History 259 - Empire, Race & the Philippines

'Is the United States an 'empire'? Today, U.S. political, military, and economic involvement in many parts of the world, such as the Middle East, makes this an urgent and important question. This course addresses the issue of American imperial power by examining the history of U.S. colonization of the Philippines, during the first half of the twentieth century, and by comparing it with that of two other imperial powers--Spain and Japan. Themes to be discussed include imperialism, colonialism, religion, ethnicity, gender, orientalism, nationalism, postcolonialism, neocolonialism, crony capitalism, globalization, and militarism. Requirements include two exams and a final paper.'