Journal Entry/Discussion Essay # 5
Asian Americans in the United States, 1860s to end of 19th century and U.S. Imperialism, Social Darwinism and Race: Hawaii, the Philippines & the Caribbean (Puerto Rico, Cuba), late 19th Century to 20th Centuries
A two to three paragraph essay with at least one short response essay to your peers (your classmates)
Response essays to at least one of your peers (classmates) DUE by Thursday May 5th
We’ve prefaced all readings, films, podcasts in class- they’re all in Canvas except for your required text, which you have
PART I: You’ve seen, read and listened to all of these, all are important for your understanding of this era. Now choose ONE from the following film/podcast/article to write a well-developed short essay in which you develop the main themes and ideas from your film/podcast/article. Be sure to provide specific examples from them (laws, practices, attitudes, struggles, lawsuits, trends…), and tell us all of the ways this film/podcast/ or article is important to our understanding of race and ethnicity in the United States.
*Film: “The Asian Americans” (PBS, 2021) ep. one, “Breaking Ground” (you have study guide)
* Podcast “Constitutional,” episode “Nationality (Links to an external site.),” 1898 Supreme Court case: are Asian Americans citizens?
*Article: “Racism Has Always Been Part of the Asian American Experience (Links to an external site.)” by Mae Ngai, The Atlantic, 4/21/21 (full article in Canvas as pdf).
*LENGTH OF PART I: One to two substantial paragraphs with specific examples for this part.
PART II: Analysis of film. Write a well-developed short essay in which you analyze one or two important themes, or central ideas from our very important film: “Manifest Destiny: to Conquer or Redeem,” Pts I & III, “Benevolent Assimilation” (1-26:09 and 58:52 to 1:29:00) on Race and Empire in the U.S. (Hawaii, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Cuba). Film is in Canvas, as is our study guide)
Describe those issues in detail. Make connections to our lecture material (we covered a lot), readings, political cartoons of the era, and podcasts you’ve listened to on this very important topic. Tell us all of the ways these issues are important for our understanding of Race/Ethnicity in America.
Clipped below are some of the themes this film deals with (you have the full detailed study guide in Canvas, right below the film link): Race and Empire; U.S. economic expansion and empire; the role of violence in U.S. expansion; How U.S. policymakers at the time rationalize the contradiction between empire and democracy; Alfred Thayer Mahan and the expansion of U.S. political and military power abroad; the role of the U.S. media and U.S. imperialism in Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Philippines; the Panama canal, expansion of U.S. economic and military power and the Sea Lanes of Communication and Transportation (SLOCTs); U.S. Domestic politics and imperialism; “Benevolent Assimilation”: Ideology, Race, Christianity and U.S. colonization of the Philippines (and consequences on Filipinos)
