A poster with likenesses
of Cpl. David Fagen, an African-American
soldier who defected from
the U.S. Army during the war to subdue
the Philippines. Fagan is
today regarded as a hero by many Filipinos.
The reason for his
defection? Racism among White American forces.
Filipinos, African-Americans and the 'Black Man's Burden'
(Manila Times, The Philippines)
"With the first African-American president visiting the
Philippines, it might be a good time for Filipinos and African-Americans to
acquaint themselves with an often-forgotten part of the Philippine-American War
(1899-1902). It was a conflict that transformed the United States into a global
empire. ... I refer here to the quizzical role played by African-American
soldiers in this war, and their curious ambivalence to the proclaimed mission
of 'taking up the White man's burden' and 'civilizing' Filipinos."
With
the first African-American president visiting the Philippines, it might be a
good time for Filipinos and African-Americans to acquaint themselves with an
often-forgotten part of the Philippine-American
War (1899-1902). It was a conflict that transformed the United States into
a global empire.
I
refer here to the quizzical role played by African-American soldiers in this
war, and their curious ambivalence to the proclaimed mission of "taking up
the White man's
burden" and "civilizing" Filipinos.
The
English poet Rudyard Kipling coined the phrase "White man's burden"
in his famous poem, which urged America to take the Philippines. The poem opens
these lines:
Take up the
White man’s burden —
Send forth the
best ye breed —
Go bind your
sons to exil
To serve your
captives’ need;
To wait in heavy
harness
On fluttered
folk and wild —
Your new-caught,
sullen peoples,
Half devil and
half child.
According
to historian Barbara Tuchman, "The poem, published in a two-page spread by
Mclure’s Magazine, was quoted across the country
within a week, and quickly reconciled most Americans to the expenditure of
bullets, brutality and trickery that soon proved necessary to implement it."
It
has also been suggested by writers that Kipling’s poem helped rally volunteers
for the U.S. campaign of conquest in the Philippines. Many volunteered eagerly
because of the opportunity afforded by an adventure in the vast Pacific Ocean.
How
did Black Americans (African-Americans is now the preferred term) react to the
idea of taking up the White man’s burden?
This
is not an idle question to raise, because by 1898, a scant 30 years had passed
since a costly civil war had been fought primarily on the issue of slavery and
the emancipation of Black Americans.
Several
books on the Philippine-American War and general history provide revealing
information of the wartime role played by African-Americans. These source
materials provide invaluable insights into Black-American attitudes toward the
war, and into the major policy debates that ensued after U.S. annexation of the
Philippines for $20 million in 1898. [The United States paid Spain $20
million for the Philippines at the conclusion of the Spanish-American War ].
One
major source of material is David J. Silbey’s book A
War of Frontier and Empire (The Philippine- American War, 1899-1902).
In one key passage, he wrote:
The sending of
African-American troops to the Philippines created the most profound ambiguities.
Soldiering had long been a valued career path for African-American men who were
cut off from most other economic and career pursuits.
The
African-American community fought zealously to protect that path, and reacted
furiously to slights, perceived and otherwise, regarding the vigor and valor of
African-American soldiers.
The result was
that African-American units were sent to the Philippines and a few
African-Americans were promoted to officer ranks. ... Once they were in the
Philippines, African-Americans found disturbing parallels in the relationships
between Filipinos and White soldiers. It was an easy step for White soldiers,
steeped in the easy racism of the 19th century, to bring patterns of behavior
abroad.
The difficulties
were profound for African-American soldiers. Their duty was to fight an enemy
with whom they had some sympathy, and live among people becoming victims of the
same diabolical race hatred that they experienced at home."
Four Black
regiments were sent to the Philippines. Many of the Black soldiers established
rapport with the Filipinos, and they were angered by the term "nigger"
used by White troops to describe the Filipinos.
The Filipino
rebels often addressed themselves to the 'colored American soldier' in posters,
reminding them of lynchings back home, asking them
not to serve the White imperialist against other colored people.
An unusually
large number of Black troops deserted during the Philippine campaign.
Some deserters
joined the Filipino rebels. The most famous of these was David Fagen
of the 24th Infantry. He accepted a commission in the insurgent army and for
two years, he wreaked havoc on American forces.
In
his book, Smoked
Yankee and the Struggle for Empire: Letters from Negro Soldires,
Willard Gatewood reproduces and analyzes 114 letters
written by Black soldiers to African-American newspapers from 1898-1902.
Posted By Worldmeets.US
One
soldier wrote in 1899: "Our racial sympathies would naturally be with the
Filipinos. They are fighting manfully for what they conceive to be their
interests. But we cannot for the sake of sentiment turn our back upon our own
country."
Another
Black soldier wrote in June 1901 to an Indianapolis paper: "This struggle
on the islands has been naught but a gigantic scheme of robbery and oppression."
Back
home in America, African-American leaders, including prominent church figures,
agitated against the American war on Filipinos. Some joined the Anti-Imperialist
League, which was organized and led by luminaries like philosopher William
James, the writer Mark Twain, and industrialist Andrew Carnegie. Most of the Black
press opposed President McKinley's Philippine policies.
A
meeting of Black citizens and leaders in Boston adopted a resolution in July
1899 which they sent to the president, protesting "the unjustified
invasion by American soldiers in the Philippine Islands."
Henry M. Turner, senior
bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, called the campaign in the
Philippines "an unholy war of conquest," and referred to the
Filipinos as "sable patriots."
Zinn reports that the period of the
Philippine-American War coincided with a time of intense racism in the United
States. Every week in the years between 1889 and 1903, on average, two Negroes were lynched by mobs - hanged,
burned, mutilated. The Filipinos were brown-skinned, physically identifiable,
strange-speaking, and strange-looking to Americans. To the usual brutality of
war was thus added the factor of racial hostility.
I
bring up all of this with no thought of laying "Black man's burden" on
President Obama. To the contrary, I offer this as a salute to the African-American
soldiers who came to our country over a century ago.
