Proud presenters of the Asian American International Film Festival (AAIFF) in New York City. AAIFF showcases the best in independent Asian and Asian American cinema.
The Philippine-American War pitted one time allies in the overthrow of Spain against each other. Spain negotiated a separate peace with the United States in the Treaty of Paris, ceding colonial rule of the Philippine Islands to the Americans rather than granting the Filipinos independence. The American government accepted this new imperial role, and set about subduing any Filipinos who resisted. In this scene, the city of Iloilo is captured from Filipino forces by Americans led by Brigadier General Marcus Miller, with no loss of American lives. (Diorama in the Ayala Museum, Makati, Philippines, 2018.) Waging the American War How did the Americans justify their takeover of the Philippines? Are you convinced by this argument? In your opinion, did American conduct during the war match these justifications? Why or why not? How did the American military attempt to counter rumors of their brutality? Annexation of the Philippines as a colony of the United States was often justified by those in the U.S. government and media on moral and racial grounds. The U.S. was simply doing its duty as an advanced, Western nation, spreading civilization, democracy, and capitalism to primitive Asians who enjoyed none of these things and were too simple to be trusted with self-government. Historian Stuart Creighton Miller writes that in this view, “Americans altruistically went to war with Spain to liberate Cubans, Puerto Ricans, and Filipinos from their tyrannical yoke. If they lingered on too long in the Philippines, it was to protect the Filipinos from European predators waiting in the wings for an American withdrawal and to tutor them in American-style democracy.” Implicit in this attitude were notions of racial superiority and the inherent superiority of white America over primitive people of color. The ugly reality of Americans colonial mission was laid bare by Dean Worcester, an American colonial official, who wrote in his memoirs that the Filipinos were “treacherous, arrogant, stupid and vindictive, impervious to gratitude, incapable of recognizing obligations. Centuries of barbarism have made them cunning and dishonest. We cannot safely treat them as equals, for the simple and sufficient reason that they could not understand it. They do not know the meaning of justice and good faith. They do not know the difference between liberty and license…. These Filipinos must be taught obedience and be forced to observe, even if they cannot comprehend, the practices of civilization. On February 11, 1899-only one week after the first shots of the war were fired-American naval forces destroyed the city of Iloilo with bombardment by the USS Petrel and the USS Baltimore. The city was then captured by ground forces led by Brigadier General Marcus Miller, with no loss of American lives. Months later, after finally securing Manila from Filipino control, American forces moved northwards, engaging in combat at the brigade and battalion level in pursuit of the fleeing insurgent forces and their commanders. In response to the use of guerilla warfare tactics by Filipino forces beginning in September 1899, American military strategy shifted to a suppression footing. Tactics became focused on the control of key areas with internment and segregation of the civilian population in “zones of protection” from the guerrilla population (foreshadowing the Strategic Hamlet Program that would be utilized decades later, during the Vietnam War). Due to unsanitary conditions, many of the interned civilians died from dysentery. General Otis gained notoriety for some of his actions in the Philippines. Although multiple orders were given to Otis from Washington to avoid military conflict, he did very little to prevent the breakout of war. Otis refused to accept anything but unconditional surrender from the Philippine Army. He often made major military decisions without first consulting leadership in Washington. He acted aggressively in dealing with the Filipinos under the assumption that their resistance would collapse quickly. A member of the American colonial government offered an alternative theory on what Bell was achieving, noting in his official report that far from breaking the spirit of the Filipino people, the blanket policy of violence and destruction was: … sowing the seeds for a perpetual revolution. If these things need be done, they had best be done by native troops so that the people of the U.S.. will not be credited therewith. Otis also played a large role in suppressing information about American military tactics from the media. When letters describing American atrocities reached the American media, the War Department became involved and demanded that Otis investigate their authenticity. Each press clipping was forwarded to the original writer’s commanding officer, who would then convince or force the soldier to write a retraction of the original statements. Meanwhile, Otis claimed that Filipino insurgents tortured American prisoners in “fiendish fashion.” During the closing months of 1899, Aguinaldo attempted to counter Otis’ account by suggesting that neutral parties-foreign journalists or representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross-inspect his military operations. Otis refused, but Aguinaldo managed to smuggle four reporters-two English, one Canadian, and one Japanese-into the Philippines. The correspondents returned to Manila to report that American captives were “treated more like guests than prisoners,” were “fed the best that the country affords, and everything is done to gain their favor.” The story went on to say that American prisoners were offered commissions in the Filipino army and that three had accepted. The four reporters were expelled from the Philippines as soon as their stories were printed. U.S. Navy Lieutenant J.C. Gilmore, whose release was forced by American cavalry pursuing Aguinaldo into the mountains, insisted that he had received “considerable treatment” and that he was no more starved than were his captors. Otis responded to publication of two articles concerning this by ordering the “capture” of the two authors, and that they be “investigated,” therefore questioning their loyalty. When F.A. Blake of the International Committee of the Red Cross arrived at Aguinaldo’s request, Otis kept him confined to Manila, where Otis’ staff explained all of the violations of international humanitarian law perpetrated by Filipino soldiers. Blake managed to slip away from an escort and venture into the field. Blake never made it past American lines, but even within American lines he saw burned out villages and “horribly mutilated bodies, with stomachs slit open and occasionally decapitated.” Blake waited to return to San Francisco, where he told one reporter that “American soldiers are determined to kill every Filipino in sight.” H.L. Wells, a staunch imperialist writing in the New York Evening Post, excused the troubling American racial theories that contributed to the often callous violence that characterized the Philippine-American War “There is no question that our men do ‘shoot niggers’ somewhat in the sporting spirit, but that is because war and their environments have rubbed off the thin veneer of civilization…Undoubtedly, they do not regard the shooting of Filipinos just as they would the shooting of white troops. This is partly because they are “only niggers,” and partly because they despise them for their treacherous servility…The soldiers feel they are fighting with savages, not with soldiers.”
