom, but only for
the whites.