In 1893, the Spanish-American War and the Philippine-American War led to the Philippines becoming a colony of the United States. The United States wanted the Philippines as a colony because they wanted to profit from the benefits of colonialism. However, they did not foresee that due to colonization Filipinos would immigrate to the United States and cause labor organizations to rally and call for Filipino exclusion and decolonization. Furthermore, Mae Ngai explains how due to this colonization, the impression of Filipinos were changed and shaped by the United States. They were seen as an inferior race that were backwards and uncivilized just like other Asian groups that immigrated to the United States. In “From Colonial Subject to Undesirable
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Exclusionists were mainly labor organizations who believed the Filipino’s willingness to work for cheap wages was harming white society. Therefore, as Mae Ngai states that “the exclusionists were not, of course, motivated by a desire for freedom for the Philippines; rather, they sought to free the United States of the Philippines and, with it, the Filipino problem.” Many people in the United States did not want Filipinos coming to America. However, Filipinos were difficult to exclude because of their status as nationals, so exclusionists felt that it was necessary to work with Filipinos who sought freedom from colonial rule. The Filipino were seen as a problem because they were a threat to white society. They were seen as stealing jobs from white workers and when the depression came, people began to blame the Filipinos for the economic downturn. Therefore, the cries of exclusion began to be louder, and Philippine independence became a priority. However, Filipino independence still had many benefits for a nation that wanted them gone. The Tydings-McDuffie Act allowed for Filipino exclusion, but Americans could travel freely to the Philippines with right of Filipino citizens. Therefore, even with independence the Filipinos were still seen as an inferior race. After colonialization and immigration of Filipinos into America, legislation was …show more content…
However, due to colonization Filipinos “were Christians; they went to American schools and spoke English; they wore Western-style clothes; they were familiar with American popular culture.” When the United States colonized the Philippines, they changed their culture. The Filipino schools began to teach English, and they learned American ways. Due to colonization, the Filipino culture was transformed into an American culture, and immigrants who came to America were already assimilated. However, this did not stop white Americans from branding them as unassimilable. Because of benevolent assimilation, they were seen as uncivilized and backwards, just as the Chinese and Japanese were, and they were labeled as unassimilable. This also contributed to the cries of exclusion and Philippine
Exclusionists were mainly labor organizations who believed the Filipino’s willingness to work for cheap wages was harming white society. Therefore, as Mae Ngai states that “the exclusionists were not, of course, motivated by a desire for freedom for the Philippines; rather, they sought to free the United States of the Philippines and, with it, the Filipino problem.” Many people in the United States did not want Filipinos coming to America. However, Filipinos were difficult to exclude because of their status as nationals, so exclusionists felt that it was necessary to work with Filipinos who sought freedom from colonial rule. The Filipino were seen as a problem because they were a threat to white society. They were seen as stealing jobs from white workers and when the depression came, people began to blame the Filipinos for the economic downturn. Therefore, the cries of exclusion began to be louder, and Philippine independence became a priority. However, Filipino independence still had many benefits for a nation that wanted them gone. The Tydings-McDuffie Act allowed for Filipino exclusion, but Americans could travel freely to the Philippines with right of Filipino citizens. Therefore, even with independence the Filipinos were still seen as an inferior race. After colonialization and immigration of Filipinos into America, legislation was …show more content…
However, due to colonization Filipinos “were Christians; they went to American schools and spoke English; they wore Western-style clothes; they were familiar with American popular culture.” When the United States colonized the Philippines, they changed their culture. The Filipino schools began to teach English, and they learned American ways. Due to colonization, the Filipino culture was transformed into an American culture, and immigrants who came to America were already assimilated. However, this did not stop white Americans from branding them as unassimilable. Because of benevolent assimilation, they were seen as uncivilized and backwards, just as the Chinese and Japanese were, and they were labeled as unassimilable. This also contributed to the cries of exclusion and Philippine