Puerto Rico Essay, Research Paper

In the late 19th century, Spain monopolized and colonized many countries including Puerto Rico, Hawaii and the Philippines among others.

In the same era, the native Philippinos under the guidance of their leader Aguilenaldo fought the Spanish with the help of the United States to win the War for their Independence. Stanley Karnow author and producer of the film, In Our Image portrayed the United States as expansionists through globalization. Karnow, an anit-impearlist, believed that the United States, which was once itself a colony should not empower and manipulate other people the way our forefathers, did.

Captain Dewey and Alfred Mahan helped the United States to acquire foreign territory for the first time. After winning the war, Captain Mahan promoted Americans into Strategic thinking. His exposure of the war in the Philippines influenced him to write a book. His book, The Influence of Sea Power on History , gave guidance to president Roosevelt, the British, German and Japanese navies. The American government in its effort to have foreign domination and control disregarded one of the basic laws of the constitution, which specified that all men were created equally. The native Philippinos were thought of as inferior human beings by the imperialists of the Unites States who believed that it was their destiny to bring civilization to the ignorant races. The United States belief off Manifest Destiny was evident on the massacre of the indigenous people of the Philippines in 1901. The natives fought brilliantly for their independence, but lost the war to the United States that later colonized them.

The Philippines under the control of the United States was made a colony thereby excluding the natives from decision-making about their country and also deliberately deprived them of their independence. The native Philippinos became the children of the United States. The U.S colonizers whom controlled the island changed the Philippinos language from Spanish to English. The natives learnt facts about the United States and nothing about their native country. The Philippinos culture slowly was deleted and was replaced by American songs, music and movies among other entertainments.

The interventions of the United States in the Philippines were the same as those of Puerto Rico and Hawaii. The Americans entered Hawaii and the Kanaka; Moali people were stripped of their land religion and culture. The United States colonizers created an American education system, which was to educate the natives. The natives were deprived of their independence, which was done internationally to exclude them from the Plebiscite. According to professor Morin, the United States government used the island of Hawaii for the opening of Asian markets. These markets would enable the United States to move its goods rapidly and also help them to establish military bases. Puerto Rico was seen as a strong hold for United States economic interests in Latin America. The economy of the Hawaiians depended largely on sugar plantations, as was the case of the Philippines and the same as Puerto Rico.

In order to justify their behavior the American Government claimed they had to protect the United States sugar interests. On this account the Philippinos were promised independence by President Teddy Roosevelt within ten years. In 1947 they were granted independence, but in spite of their independence, the Philippine government is secretly controlled by the United States as in Puerto Rico.

For Karnow, Manifest Destiny played a significant role in the colonization of the Philippines. The film In Our Image is a perfect example of American globalization. The Philippinos will always remember the involvement of the United States in their country that took the lives of many innocent people and the enforcement of the American culture upon them.