Never forget your ancestors who were lynched, beaten, molested, their houses were bricked and petrol bombed, lynched on the street and the park, family and girls molested or raped, families beaten, set on fire, had dogs set upon them that tore their flesh amongst many horrific attacks and abuses. Whether black, brown or yellow through the 1800, 1950's, 60's, 70's, 80's, 90's, 00's and today. Western colonialism atrocities and exploitive terrorism all over the world and their far right nazi Terrorist organisations and their Propaganda.
😮Ruby Chow her children brought my parents. Everytime I cane in they wrent high enough for the register they stood on something for something. Edgewater is never to use pandas again for feet in the gift ahop
It is good to arouse the interest in Heroines in our history and cultural awareness. It would be better if it can be presented in a more Chinese style (not the western military drill style) with some cultural and historical references to the heroines in the real history such as 秦良玉（Qin Liangyu), 花木兰 (Hua Mulan)，穆桂英 (Mu Guiying)，樊梨花 (Fan Lihua)，梁红玉 (Liang Hongyu,), etc.
Comedy is subjective. The bit itself isn't necessarily the funniest thing ever. What is funny is how random people just yell it out at Bobby and Santino.
Yeah, Hello, finally the time has come! Khyentse, དུས་ཚོད་སླེབ་སོང། Hello, There are university scholars (like me) who say that Shambhala (in the Ngorpa Kalachakra) is the Mongols' Empire in the West of Tibet, (Ngari, Burang, Mustang Lo Mantang.). The Mongol Empire stretched from Kailash to Pakistan, to Irak, to Turkey. Dear Khyentse, would you like to shoot a film (in Normandy, Verneuil-sur-Avre,) with me about finding (....through the Ngorpa Kalachakra...), Shambhala? The day after Obamas victory in the election, in 2008, the lottery in Obamas home state drew 666. The Kalachakra of the Ngor School announces there will be a Demon King called Krinmati and the King of Shambhala will defeat him. I'm sure the Antichrist Obama is Krinmati. Khyentse must reveal this to the world, he has that power and he has the duty to have that role and responsibility.
Racism: when exploring the nature of racism, better to have some grasp of what racism is to begin with. I'm not talking about the newspeak definition of the word. I am talking about the actual dictionary definition of the word. A Race is any group of persons - however large or small - sharing the same characteristics, beliefs or habits. Racism then, is the dislike of persons sharing the same characteristics, beliefs or habits. Ergo - dislike of persons who share a belief that persons sharing a different ethnicity or culture are somehow inferior or disliked, is dislike of a group with similar beliefs. I.e., racism. Being anti-racist, is in fact racist. It's a Mobius strip. Meaning, the word has basically zero validity. What you are talking about is either xenophobia, or ethnicism. I'd say, sure stick racism in your video title to garner more views. But given the 105 views on this video, I'd reckon it did not quite work. Instead, I'd educate yourselves and start using the correct language. Then maybe others can grasp it, change, or do something constructive about it. By the way. None of my Chinese Gangster friends would ever call a black person Hakgwai to their face. Say it to Mike Tyson see how he feels about it. Then tell me if it's 'not always derogatory'. Coz you'd think twice about saying it again, when u had no teeth.
Asian American International Film Festival LMAO!!! What about Africans that were born in the States and are now living in Asia with vacationing to Australia once a year? How would that be called then? 😂
