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| Filipinos were excluded from the Treaty of Paris that which Spain ceded the Philippines to he US. |
Filipino American history did not begin well 125 years ago. It began with an act of betrayal.
The significance of 1898 is the theme of this year's Filipino American History Month. That year the US and Spain schemed behind the Philippines began with an act of betrayal and blatant racism by excluding the Filipinos in the signing of the Treaty of Paris.
Careful not to use the words "celebrate" or "commemorate, in their statement, the FANHS, recognizes that "this history was integral to our trajectories as Filipino Americans, and we encourage critical thinking about the impact of 1898 specifically, and American colonialism generally, in our lives," as Filipino Americans.
For a measly $20 million, the agreement between Spain and the United States ended the Spanish American War and led to the US annexation of the Philippines as part of the American empire along with Puerto Rico and Guam. Cuba was also granted independence from Spain.
The year 1898 also marks an important year in Philippine history. After centuries of Filipinos fighting against Spanish colonizers – with the most successful uprising being the Philippine Revolution (1896-1898) – the people of the Philippines declared their independence on June 12, 1898.
Filipinos were militariily successful against Spanish forces and were on the verge of capturing Manila, the last Spanish stronghold, when the US declared war against Spain. The Spanish colonial government preferred to surrender to the American naval forces that had just decimated the Spanish fleet in Manila Bay. To accomplish this, the US an Spain stagd a mock battle in which Spain was "defeated" by US Marines, even as Filipino revolutionaries were kept on the sidelines outside the city.
However, both Spain and the US ignored the Filipinos' declaration of independence and signed the Treaty of Paris on December 10, 1898 – without including any representation from the Philippines in the negotiation. In fact, Filipino diplomat Felipe Agoncillo traveled to Paris but was not allowed into the negotiating room.
Because the Treaty of Paris meant transferring control of the archipelago from one colonial power to another – completely ignoring the efforts of the Philippine Revolution – Philippine insurrectionists continued to fight the US, unsuccessfully, in what would later be referred to as the Philippine American War. This uprising is historically documented as transpiring from 1899-1902, though regional efforts (like the Battle of Bud Bagsak) endured until 1913. The Philippines did not become a fully independent nation until the end of World War II in 1946.
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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS American media actively encouraged American imperialism as an act of "benvolenct assimilation" as this cartoon from "Puck" Magazine depicted. |
US President William McKinley justified the colonization of the Philippines as an exercise in “benevolent assimilation” – or the notion that the nation was in need of civilization and that it was the American government’s responsibility to colonize its people. William Taft (who served as Governor-General of the Philippines from 1901-1904 and later as President of the U.S. from 1909-1913) referred to the Philippines as their “little brown brothers”, and American propaganda portrayed the Philippines and other colonized nations as children in need of being saved.
Birth of Filipino America
As a result of the Treaty of Paris, Filipino people gained access to the US during an era when other Asian countries were prohibited from doing so, said FANHS in a statement.
First, while federal immigration laws severely restricted the immigration of people from Asian countries from 1882 to 1965, Filipino migrants were considered US Nationals – allowing them to migrate to the US (and its territories) without restrictions. This made them an attractive (and cheap) labor force to American agricultural corporations in Hawai’i and the west coast of the United States.
Second, the Pensionado Act of 1903 also allowed for many pensionados (or Filipino students) to attend prestigious American universities between 1903 and 1943; while many students returned to the Philippines to apply their degrees in the new infrastructures created by the US government, some pensionados settled in the US.
Third, American curricula and educational systems were introduced to the Philippines, resulting in English proficiency among its citizens and the recruitment of Filipino nurses, teachers, and other professionals to the US. Finally,
Additionally, Filipinos were also encouraged to enlist in the US military – especially the US Navy – creating pathways to citizenship for thousands of Filipino families.
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How to mark 1898
Focusing on this year's theme on the significance of 1898 in Philippine and US history, FAHNS suggests possible activities to consider for Filipino American History Month:Engage in “Filipina/x/o American imaginations” regarding 1898. Speculate what life would be like if US colonialism never occurred in the Philippines, in Hawai`i, and in the United States. Would your family have migrated to the US? What would the Philippines be like without this history? What would the Filipino American community be like today without this history?
Conduct and share oral histories that highlight how 1898 affected people’s life trajectories. For instance, how did immigrants make the decision to come to the US and how might their motives have been influenced by American colonialism and capitalism? How were specific regions influenced differently by 1898?
Have a critical discussion of what the Philippines and Filipinos have gained and lost since 1898. Given the American influence on the Philippine government, education system, language, business practices, military, food, sports, visual arts, performing arts, and others, were there any benefits of benevolent assimilation?
Curate panels that analyze how other ethnic groups (e.g., Puerto Ricans, Cubans, Chamorros, Native Hawaiians) were affected by 1898. Critically discuss the similarities and differences between the historical influences and ramifications on the groups.
Read and analyze the text of the 1898 Treaty of Paris, as well as President McKinley’s Benevolent Assimilation proclamation. Describe how these documents influenced the American government – particularly related to systemic racism and other foreign policies.
Host screenings of Nurse Unseen, Delano Manongs, Lingua Franca, or other films that depict the diverse reasons for migration from the Philippines, and how American colonialism influenced these motivations.
Watch Here Lies Love on Broadway (the first Broadway show with an all-Filipino cast) or other media depicting anti-martial law movements. Discuss how American colonialism influenced political corruption in the Philippines and beyond.
With the recent public threats to ban Ethnic Studies and to challenge Critical Race Theory, the month could be used to advocate for more accurate inclusion of Philippine and Filipino American history into higher education and K-12 schools. Both educators and students can question why Philippine-American relations are often erased when they are so integral to US History. Relatedly, advocates can reflect on ways to advocate for an increased formalized Filipino American curriculum. For example, the state of Hawai’i and the city of Seattle have recently passed legislation that includes Filipino American Studies classes as required courses in high schools. Perhaps other cities and states can follow suit as a way to promote and preserve Filipino American history.
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