“Throughout
Southeast Asia the impact of colonial rule after c.1800 was fundamentally the
same, and so were the responses to it. In each country the local people
suffered discrimination and exploitation, and in each place they rose up as one
nation to throw off Western rulers.”
Western colonial rule among the countries of
Southeast Asia after the 18th century resulted in a wave of
nationalism that swept the region, developing the different nations to help
shape their own national identities. This rigid dichotomy between
colonialism and nationalism is the highlighted theme of this essay, and it is
in this framework that this essay will help analyze the Philippines and its
nationalistic response to colonial regimes after the 18th century. The
two powerful colonial regimes that the Filipinos urged freedom from were of
early Spanish rule and later of U.S colonial rule. Albeit, these two
colonial powers had different motives for colonizing Filipino territory, the
exploitation and discrimination faced by that of the Filipino people helped to
bring about a new sense of national consciousness and ultimately, a new national
identity. After reading an old university book on Southeast Asian history,
assigned by one of my professors I wanted to jot down some ideas that I thought
could give me a more concrete foundation to really understand this specific
region's early history. I argue that the rise of Filipino nationalism was due
to Western expansion and started with the new ideologies that came with this
expansion. I also argue that Filipino resistance emerged not solely to
oppose the exploitation and discrimination, but as a sign of rejection toward
new Western capital, immigration policy, technology, and etc. that
disrupted their rural economy and way of life. The relationship between
colonialism and nationalism, the oppressors and the oppressed, and the haves
and the have-nots is one that the people of the Philippines have been a part of
for centuries, and the rich culture that has emerged is a direct result.
To begin this discussion, one must understand
the term nationalism which is loosely described by D.R. SarDesai
as being “fostered by common characteristics such as language, territory,
religion, race and heritage... [and] engendered by literature, arts, and
institutions.” As different interpretations of the term nationalism are
used, this definition helps in better understanding Filipino nationalism within
this era. Early Spanish rule was easily attainable because early
Filipino barangay, or boat communities, lacked a
common language and a strong historical tradition. They were also easily
influenced as a result of “[Spanish] friars constantly telling them how
intellectually inferior they were…” The Spanish were considered to be the
global powerhouse at the time, which made it that much easier to prove
dominance and dominion over Southeast Asian regions. But by the late 19th century,
as nationalism would flourish in the Philippines, Western influences would
bring about new knowledge, ideologies, and educational institutions that would
result in creating a national consciousness.
New ideas and schools of thought were shared
in the mid-1800's when free trade policies were enacted by the Spanish ruling
in the Philippines. As the Philippines began to open ports, interact with
Western powers, and exchange for Western capital, the economy of the
Philippines would change, resulting in a rising liberal elite class that sought
higher education overseas. As the Spanish would exploit Filipino resources
in order to attain riches from global trade, large numbers of Filipino youth
would begin to experience the freedoms from lands overseas. This
influential generation of youth would ultimately be at the forefront of
nationalism against the colonial rule of the Spanish, just as Jose Rizal did in
helping to create nationhood for the Filipino people.
As Emilio Aguinaldo would continue the fight
for nationalism in the Philippines, the U.S would begin its intervention in
colonizing the region. In the same way that the Western ideas helped
develop new ideas such as self-government and the fundamental freedoms for
Filipino nationalists, it was also these Western ideas that began the
colonization of these Filipino people. The United States would enter the
Philippines with ideas of Manifest Destiny but would also enter because of
continuing economic struggles. As mentioned earlier, many factors are
entangled within the subject of Filipino nationalism and one of those factors
is the tricky web of capital and economy. Because countries circumventing
the area of the Philippines generated over a billion dollars in purchased
goods, security of the region was important for the United States and their
goals of controlling Eastern commerce.
Resistance to U.S colonial control took
shape in militant revolutionary guerrillas that were supported by the
Filipino people, and it is in the early 20th century that a war
would be fought between Filipino guerrillas and well-armed American soldiers. The
United States even resorted to reconcentrado policies that
resulted in the deaths of thousands of Filipino lives. Although it is
impossible to know the real number of lives lost in this era of reconcentrado,
it is estimated that over 600,000 died in these camps or in battle. Filipino
nationalists fought for their independence and rejected U.S colonial rule, and
many often died in their fight against oppression. It is only through
America’s Great Depression that interests in the Philippines would diminish,
eventually granting the nation independence in 1946.
In conclusion, Spanish and U.S colonialism in
the Philippines heavily altered the politics, economy and society of Filipino
life. This expansion into Southeast Asian territory offered a way into
Eastern commerce and was a way to easily exploit a society and its resources.
But in this era of colonial oppression, for example, controlling educational
institutions or the reconcentrado policies used by the U.S,
resistance to the oppression was just as evident. The Filipino nationalism
movement was enacted through, both, non-violent approaches, such as Jose Rizal
and his intellectual approach to create a national identity, and violent
approaches, such as Filipino guerrilla warfare. The Philippines
proved to be a battleground for colonialism and nationalism after the 18th century. As
they fought for full independence and obtained it in 1946, the Philippines
proved through sheer relentless determination that they truly did rise up as
one nation to throw off Western rulers.
Sources
SarDesai, D.R. Southeast Asia: Past and Present. Boulder:
Westview Press, 2010.
Westview Press, 2013
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