When studying the 19th century in homeschool we covered a long list of “isms.” Socialism, liberalism, conservatism, romanticism, realism, nationalism and more. One of the most dominant and important was the height of European imperialism.
The US is usually considered a side story in all of this expansion. We benefited from expanding global trade and had a few moments like an understated role in the Opium Wars or the more overt forced opening of Japan when Commodore Mathew Perry sailed into Tokyo bay in 1854.
Generally the United States is not considered to be a traditional imperial power. Immerwahr’s book provided some fascinating insights and expanded the picture of just how America’s untraditional and somewhat covert approach to imperialism created some pretty significant imperial influence.
To consider that for nearly 50 years the Philippines and all of its people were US citizens is not a part of my mental model. Technically I knew this, but seeing how this played out and what it really looked like is fascinating. Tracking the changes that led to statehood for Alaska and Hawaii was insightful. There is a lot of island hopping around the Caribbean and Pacific as well where the US built significant and lasting influence.
Immerwahr is a great storyteller. Two anecdotes in particular stuck in my mind:
I usually attach some sort of development, event or other achievement to most US presidents, especially in the 20th century. Hoover leaves me stumped. I can try to pin the Great Depression on him but that seems a bit unfair. Immerwahr to the rescue! In an age of industrial growth and mass production he implemented sweeping standards in shape, size, etc… to limit waste and increase efficiency. From automobile tires to baby bottle nipples. Can you imagine how hard it would be to find a replacement bolt and nut if they did come in standard sizes with standard angles and width for threads. These standards spread and stuck well beyond the shores of the United States. Hidden imperialism.
The second anecdote, “The International Dog-Shoe-Face Incident” was a strong signal early in America’s occupation of the Philippines that things were not going to be easy. There was some calm in the showdown storm between McKinley and Aguinaldo, both claiming sovereignty of the Philippines after the departure of Spain. US troops awaited orders in Manilla while Filipino troops surrounded in the suburbs. Among these tensions “a Chinese man tried to kick a Spaniard’s dog, but his wooden shoe flew off his foot and struck a Filipino in the face….in Manilla, a city on the edge, it was spark on dry tinder.” It led to panic, fighting and tensions all around the city that erupted into full conflict within weeks when a tense meeting between an American soldier and a small group of Filipino soldiers turned to shouting, shooting and then a full on war.
The book raises some uncomfortable questions about America’s legacy around the world and what American empire is today. It’s easy to consider troops in South Korea, Germany, Japan etc.. Or to think about uncomfortable American alliances with oil rich kingdoms in the middle east. But how much is my own livelihood of international school work a beneficiary of American conquest and influence? How can I be sure that I’m representing shared human and international interests in global education and not just continuing American imperialism in a school setting that looks a lot more like an American high school than a school anywhere else?
I’ll take some comfort in heading to a Canadian international school next. But in any case, I think the veil of secrecy will continue to fall from the face of hidden American imperialism in the years to come and it will be good for us all.